Tears of an Angel
Genre: Drama/Romance/Fantasy
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writer: Ben Collins
Cast: Elle Fanning, George MacKay, Stefanie Scott
PLOT: The film opens with a shot of a small, crowded bar in a neighborhood of a big city. The dim lights and the buzz of conversation fill the air as Ethan Jenkins, a talented young man in his thirties, is playing a soft, nostalgic tune on the piano. His expression is focused, his eyes closed, completely immersed in the music. As time passes, it is now late afternoon, and the bar has emptied a bit. Ethan is still at the piano, his music has changed, now more melancholic, almost reflective. In a corner of the bar, an elderly customer sips his drink, watching Ethan with an empathetic look.
At a certain point Ethan gets up from the piano, gathers his things, nods to the owner of the bar, exchanging a smile, and leaves.
Ethan returns home and enters his bedroom, a simple, messy room, with sheets of music scattered on a table and an old record player by the window. A framed photo of his mother sits on a nightstand next to a vase of wilted flowers. Ethan sits on the edge of the bed, looks at his mother's photo with sad eyes and sighs. He gets up and turns on the record player and an old jazz song fills the room as he closes his eyes while he thinks back to his last days with his mother while she was hospitalized.
After a while Ethan gets up and approaches the refrigerator which is practically empty. The boy huffs and leaves the house to go shopping. Ethan walks through the deserted streets of the city lost in thought in a quiet atmosphere among the streetlights. Suddenly, Ethan stops abruptly, hearing a distant melody spreading in the air. He looks around, confused, searching for the source of the music, a sad and angelic melody as if it came from a place out of time. Ethan looks at a dark alley and approaches attracted by the music, as he walks the melody becomes clearer and clearer.
Suddenly, at the end of the alley under the dim light a female figure dressed in white appears. The girl is singing, her voice is sweet and full of sadness while her dark hair frames a pale and delicate face with her eyes seeming to shine. Ethan remains watching her for a few seconds before slowly approaching trying not to make noise, almost afraid of interrupting that moment. As he approaches, the girl notices him and looks at him with an expression between surprised and happy but does not stop singing. Their connection is immediate and intense as if they had known each other forever. When Ethan is a few steps away from her, Elena suddenly stops singing and in an instant disappears as if dissolving into the air. Ethan remains still and confused as he looks around the empty alley but there is no one there except him except for a faint echo that seems to say "Elena" that quickly fades away. Ethan remains there for a few moments listening to the silence and slowly walks away shaking his head coming to think that it had all been a game of his mind.
From that moment on, Ethan returns to the alley every night, driven by the desire to see Elena again. Each time, the alley appears the same, immersed in darkness and lit only by the faint light of a street lamp. Ethan approaches cautiously, hoping to hear the melody that captured him the first time. After a few moments of waiting, he hears Elena's voice singing again, sweet and melancholic. Ethan always finds her in the same spot, under the street lamp with her white dress and her eyes that shine in the dark. Every night, as she sings, he tries to get closer, attracted by her mysterious presence. However, every time he takes a step towards her, Elena disappears, vanishing into the darkness. Ethan's frustration and curiosity grow each time as he can't get Elena's voice and face out of his mind.
One night, however, something changes. Ethan enters the alley with the same caution as always. Elena is there, like every time, but this time, when Ethan approaches, she doesn't disappear but instead remains there still observing him. Ethan stops a few steps away from her, unsure of what to expect. Elena continues to look at him, with an expression of sadness mixed with curiosity as Ethan sits on an old wall in the alley and Elena follows him. They sit next to each other while exchanging a few words. Elena doesn't reveal much about herself but her presence itself is a mystery that Ethan absolutely wants to unravel. They spend time together, simply enjoying each other's company, and slowly, Ethan senses that behind Elena's silence there is a past pain.
During one of their subsequent meetings, the atmosphere between Ethan and Elena has become more intimate and confidential. Ethan feels that the time has come to understand more about who this mysterious girl really is. Elena senses Ethan's curiosity and desire to know more about her. She begins to speak with a tone of voice that reflects an ancient and deep pain. Her story is shocking and heartbreaking: she says she is a fallen angel, punished for falling in love with a human centuries before. She tells how the love she had felt was forbidden, and as punishment her wings were taken away, forcing her to wander the Earth, invisible to most. Her words are full of emotion, and as she speaks, Ethan doesn't know what to think, on the one hand he believes he feels the weight of loneliness and regret that she carries inside her.
