The film was originally slated for release as Angel Eyes,[1] but reverted to its original working title Night Magic by the time of its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 1985.[2]
Michael is an unsuccessful musician and playwright, leading a troupe. One night he is visited by three "angels" who offer him three wishes. He chooses as his first wish the ability to express himself perfectly in his art, and as his second, to choose a lover, draw her to him, send her away, and bring her back again.
His first wish brings him great success as an artist, but for his second wish he chooses one of the angels (Judy). She gives up her angelic form to become human and join him. They have a child together, but as in his wish, he rejects her, and their house is burned by the other two angels.
As his final wish, he asks to be assassinated. Judy refuses to participate, and goes to find him, but just as she reaches him, the other two angels assassinate him. Time stops while, in the only daylight scene of the film, the couple walk through the city together, but then return to his dying body.
Some of Cohen's lyrics recur in his later work, for example, Hunter's Lullaby appeared with almost identical lyrics on the album Various Positions, and the lyrics of the song The Bells form a large part of the song "Anthem" from The Future.
