I had not read the book ANGEL HEART, so the De Niro revelation certainly came as a surprise to me. Yes, in hindsight I could see the clues, but the first time through for me, I was swept up in the menacing atmosphere and weirdness of the entire film. I've always found it an effective crime drama. Rourke has always been an excellent actor with decent material and a good director. In the wrong hands, he could be lazy and walk through roles, but he's done good work even in movies that were dogs (HOMEBOY, for example). What he did to his career was criminal, but they were his choices right down the line, so I have no pity for him.