Ethan is shocked by the revelation because he would never have imagined that behind that beauty and that voice there was such a supernatural and tragic story. Ethan notices a tear falling on her cheek and with a finger he removes it, causing a gasp and a half smile from her. Elena continues, explaining the power of her tears: they can heal and give life back but every time she cries, a part of her essence vanishes, bringing her closer to death. It is a power that carries a curse, as each tear makes her less angelic and more human, leading her towards an unknown fate. Ethan listens attentively, deeply moved. He understands that Elena's pain is not only the pain of loneliness, but also that of sacrifice. Ethan feels the need to protect her and be by her side, despite the impossibility of fully understanding her angelic nature. The scene ends with Ethan and Elena sitting side by side in the alley while they rest their heads gently on each other.
Ethan plays the piano in his apartment, the music is sweet, melancholic as his thoughts fly to imagine the girl listening smiling while sitting on a chair near the window. The soft light of the lamp illuminates her face, highlighting her serene and attentive expression. Elena listens to the music with a small smile on her lips, clearly touched by Ethan's dedication and talent. Ethan stops playing and turns to Elena seeing that there is no one there, that at that moment it was only his imagination.
Ethan and Elena walk slowly along a tree-lined path in a city park. It is a rare moment of daylight for them, a chance to experience a semblance of normality. Ethan holds a guitar in his hand, ready to play. They find a quiet spot under a tree and sit on the grass. Ethan looks around waiting for no one to be there since almost no one can see Elena and then begins to play a simple melody, looking Elena in the eyes. She closes her eyes, letting the music lull her. The connection between them is palpable and emotional. Ethan sings a song he wrote for her, the words full of love and sweet pain, inspired by the story he has learned about her and the feeling he feels. Elena opens her eyes and looks at Ethan, her eyes moist and slightly wet with emotion as she holds back tears.
Ethan plays the piano in the bar where he works. Among the few customers, Elena sits in a dark corner, watching him. Ethan looks at her every now and then, finding comfort in her presence. The two exchange glances of understanding and affection. Afterwards Ethan and Elena walk side by side, hand in hand. The streets are almost deserted, lit by streetlights. They laugh together, enjoying each other's company, even though they are both aware of the shadow of uncertainty hanging over their relationship.
When they return home he can't sleep. At dawn he gets up and goes out. Ethan is sitting at a table in a large library. In front of him are several open books, each with pages that deal with legends of fallen angels. Ethan leafs through the books, visibly focused. He has a notebook nearby and takes notes as he reads. The images in the books show illustrations of angels with severed wings, tragic figures fallen from the sky. Ethan stops at a page that describes the tears of fallen angels: it says that they have the power to heal, but at a great cost, as Elena had told him a few days ago. Ethan thinks back to that tear that fell from Elena's eyes. The scene alternates between the present, with Ethan reading and his moments spent with Elena. The camera focuses on the bright tear that runs down Elena's cheek.
Hours later, Ethan is sitting at the table, surrounded by books he brought from the library. He continues reading, determined to understand Elena better. He finds a passage that talks about an angel losing their divine essence with every tear they shed, bringing them closer to mortality. Ethan stops, visibly worried and upset. He realizes the sacrifice Elena is making every time she cries and understands how fragile their love is.
Then, Ethan returns to the alley, visibly nervous. He finds Elena waiting for him like every night and when their eyes meet there is a palpable tension in the air. Ethan looks at Elena with a new understanding, his heart heavy with the pain he knows she has endured over the centuries. He can't hide the emotion in his eyes as he watches her, and Elena seems to sense that something has changed. Ethan gently takes Elena's hand, feeling the need to protect her. His desire to be with her is now accompanied by a sense of urgency and responsibility, knowing how precious and fragile her angelic nature is.
