STORY

The Devil’s Bargain is a “Bright Lights and Big City” for Generation Z. Andy is 21 when the story begins, Pauline is 18, and Rose is 23. The story is a fantasy. The idea that a person can be in two places at once comes from quantum physics and enables Andy's creation of Roxy. The idea of a Skin that can make desires come true comes from Faust and creates a life-and-death struggle that propels the story from melodrama into horror. Music is pervasive throughout. The Roxy concerts include opera, pop music, and rock-and-roll. New York City provides the essential backdrop. Andy performs at the Blue Note Jazz Cafe in Greenwich Village to pay his rent in Brooklyn. The view of Manhattan over the East River fuels his ambition. Andy falls in love first with Rose, the Southern belle who steals his company and leads him to wager his life with the Devil; and second with Pauline, the beautiful painter who predicts his future but is unable to save him. In Balzac’s novel, the Skin kills the hero. In the movie, Andy's ingenuity enables him to stay alive and to love.