MovieChat Forums > Heaven Can Wait (1943) Discussion > The Devil, a good guy? Spoiler

The Devil, a good guy? Spoiler


I found it funny the the Devil was very sympathetic to Don Ameche's character. He new he didn't belong, so he he makes it right by sending Don up to heaven.
Are there any other movies where the Devil is portrayed sympathetically?

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How about Peter Cook in Bedazzled? He wasn't really a "good guy", but he was definitely a sympathetic character in that one.

There are probably some others, but that's the only one I can think of now off the top of my head.

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If they've ever done a film of George Bernard Shaw's Don Giovanni in Hell that would be an even more sympathetic one.

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In Constantine the devil, while not a good guy, saves someone important from dying for his own reasons.


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I kept thinking to myself throughout the movie how cool Satan's character is...then I saw him pull the lever for the fire pit and thought..."Oh, there we go."

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Hate to say it, but South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut. He even sings a song about how he doesn't want to be in hell, but has to stay there and be evil because it's his job.

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The Devil is not really good watch the scene where he pushes the button and sends the lady to Hell. But Henry treats the Devil differently, there is a respect instead of a fear, hatred, or like , something he is not used to. So he takes the time to listen to Henry and understands and even likes him. The Devil knows he is terribly flawed in fact maybe the most undeserving person there ( which is why he may have to wait several hundred years to get to the main room) But he is not evil. The most important thing about the Devil as always is he likes taking souls but he liked Henry so he made the exception in his case.. In the final scene the elevator operator asks the Devil down? And he says up and smiles

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According to my understanding of Western religion, Judaism, Christianity, including Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and the Protestant sects, and Islam, all hold God to be omnipresent and omniscient. God is also supernatural, so he operates with her own logic. Given that, Deism only makes sense if God is also part of everything, including his favorite angel who rebelled because he must serve rather than rule. Therefore, God knows where Henry is and the Devil (Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, et. al.) ultimately serves with God's approval.

Notice that the woman announces very early on that she does not belong there. This is denial of her actions and aggravates her culpability. She further exacerbates her fate by attempting to seduce Henry, displaying vanity as well. What else could the Devil do?

Henry, on the other hand, acknowledges his human frailty and loss of grace. He is perfectly amenable to accepting punishment, but never got around to seeking forgiveness while alive. This scenario could certainly happen in Catholicism (I think) as well as most other Western religions and justifies his ascendance.

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There are people who fall through the cracks Which is why there is purgatory. Henry is one in a million maybe on in a billion someone the Devil actually likes. . If you think of 1,001 Arabian Nights and how Scheherazade and her ability to tell a story allow her to how only survive but win over Shahryar. That is what Henry did he was honest and respectful and got Satan to listen to his story, and by doing that he convinced the Devil " There is no room for people like you here.@

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Leaves out of the book of Satan, a movie by Carl Theodor Dreyer.


TV series: Reaper: here satan or "Jerry Belvedere" is a smooth-talking gentleman.


Book: The Portuguese writer Jose Saramagos adaption of the Devil in his novel The Gospel according to Jesus Christ is probably the most sympathetic one to date.


Poem: Paradise Lost By Milton.


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"The Devil and Daniel Webster". Walter Huston as the Devil is not a "good guy", but he's certainly charismatic and interesting.

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