Ethan and Elena walk side by side on a dimly lit street, talking in hushed tones and laughing every now and then, their complicity evident. Elena looks around for a moment as if she senses an uneasiness in the air. Suddenly, two figures emerge from the shadows. They are men with hoods up and with a menacing look. One of them pulls out a knife and orders Ethan to hand over his wallet. Ethan is taken aback as he tries to remain calm, raising his hands in surrender. One of the men steps forward and tries to grab him, in a moment of confusion, Ethan tries to defend himself, pushing the robber away. This triggers a violent reaction: the man with the knife stabs Ethan in the side repeatedly. Elena watches the scene in horror, visibly unable to intervene, but as soon as the knife hits Ethan, she lunges forward, hitting the robber with supernatural strength. The man is thrown away, as if struck by an invisible wind. The other robber, frightened, runs away. Ethan collapses to the ground, blood begins to flow from the wound, forming a puddle around him. Elena kneels beside him, shocked. Her hands are shaking as she tries to stop the bleeding with her hands. Ethan is still conscious but his breathing is labored. Without thinking for a moment, Elena begins to bite her hand violently until tears form in her eyes that begin to fall on Ethan's wound but the situation does not improve. Elena's thoughts make it clear that tears of pain do not work like tears of love. Meanwhile, some passers-by, attracted by the noise, approach and see Ethan lying on the ground, seriously injured. They call an ambulance, while others try to help, but Elena, invisible to them, remains slumped over Ethan, unable to do anything but watch over him. The ambulance arrives quickly, the paramedics jump out and rush to Ethan. They don't see Elena, who stays by his side, one hand on Ethan's chest. The paramedics start working on Ethan, trying to stabilize him, commenting that his condition is critical. Elena looks at Ethan's face, desperate, as they load him into the ambulance. Without thinking twice, she climbs in too, passing unnoticed by the paramedics. She sits next to him, her hands shaking as she feels Ethan's heart slow under the touch of her fingers while Ethan's face Ethan's face is pale, almost lifeless. Elena screams in despair as she tries her best to cry.
Ethan is rushed to the operating room. Elena, invisible to the doctors and nurses, follows his body and remains petrified for hours watching what happens as the surgeons work to save Ethan.
Elena walks out of Ethan’s room and leans against the door. A little further ahead, a group of people are gathered near a row of chairs. They are Ethan’s few trusted friends, with tense and worried expressions. Among them, Alice (STEFANIE SCOTT) stands, her face streaked with tears and her eyes red, as she leans on the shoulder of another girl who comforts her. Alice sobs, her voice breaking with anguish. Alice, between sobs, speaks with a trembling voice. Her words are muffled by pain, but you can clearly feel how much Ethan means to her. From her words you can guess that she has been in love with Ethan since they were kids and that even though he once declared his love to her, she rejected him without knowing why and then they remained friends. Alice’s emotions resonate in her heart, making her understand how much Ethan was loved and desired. Elena suddenly feels vulnerable, aware of the fragility of their love, of the fact that Ethan has a past that she doesn't fully know. She slowly approaches the group, trying not to be noticed, but she can't help but stare at Alice, who continues to cry desperately. In a moment of pure emotion, Alice looks up, and for a moment, her eyes seem to meet Elena's. It's a very brief moment in which it seems that Alice actually sees Elena. The moment passes and Alice goes back to bowing her head, the eye contact is broken. Elena pulls back, confused and a little shaken. Her mind is in turmoil: maybe Alice's bond with Ethan is stronger and maybe they are meant to be together. Elena slowly moves away from the group and goes back into the room.
At the end of the delicate operation Elena looks at Ethan, his face pale and still, the rhythmic and weak sound of the heart monitor fills the room. Despair and anger pervade her feeling the weight of her impotence. She leaves the room where there are the few trusted friends that Ethan who are in the corridor worried. Among them a pretty girl Alice (SOPHIE SKELTON) is crying desperately in the arms of another girl. From her words you can guess that she had been in love with Ethan since they were kids and that even though he had once declared himself to her, she had rejected him without knowing why and they remained friends.
Alice leans over Ethan with her hands that gently caress Ethan's face. She gets close to his ear whispering words of comfort and affection, words that come directly from her heart. As she does so, she feels a lump in her throat as emotions begin to overwhelm her. The first tears fill her eyes, escaping down her cheeks and falling on Ethan's wounds. These tears shine slightly, like drops of light, when they touch her skin. Ethan, though unconscious, seems to react slightly, his body relaxing. Elena continues to cry, each tear that falls on Ethan seems to take away a piece of her own energy. She feels her strength abandoning her, her body becoming weaker and weaker. She holds on to the bed to maintain her balance, but she doesn't stop crying. Her face becomes even paler, almost translucent, as she continues to donate what remains of her angelic essence to save Ethan.
