MovieChat Forums > End of Days (1999) Discussion > Best Portrayal of Satan in a film

Best Portrayal of Satan in a film

posted 16 years ago by hpoirot88
70 replies | jump to latest

Real quick though- Not in a leading role. So, Al Pacino doesn't count. I mean the ones similar to Gabriel Byrne... although he is not my pick. MY pick is Viggo Mortenson in The Prophecy, he was too good for that part. Whilst I did enjoy some aspects of Gabe's performance, escpecially the look on his face when blew up Kevin Pollack the first time (BOOM!) Viggo was just that much better.
Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick comes into play, too. But he was too... I dunno, sleazy is a good word. There are many aspects of Satan in film yet to be explored, I always thought that Robert Redford would've been great as Satan, even if he was the Angel of Death in that one episode of the Twilight Zone. Anyway, let me know your favorites.

"I'm a Republican that listens to public opinion."

[–] JFMJJ88 10 years ago

Juliette Caton in The Last Temptation of Christ will always be no. 1 for me. After that, I'd go with Rosalinda Celentano in The Passion of the Christ. I also loved Viggo in The Prophecy, though with the way Lucifer is written I never really considered Viggo to be playing what I think of as "Satan."

[–] jajceboy 10 years ago

Don't know if it's the best portrayal but it's definitively in the top 10.

[–] Exar-Sama 10 years ago

Stormare was great in Constantine. Sort of middle ground, campy and creepy, a real twisted sort. The mannerisms for the demons in that film overall were well-done and made them obviously inhuman. He has the least screentime of most, though. Shame.

Pacino was great in Devil's Advocate. He's over the top, but none the less entertaining to work the entire film. Watching End of Days and liking Byrne. More of a creepy and low key figure but still petty and evil as hell. Gotta love the boob grab in his first scene. And don't forgot about the part with the teen with the 'Satan Rules' t-shirt he actually compliments, then the guy answers 'screw you' or something, so Satan distracts him and he's hit by a bus. Can honestly see Stormare's doing the same.

So far those are the three off the top of my head I like, but I think Stormare comes in first place, at least for me now. I need to check out Angel Heart sometime to rate Deniro's.

1. Stormare
2. Byrne
3. Pacino
(Thus far)

[–] mike-crowley64 10 years ago

Agreed. Gabriel Byrne *beep* crushed it.