Devilish Dealings in Books, Movies & More
In Leroy and Lucy, playwright Ngozi Anyanwu drops us at a crossroads in Mississippi, at the stroke of midnight, with two strangers. This setting is immediately familiar; crossroads, and the deities that frequent them, have been at the heart of myths and legends across countries, cultures and faiths for millennia. But Ngozi’s play is not aimed merely to retell a folk tale many might know; it is to reclaim it.
Legend tells us that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for otherworldly musical talent. But Johnson isn't the first (or the last) to supposedly make such a high-stakes deal... The list below just scratches the surface, but read on to learn more about the myth, and how it appears in media.
Goethe's Faust (1808)
Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. The Faust legend has been the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic and musical works that have reinterpreted it through the centuries. "Faust" and the adjective "Faustian" imply sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material gain. The OG, if you will.
Bedazzled (1967)
In both the 2000 remake and the 1967 original, the main character making a different set of wishes that end when he uses his seventh and final wish to make an unselfish wish that negates his deal.
Rosemary's Baby (1967)
Rosemary's Baby is a 1967 novel and 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel. Guy Woodhouse offers his wife Rosemary to the Devil for wealth and success, resulting in the birth of the Antichrist. Spooky.
The Devil Went Down to Georgia (1979)
by The Charlie Danies Band
The song tells a story about the Devil's failure to gain a young man's soul through a fiddle-playing contest. The song has been praised for its "engaging narrative story line," "thundering piano", "screaming fiddle work" and "pounding drums and screeching guitar". Not everyone who meets the Devil loses his soul after all.
Crossroads (1986)
Not to be confused with Britney Spear's 2002 road trip comedy, Crossroads flips the classic myth on it's head. 17-year-old Eugene Martone has a fascination for blues music and the myth of Robert Johnson. On his quest, he links up with Willie Brown, a talented harmonica player and old friend of Johnson. Turns out, Willie sold his soul for harmonica skills, and Eugene must challenge the Devil in a guitar battle in order to win back Willie's soul.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love. From folktale to Disney classic, one truth remains the same in every telling: be careful what you wish for...
O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000)
Based on Homer's The Odyssey, this 2000 satirical comedy-drama film is set in rural Mississippi in 1937, and follows three escaped convicts searching for hidden treasure while a sheriff relentlessly pursues them. In the film, the troublesome trio cross paths with Tommy Johnson just after his fateful deal with the Devil, and proceed to record a radio hit using his newly acquired skills.
Tommy Johnson, a real life Delta Blues contemporary to Robert Leroy Johnson (no relation), and the Devil at the crossroads myth is often attributed to him instead.
Mean Girls (2004)
Regina George may not be "the Devil" per se, but in the classic American teen comedy Mean Girls, Cady Heron finds herself at a terrifying crossroad (High School) and sells a bit of her soul for a taste of acceptance.
