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Love in the City of Angels

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Submitted By runningreddeer
Words 932
Pages 4
Humanities 130
October 4, 2011

Love in the City of Angels Love: the all-consuming, all-encompassing life source we search for. It can be found in almost everywhere. Movies and songs are dedicated to sharing the myths of love. So I chose the movie “City of Angels” as the one of the movies I can see the love myth in. “City of Angels” is about an angel who looks over the city of Los Angeles. Thousands of angels keep watch over the city. Seth notices a surgeon, Maggie, while she is trying to save a life. He feels as though she can see him, and he is intrigued by her. Seth follows her, watches her, and wills her to see him. Finally Maggie does. She is curious about him, and yet seems to have a fear of him. When Seth tells Maggie he is actually an angel, Maggie runs from him. This is too much for her to bear, and she seems to think he is a bit deranged. She is engaged to marry another surgeon, so she goes back to him. While roaming the hospital halls Seth meets a patient, Mr. Messenger, who was once an angel himself. Seth realizes that he has a choice to make. He can have everlasting life as an angel, or he can choose Maggie and a natural life. “I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it”, says Seth (City of Angels). Mr. Messenger tells him he must fall, in order to love and live. He falls from a building, and for the first time experiences true human emotions and pain. Seth runs through the city looking for Maggie. He goes through many trials and tribulations while searching for Maggie, being mugged, going to places where she is not, but finally finding her. She reveals that she is in love with him and could not go through with her marriage. Of course they consummate their love that night. Humans all search for love. People search for that intensity because it is taught to them by stories and they see it in movies. The story of “City of Angels” shows us the myth of falling in love, love at first sight, and everlasting love. “City of Angels” follows the myths of erotic love, that love is instant. While the movie, “City of Angels”, did not win any awards it did moderately well in the box office. In the opening weekend it earned $15, 369,048 (IMDb.com). Overall in the United States the film earned $78,745,923, and $101,700,000 in the rest of the world (IMDb.com). The soundtrack was released, and the album reached number one on the Billboard 200 (allmusic.com). Two of the singles from the album, Iris and Uninvited, reached number one on the Adult Top 40 chart (allmusic.com). In addition to that Uninvited by Alanis Morissette won two Grammy awards, for the categories of Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance (allmusic.com).
This love story seems to integrate different love myths. It is an erotic love myth, Seth falls in love with Maggie at first sight, will give up all for her, and wants to live forever with her. I will now show how I think the myths correlate to the movie.
When Seth falls off the building, he is literally falling in love, as well as falling for love. That is to say, he can only become human if he does not save himself, and gives all of himself for Maggie. This story reminds me somewhat of “Cupid and Psyche” (Parallel Myths, 137). Psyche is the one who became immortal, while Seth willingly gave up his immortal status for a human. Both are stories of immortals falling for a human. Cupid risks his mother’s wrath for falling in love with a human, and Seth risks God’s wrath for falling in love with Maggie. Seth knows he will not get his standing back as a protective angel. He talks of his decision with an angel friend, Cassiel, who strongly urges him to forget about Maggie. But love prevails. In Cupid and Psyche, it is Psyche that goes through the trials and tribulations. In “City of Angels”, it is Seth who must go on quests to find Maggie.
In the myth “Vertumnus and Pomona”, Vertumnus is half immortal and desires Pomona (Parallel Myths, 145). Seth, being an angel can feel on some degrees, and seems to be half immortal. Vertumnus tries to have Pomona fall in love with him, but she wasn’t interested in him (Parallel Myths, 145). Maggie is interested in saving lives, and marrying a man that saves lives, love does not seem to be as involved for her. She fears Seth because of his immortality. Vertumnus changes his appearance to trick Pomona into love (Parallel Myths, 145). Seth changes his appearance so that Maggie can fall in love with him.
As you can see, “City of Angels” is a pop-culture version of at least two myths. Love can conquer all, and some people are willing to give up everything in order to attain it.

Bibliography
Allmusic.com. City of Angels [Original Soundtrack]. http://www.allmusic.com/album/city-of -angels-original-soundtrack-r341108. Last Retrieved October 6, 2011. Web.
Bierlein, J.F., Parallel Myths. 1st. New York: The Random House Publishing Group, Inc., 1994. 137-146. Print.
IMDb. City of Angels. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120632/plotsummary. Last Retrieved October 6, 20ll. Web.

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