• Welcome to BookAndReader!

    We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!

    Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.

The Devil's Advocate Symbolism. What do they all mean?

BobGrant2012

New Member
I just watched this film last weekend and tried to research what all the symbolisms portrayed in the film mean but unfortunately I couldn't really find anything that I'm really looking for. Specifically I'm interested in the symbols related to Al Pacino's office. What does it mean when he came into the room after Keanu Reeves (if anything), what do the white souls behind his desk mean, and any other things that were mentioned or showed in the film to do with his office (another I remember is when the characters ask where he sleeps- does that mean anything?) Anyway if anyone can give pointers to other websites or some explanations that would be a great help. Thanks
 
Ex Nihilo - Out of Nothing...

Or rather the sculptures were 'inspired' by Frederick Hart's Ex Nihilo Tableaux commissioned for The Washington National Cathedral.

Did you wonder about the name of Al Pacino's character in his human guise?
 
The 'Paradise Lost' we're talking about is the poem by John Milton (which is massive by the way).

The poem starts with Lucifer in shock having been cast out of heaven with his army and finishes with Adam and Eve being driven out of the Garden of Eden because of the temptation of Lucifer.
 
Ah well BobGrant2012, I don't know if you're still interested but I'll just tie this up now.

All the symbolism in The Devil's Advocate points to one book, The Book of Genesis in the Bible.

The original Ex Nihilo (shown in the film as the gray figures behind the desk) were sculpted by Frederick Hart based on his research on The Book of Genesis.

Paradise Lost by the english poet John Milton is also based on The Book of Genesis.

Couple of other nods in the film, in The Book of Genesis Adam and Eve were the only human couple in the Garden of Eden, Keanu and Charlize find themselves similarly alone in 'The Center of The Universe'* and Eve's sin was vanity, John Milton's final line in the film 'Vanity, definitely my favourite sin'.

*Edit, love that nickname.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top