The Portrayal of Lucifer: Biblical versus Hollywood Movies

Essay by nelly0College, UndergraduateA-, April 2004

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When we think of the portrayal of Lucifer in the different texts, films, and religions, there are many things that are common traits. Using two different sources, the movies End of Days (1999, directed by Peter Hyams) and Devil's Advocate (1997, directed by Taylor Hackford), I will compare them to the Bible to show the ways that Lucifer (or the more commonly known as Satan) is portrayed, both visually and behaviourally.

The first thing that needs to be explored is the way Lucifer is portrayed visually within these two references.

The first, both chronologically and by importance would be the Bible. Originally, in the Garden of Eden Lucifer is portrayed a serpent with legs. Nowhere in the Bible does it come right out and say that the serpent in the garden was actually Lucifer, but it is heavily implied throughout the book that it was him. After the serpent convinces Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, God says, "So the LORD God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life" (Genesis 3:14).

This is the first time Lucifer (or at least what everyone is convinced is Lucifer) is portrayed with a visual reference in the bible. All throughout the bible, Lucifer is given a serpent like appearance, as in Revelations 20:2, "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years" (Revelations 20:2).

In the movie End of Days, you don't see Lucifer portrayed right off, you merely hear his voice saying, "Behold the thousand years has ended, and you have failed". However, before Lucifer...