A luciferian transposition of Hellblazer/Constantine: From comic book to film

Abstract

The article intends to focus on the process of translation/adaptation of the sequels of Hellblazer, published since 1988 until now, for the movie Constantine (2005), directed by Francis Lawrence. It discusses the theme of seduction for the hellish visions and devilish pacts, a phenomenon that for many centuries has permeated the Christian imaginary and whose images have been exploited by the cinema industry. The philosophical motivation of this text comes from Vilém Flusser´s book, The Devil History. The theoretical frame includes the concept of translation as “transluciferation” (Haroldo de Campos), the studies by Lotte Eisner and Gilles Deleuze about the German expressionist cinema, and the theories of adaptation and intertextuality, as well as the researches by renowned authors in the field of Comic Books and Cinema.

Keywords: movie, Comic Books, adaptation, faustian myth.