MovieChat Forums > Bedazzled (2000) Discussion > Elliot's Cellmate/Angel

Elliot's Cellmate/Angel

posted 12 years ago by twob_ornot
12 replies | jump to latest

The role of Elliot's Cellmate/Angel, as played by Gabriel Casseus, is what Spike Lee calls the "Magical Negro". Don't directors/writers ever get tired of this?

[–] Doc80 12 years ago

Well, the character is God, so he's not the "magical negro." They probably just wanted the complete opposite of Hurley to play God. A black male is pretty much the opposite of a white female.

[–] twob_ornot 12 years ago

Good point about his yin to her yang, but I still say God is pretty magical.

[–] Doc80 12 years ago

Well, yeah, he's God, but just because he is played by a black guy doesn't make him a "magical negro."

[–] twob_ornot 12 years ago

The Magical Negro is a black or other oppressed minority character with a pure heart and deep spiritual wisdom (and sometimes even actual supernatural powers) who steps forward to help a more privileged (almost always white) central character.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicalNegro

[–] willjohn 10 years ago

I liked the end of the original film, with the voice of Valentine Dyall as God laughing fit to bust at The Devil screwing up by doing a kind act.

[–] keno4518 11 years ago

He was not God! He was an angel, why do you people think that?

[–] moonscar119 11 years ago

He was not God! He was an angel, why do you people think that?

Because in the effin directors commentary, the director said he was a black God. Get off your high horse because you are wrong.

---------
One
Big
A**
Mistake
America

[–] doobienick 11 years ago

No, Moonscar, One Big Ass Mistake America didn't make was having Psycho Barbie a heartbeat away from the presidency. The Republicans ran losers against Obama. Live with it.

I spend my money on dope, sex and cheap thrills.
The rest of it, I waste.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] fiatlux-1 10 years ago

If that guy was supposed to be God, they sure didn't portray the character that way!

He speaks of himself in the third person, for one thing. That's odd, even for a film.
Second, the entire way they portray the character is totally *in line* with how angels are shown in movies.

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

[–] alexaw9 9 years ago

It doesn't make sense for him to be an angel. He needs to be an opposite to the devil, equally as powerful, and I doubt the devil would have meet-up with each and every angel. Devil and god/devil vs. God makes much more sense. God characters consistently talk about God in the third person. Additionally, it would be another five or ten minutes (at least) of exposition and dialogue for him to introduce and explain himself as god, plus considered a rush of extra plot at the end of the film, instead of leaving it vague.

[–] alexaw9 9 years ago

If he was one of numerous angels, she should be one of numerous demons. It needs to equal out, especially as it showed them together afterwards.