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Comedy drama

Archangel (1991): Cast, Ratings & Plot

Archangel (1991) movie poster

Archangel is a 1991 comedy drama directed by Guy Maddin, starring Ari Cohen, Victor Cowie and Kyle McCulloch. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes. Critics gave it 68 on Metacritic.

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Archangel (1991) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 30m (90 min)
Director
Guy Maddin
Genres
Drama , Comedy , Romance , War
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Archangel About?

The premise of Archangel without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A troubled investigator teams up with a resourceful young girl to uncover dark secrets from the era of Josef Stalin's rule. Their investigation into a series of brutal events leads them down a dangerous path, forcing them to confront a web of lies and betrayals. Along the way, they experience a journey of redemption, complicated by an unexpected romantic connection, all set against the backdrop of a turbulent wartime landscape.

Archangel Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • priest
  • nudity
  • absurd comedy
  • homoeroticism
  • experimental film
  • surrealism
  • male nudity
  • child with a gun
  • child
  • gun
  • russian
  • love
+38 more
  • soldier
  • bolshevik
  • arctic
  • russia
  • wedding night
  • unfaithfulness
  • symbolism
  • strangulation
  • strangled with link sausage
  • sausage
  • russian revolution
  • revolution
  • red cross
  • mustard gas
  • monk
  • metaphor
  • mental disorder
  • memory
  • marriage
  • lust
  • link sausage
  • lieutenant
  • la ronde
  • knife
  • inner title card
  • hypnotist
  • husband wife relationship
  • hun
  • gore
  • forgetfulness
  • extramarital affair
  • disorientation
  • dead lover
  • confession
  • chambermaid
  • cannibalism
  • canadian soldier
  • aviator
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Cast & crew

Archangel Cast

Ari Cohen leads the cast, with Victor Cowie and Kyle McCulloch. Directed by Guy Maddin; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from Guy Maddin

More films directed by Guy Maddin, best-rated first: The Green Fog, My Winnipeg, Brand Upon the Brain! and The Saddest Music in the World.

Full filmography
Ratings

Archangel Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Archangel 68 on Metacritic.

Plot

Archangel Plot Summary

What happens in Archangel from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 5-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Archangel opens on a haunting image set in 1919, when Canadian forces briefly intervene in the waning days of the Russian Civil War. A one‑legged Canadian officer, Lt. John Boles, stands on the rail of a steamship, cradling the ashes of his vanished lover, Iris. In a cruel twist of fate, an officer mistakes Iris’ urn for a bottle of liquor and hurls it overboard. A narrator then steps in to weave a meditation on love—its redeeming power and its dangerous cousin, self‑love or pride—that can become the seedbed of war. (A cameo by Maddin’s daughter Jilian appears as a young Cossack girl who orders the execution of a boy, adding a fateful note of fate and myth to the moment.)

Full summary

The whole story of Archangel, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Archangel Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Archangel.

Archangel (Trailer - 4K Restoration)
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Archangel?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which country's forces briefly intervene in the waning days of the Russian Civil War?

Details

Archangel Also Known As

4 alternative titles, including “Arcanjo” and “Arcángel”.

Also known as
  • Arcanjo
  • Arcángel
  • 신비의 도시 아키엔젤
  • 大天使

Seen Archangel?

FAQ

Archangel FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast, ratings and post-credit scenes of Archangel, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Archangel?

Archangel runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

When was Archangel released?

Archangel was released on July 19, 1991.

Who directed Archangel?

Archangel was directed by Guy Maddin.

More films by Guy Maddin

Who is in the cast of Archangel?

Archangel stars Ari Cohen, Victor Cowie and Kyle McCulloch, among 10 credited actors.

How is Archangel rated?

Archangel has 68 on Metacritic and 56% on TMDB.

Does Archangel have a post-credit scene?

No. Archangel has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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