analysis 1st draft

The sound of forgiveness

Music is 70% of the show. I can often tell what is going to happen next if I just listen to the background music. One can simply listen to a movie from another room, observe the dialogue and the music to understand what is happening. Music has the power to give us chills at its epic wonder, make our spirits soar at its larger-than-life magic, make us grip our armrests in suspense, and make us jump in fright. In this episode of Angel, the tempo and feeling of the music gives the audience a perfect feeling of the scenes and an understanding of the inner turmoil of the characters. In specific scenes, the music conveys the emotion of the characters and their actions.

Angel is currently wallowing in his guilt and shame for what he has done. The general music theme in the episode (and probably the rest of the series) is dark and disturbing as we all know the feeling of guilt is.

When angel goes to the occult book keeper and the man tosses the bible at Angel, the music leaps and startles the viewers as they see Angel’s “vampire” face. The same idea occurs at other times in the episode.

As with the power that comes with all music, there is also a raw power in its absence. One can really get the feeling for the characters emotions when there is only monologue without accompaniment.

For instance, when Judy is starting to panic about the stolen money, all the sentiment is coming from her words of fear of confinement; her fear of retribution for her crime.

In real life, people confine themselves with their inability to forgive themselves. Judy says she cannot go to prison; it represents what she fears most; confinement and entrapment. The real tragedy of this episode is not that Angel gives up on the horridly paranoid hotel patrons; it is that Judy ends up imprisoned her whole life inside her head by her guilt, with the help of the paranoia demon.

“Is there such a thing as forgiveness?” she asks.

Perhaps, but what really speaks to me about this episode, is that one that one must forgive one’s self before one can ask for another’s forgiveness. Judy must forgive herself and her parents before she can ask for the forgiveness of the people she inadvertently wronged.

Angel must come to terms with himself, his nature, and his past before he can progress.

Forgiving one’s self is one of the hardest things to do in this life. One, because the idea of holding one’s self in contempt has a twisted, saintly aura about it. And second, because that is all you can think about day in and day out. All your actions and thoughts revolve around this self mutilating guilt and when you come to understand this, you truly begin to comprehend Angel and his grieving period.

This whole ideology is very Christian rooted. The entire basis of this show is grounded in Christian philosophy of the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and paying for one’s sins in penitence, as Angel is paying for his past sins today.

It is interesting, because it is Christianity that is most closely bound to the myth of vampires. When you think of vampires, the first thing you think of is blood. Whereas modern Christian practices use the sacrament as the representation of the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ. The next think you think of is how to ward a vampire off; the Bible, the holy cross, and silver (Judas’ 30 silver pieces).

Angel needs time to realize that it is his grieving that makes him human and redemption is possible, only by first accepting one’s past mistakes and seeing the potential to be better.