The machines begin to show slight signs of improvement in Ethan's vital signs. Elena, exhausted, smiles weakly, knowing that her sacrifice was not in vain. Elena collapses on Ethan, exhausted, feeling the life slipping away from her. She knows that she has done her duty, that love has prevailed, even at the cost of her immortality.
Elena moves away from Ethan's bed, she doesn't want him to see her like that, fragile and exhausted, so she decides to leave the room before Ethan wakes up. She approaches the door, staggering slightly, her vision blurry and her legs shaking from the loss of energy. Ethan's friends are still there worried in the hallway. Alice is sitting on one of the plastic chairs, her gaze fixed on the ground, still shocked and she doesn't see Elena pass by her. Elena moves slowly, trying to keep her balance, Alice raises her head as if she had perceived something, her gaze falls on Elena's figure, blurry and trembling. Alice is confused, as she sees Elena stagger and then disappear around the corner of the hallway. She would like to say something, but at that moment, a doctor comes out of Ethan's room saying that as if by miracle Ethan is recovering. Relief pervades the group, and Alice stands up suddenly, forgetting for a moment the figure she saw moments before. As her friends rush to Ethan's room, Alice turns to look at the empty hallway.
Her friends surround Ethan, expressing relief and happiness that he's recovered. Ethan, weak as he is, tries to thank them, but his mind is fuzzy, as if something is missing, something he doesn't remember. After a few minutes, his friends leave the room to get something to eat, leaving Ethan alone with Alice. His gaze wanders around the room and out the window, looking for a detail that escapes him. Then he notices something: a small white duvet on the pillow next to his head. He takes it in his fingers, looks at it, and suddenly a wave of memories overwhelms him. He relives every moment with Elena, their nightly walks, her ethereal voice, and when she saved him with her tears, even though he was still practically unconscious. In an instant, Ethan relives the last days with Elena, her otherworldly beauty, her voice that sang celestial melodies. He sees the alley where he first met her and feels the same sense of wonder and mystery. The images follow one another quickly: Elena smiling at him, their deep connection, the touch of her hands and the warmth of her tears. He turns to Alice and even though he knows that her story seems impossible, but the memory is too vivid to be a dream. He decides to tell her everything.
Alice listens to him, surprised and incredulous. However, a look of awareness crosses her face as she thinks back to what she saw in the hallway and says that she thinks she saw her in the hallway too and that she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Despite his weakness he tries to get out of bed, but his muscles are still too weak to support him. Alice comes over to help him with the wheelchair while he asks if she can accompany him to look for the angel because he wants to thank her and say goodbye perhaps for the last time.
Ethan and Alice search for Elena everywhere in the city, retracing the places where she and Ethan had been together, including the alley where they had first met. After hours of searching, Ethan suddenly stops, realizing that they had returned to the alley where he had met Elena for the first time and that they had already been there. Ethan seems to lose hope, but this time Alice notices that Elena is there, curled up behind a dumpster, and orders Ethan, who is almost frozen by that vision, to go to her. Elena's thin, transparent body seems to be about to vanish in
Ethan slowly approaches, his eyes fixed on her. When Elena sees him, she tries to hide, to move away, but her strength is now exhausted. As she tries to move, she loses her balance and falls into Ethan's arms. Elena raises her hands, trying to cover her face, to hide her weakness, but Ethan grabs her wrists gently, lowering her hands. He looks into her eyes, filled with sadness and love. Elena smiles sadly, knowing her time is running out. She feels torn, wanting to stay with him but knowing her fate is sealed. At that moment Elena closes her eyes singing the tune she sang when they first met and a single tear rolls down her cheek sparkling like a diamond. The tear falls on Ethan's hand, and a soft glow fills the air around them. Elena looks at Ethan one last time thanking him for making these last few days feel like two centuries. A moment later, Elena dissolves into a brilliant light leaving behind only a small white feather floating in the air. He picks up the feather and holds it to his chest knowing that Elena is still with him, somehow.
It's been a while. Ethan and Alice walk side by side as the city is covered in snow and Christmas lights adorn the streets. Ethan wears a pendant around his neck, a small transparent case that holds the white feather left by Elena. Every now and then his hand rises to touch her, an instinctive gesture of an instant to feel her close to his heart.
A light melody spreads in the air, reminiscent of the one Elena sang, while the credits begin to roll.
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