THE ROAD TO HELL ... IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS, SAY THOSE INVOLVED WITH 'CONSTANTINE'.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer

Unlikely movie messiah Keanu Reeves is at it again.

But in ``Constantine,'' the ``Matrix'' movies, ``Devil's Advocate'' and ``Little Buddha'' star's title role is as profane as it is sacred. If not more so.

``I loved the hard-boiled film noir aspect of Constantine's character,'' Reeves says of his demon-fighting, hell-raising hero. ``And the plot was good, this man who is cursed to hell trying to find his way into heaven. It's very entertaining, but at the same time there are things that you can chew on, about forgiveness or redemption or trying to understand one's life.''

When you're not cussing out God, smoking yourself to death and running around dispatching hell's minions with a crucifix-shaped shotgun, anyway. Based on the British ``Hellblazer'' graphic novels, ``Constantine's'' anti-hero is more or less on the side of the angels. But they won't let him join their club, and he definitely has issues with that.

``He walks the line between both worlds and thumbs his nose at heaven and hell because he knows the rules that they're playing us all under, and he doesn't like them,'' notes Frank Cappello, one of numerous screenwriters who have tried to adapt the comics over the better part of a decade. In the script that got made, which is credited to Cappello and Kevin Brodbin, Constantine exorcises demons from Earth as a way to earn a place in heaven.

But since he tried to commit suicide as a youth, the cancer-ridden hero is doomed to the other place, as a very weird version of the angel Gabriel (played by artsy Scottish actress Tilda Swinton) sadistically delights in reminding him.

All of which, and more, makes ``Constantine'' either a clever pop- culture take on Christian theology or another example of godless Hollywood doing terrible things to biblical scripture, depending on who you talk to.

``I like the public dialogue that it can create,'' says David Bruce, webmaster of hollywoodjesus.com. ``It's comic-book theology, and you can't look at it in any other way. But there are some real interesting elements in it that, for me, are profoundly spiritual. First off, you have John Constantine - J.C., like Jesus Christ. He's like a flawed messiah, a negotiator between heaven and hell.''

Other Christian critics are less forgiving, however.

``There really seems to be a parody of the virgin birth that's strange at best, and I think a lot of Christians would find it offensive,'' says Eddie Turner, East Coast editor of MovieGuide.org, which rates films according to both entertainment and moral values scores. When U spoke with him last week, Turner was planning to give ``Constantine'' the lowest score on the acceptability scale.

``I guess the main problem that I, representing MovieGuide, have with the movie is that it takes the view that there is really no difference between God and Satan,'' he says. ``Constantine says, at one point, that if the Earth is destroyed by Jesus or Satan, it doesn't matter to him who does it. But, of course, Christians argue that there is a big difference.''

Reeves explains that some of his character's more sacrilegious statements reflect steps along what he feels is a very positive spiritual journey.

``It's part of his quest,'' the actor says. ``He's trying to understand from his worldview, so something said in anger and confusion should be taken as such. It's not, ultimately, where he ends up.''

To Northridge-raised music video whiz Francis Lawrence, ``Constantine's'' religious themes were both intrinsic to the comic book's universe and a way to make his feature-directing debut extra-cool.

``I just tried to make the movie that I thought was the most interesting, and true to this character and this world,'' Lawrence says. ``I didn't make it to have certain types of people embrace it or certain types of people be offended by it.''

One group that has already been alarmed is the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Ratings Administration. They slapped an R rating on ``Constantine'' for ``violence and demonic images.''

Which Lawrence found a little odd.

``I believe that the reason this movie is an R is because of its religious content,'' the director says. ``On a scene-by-scene basis, I would say that we're less violent and graphic than 'The Lord of the Rings.' But because they're orcs and fairies, it's OK because they're all make- believe. But as soon as it's angels and demons, that's real, man.''

The L.A.-set movie definitely has more fun with hell than it does in heaven. Eternal damnation looks like the 101 Freeway after a nuclear holocaust, while paradise ... well, we still don't know what the filmmakers' vision of that may be.

``The reason why heaven isn't shown as much in these kinds of movies is, honestly, no one knows how to depict it in a cool way,'' screenwriter Cappello admits. ``It seems like audiences love to see hell, they want to see demonic images. But if you show them angelic, if you show them light, if you show them white, they're like, 'Eh.' ''

As for playing a character in constant, cranky struggle over his soul's fate, Reeves says it's more than your average acting assignment, but not necessarily a life-changing experience.

``It's somewhere in between,'' the actor reveals. ``When I invest in a character, you're taking it home, so I obviously think about it. And my job is to relate to it, but how long the vestiges of that last ... ? Still, for me, it's not something that I leave at the office.''

As for his tendency to portray actual or pseudo-religious figures (even his San Dimas airhead wrestled with the devil in one of the ``Bill & Ted'' comedies), Reeves says it's not a psychological complex.

``Messiahs are just great stories,'' he notes. ``I think that Constantine is part of the Western universal hero myth. He goes into the dark forest - he goes to hell - he crosses over. That's classic stuff. And they're fun to play!''

Classic, maybe. But when it crosses over into some people's sacred beliefs ...

``If a movie wants to use Christian stories and really wrestle with what's inside it and come to terms with some of the issues, that does make - and has made for hundreds of years - for really interesting, thought-provoking art,'' MovieGuide's Turner says. ``There was an attempt to do that in 'Million Dollar Baby,' which has been discussed a lot.

``However, in movies like 'Constantine,' these biblical stories are just fodder for an action movie. They're not really grappling with anything; they're just using it to kind of give the audience a spooky, intriguing backdrop. There's something kind of cheap and exploitive about that.''

Hollywoodjesus' Bruce could not disagree more.

``There might be concerns about a few things that the story doesn't have right,'' Bruce acknowledges. ``But it's a story, and within the context of its genre, it did a very good job. Look at this movie. It treats God as an actual, existing entity. The devil, angels, demons and the war for souls - these are all treated as assumed, factual things in the universe. My goodness; that's amazing, huh?''

Even Turner allows that, if ``Constantine'' gets action movie-loving youths to discuss religion, that would be a good thing.

Director Lawrence hopes that happens, too. And much more.

``If they're just discussing the perception of good and evil, that's fantastic,'' the filmmaker says. ``If they're talking about Gabriel's motivations, that's fantastic. If they're talking about the balance that we have in the movie between God and the devil or whatever they want to call it, that's fantastic. I would just love for people to come out knowing that there are ideas in the movie, and arguing over things and the meanings of things.''

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) TO HELL AND BACK

In the comic-book-styled `Constantine,' Keanu Reeves plays a lost soul taking on some serious religious questions

(2) no caption (scene from ``Constantine'')

(3) Rachel Weisz and Keanu Reeves battle unseen demons in ``Constantine.''

(4) Director Francis Lawrence, left, and director of photography Philippe Rousselot on the set of ``Constantine.''