Two Knights is a short film from director Piotr Szkopiak that follows the biblical characters of the fallen angel Lucifer and the archangel Michael. Szkopiak takes the vast themes of good and evil typically symbolised within the two characters and muddies the waters between them. He humanises the untouchable, calling into question the validity of century old axiomatic beliefs that deem God is the ultimate good and the devil the ultimate evil.
Of course, exploring the devil as a complex and ultimately human-like character is not new. John Milton’s controversial portrayal of Satan in Paradise Lost called into question the judgement of God. Milton presents Satan with fundamentally human characteristics. He explores how Satan came to be angry and vengeful, suggesting that it was the pain of rejection and humiliation that drove him to circle the earth in anguish before settling in his plan of revenge. As a result of this humanisation, people found themselves identifying with Satan as a marginalised being, rejected and outcast by society, forever shaped by this pain.
Szkopiak continues along this vein, questioning what good is and why evil exists, asking how God can allow the two to coexist when it creates such an unjust world filled with pain. Adrian Darko as Lucifer is magnificently captivating. The boots of the devil are big ones to fill, and Darko fills them with ease. He commands the screen with his delivery of philosophical and theological arguments. A perfect foil to this is Reece J. Morant as the archangel Michael. He is determined and loyal, passionately defending the things he believes in against Lucifer ‘s attacks. While the defence of our beliefs is an admirable thing, the ability to question our values and challenge those who appear before us proposing that theirs is the righteous path requires a different kind of strength. Morant captures the tenacity of his character, moving into a moment of destabilisation as we learn of their past relationship between. The archangel and the devil were once closer than you would think. The passion from both Morant and Darko captured within the film reaches theatrical levels. The film unfolds almost like a scene from a play. The limited space in which the narrative takes place helps with this sense. The pair are confined to a room as actors are confined to the stage, and yet they look out the window into the world at large, just as an actor looking out to the audience does.
What Lucifer sees when he glances across the world is a civilisation abandoned by their creator. A crumbling mess of lies and deceit. However, try as he might, this is not a picture he can paint in the mind of Michael. Michael is extremely defensive about what he believes in. He cannot come to terms with Lucifer asking him to consider the possibility that the lines between light and dark – good and evil – are not as distinct as he would like to believe.
The writers, Adrian Darko, Tommaso Genovesi and Reece J. Morant cleverly move the age old question into the 21st century. Raising issues of racism and gender identity; the horrific hate and prejudice surrounding marginalised communities, Lucifer comments poignantly, “this is of his design”. These haunting words echo throughout the film, and, for me, sum up its core theological paradox.
Beyond the engaging conceptual themes within Two Knights, the film is beautifully woven on a physical level. The lighting, cinematography and colour grading all create a feeling of otherness. A sense of being outside of reality and looking in – like limbo, as Lucifer comments. The music ties together the cinematography by Robert Ford, the exquisitely lyrical writing, and the performances of Darko and Morant. With music credits from Luigi Di Guida, Dovydas, Lazdinis and Sigita Martyna, Two Knights is beautifully scored in a sensitive and subtle way that compliments the themes very well.
Watch the trailer below!