Fun fact, in an interview with one of the directors, the energy and tension you see as Inarius's feet touch down in Hell is actually meant to represent how Hell itself is trying to reject him (an angel), he actually uses his wings to dig into and anchor himself in hell pulling his body to the ground. Just a nice touch because it really displays his power.

I love the contrast of how Inarius and Lilith sees themselves and their followers in this scene as well. Inarius, floats above his followers. While Lilith, walks amongst hers.

One thing I love about this cutscene is how you don't necessarily need to understand the lore of the two main characters here in order to still get a feeling for what is going on. That being said, I do think knowing a summary of their lore makes this scene SO much more impactful. Just as a brief history: Inarius is an angel and Lilith is a demon. Lilith's father is one of the most important demons in all of Hell. Inarius was formerly an archangel, which is a status given only to the most powerful of angels. These two were not the leaders of their factions, but they were essentially part of the second most powerful group of angels and demons respectively. Angels and demons were constantly fighting over this object known as the Worldstone which had the power to shape reality and create worlds. They called this, "The Eternal Conflict." Both Inarius and Lilith got tired of fighting the same battles over and over, and, so, they stole the Worldstone by working together along with other angels and demons who were disenchanted with the conflict. They formed Diablo's stand-in for Earth. Along with this, the angels and demons coupled together and somehow gave birth to humanity in the process. Humans were seen as extremely powerful and capable of completely decimating both sides as they contained the power of angels and demons or heaven and hell. The angels and demons that Lilith and Inarius brought with them realized this and started slaughtering their children. Lilith killed them all in return save Inarius, but the heavens and hells found out about the world that they made. Inarius trapped Lilith inside of a separate dimension for what she did, and the heavens banished Inarius. They gave him to Mephisto, Lilith's father, as a peace agreement that the demons would stay away from the world. He was tortured for a long time. Now, Inarius regrets everything he did. He regrets making the world and he regrets making humans. He only wants to be back in Heaven. Lilith, however, has returned to try to stop the Eternal Conflict like she always has. She wants to make humans as strong as the angels and demons feared that they could become so that humanity can permanently end the conflict. She just... kinda has some demonic way of going about this process. Not exactly a hero in any sense of the word. Inarius did kill their son in an attempt to be accepted back into Heaven. He thinks that destroying everything he created will return him into the good graces of the rest of the angels. It's very emotional seeing this scene play out. It's why Lilith doesn't kill Inarius until after speaking with him. I do think she still has genuine feelings for him, otherwise she would have come after him directly for slaying their son. Even when confronted by him directly, she still takes the time to confirm that Inarius TRULY has abandoned everything that they once held dear before ending him. She basically even allows herself to be impaled by him. Part of me wonders if that was like the final test to see if he would really go through with it. As a final comment: I have to say that your analysis on the scene was very accurate to the lore of the story as well. Inarius is most definitely a villain in my opinion. He's formed an entire religious group around him pretty much for the sole purpose of getting him back to heaven. His plan is to abandon every one of his followers once he does so. Lilith isn't the hero, but she's definitely the hero of this particular conflict. She didn't kill her own son.

In the Diablo universe an Angel's wings aren't for the purposes of flight. While Lilith's wings do help her move and fly around, an angel's body is made up of pure light and music, and even with their armor they are virtually weightless, so Inarius can fly through the air as easily as you or I walk, if not easier. The only thing angel wings are, are parts of their body they couldn't fit into their armor. Imagine a celestial Octopus made up of pure light and music. Yes light and music. That's why their voice resonates. That's why when Lilith is attacking Inarius it makes that unbearable nails-on-a-chalkboard sound. Lilith is corrupting his very being and it's like this once beautiful violin piece is suddenly scraping against the bow so hard strings are snapping.

I think what was most striking to me was the difference in body language between the two of them up to the point of the actual stab. He's large, and radiant, and floating - literally crumbling the rocks beneath him to get to her. In contrast, Lilith has her back to him the whole time. She walks casually away, speaks softly, and does it all with complete lack of urgency. Even when he stabs at her the first time and she parries it with her wing she has her back turned to him. It's not until she knows how she's going to defeat him that she turns to face him and lets the spear impale her. She even has her palms out just before impact showing that she has more control over the situation than Inarius does. And all the while, Inarius is becoming more confused and enraged.

Love how Inarius'wings reflect his emotional states. They brighten when he is angry, or sporadic when he is in pain, and how they are slumped when he is sad.

the argument between the husband and the wife in god level xD

What I found utterly amazing is how they are able to give the character of Inarius, even though he literally has no face and is just blank, so much gesture and mimic that you can see and feel how he feels. His realisation in the beginning of the battle when he spots Lilith for example, or even more impressive, when Lilith says "Silence is their judgement" and he's shaking and his voice cracks, just a tiny bit, is so subtle, yet it speaks volumes. Such a goated cinematic. I was so involved and pumped when I played to this point and this cinematic came up.

Blizzard cinematics are legendary, and we still haven't seen anything like this in the movie theaters. Shouldn't be impossible to come up with a 2 hour movie of this quality, but for some reason it hasn't happened yet.

I was absolutely stunned when I got to this part of the game. The levels of intensity and beauty being contrasted here grabbed me. Like you said, even if you aren't familiar with the story of diablo or aren't invested with the characters, you can instantly be involved into the characters and what's happening.

I think i've seen evey cinematics from Blizzard in every game they did... this one is absolutely incredible, especially the moment when lilith speaking, the labial synchro is... stunning. They did it some times ago with Sylvanas (the death of Saufang), it was already incredible but now... it's a whole another level. Like or not Blizzard they still kings of the genre.

great analysis, as a game animator i'v learned a bunch! Love that you show the shots while explaining them, many channels don't, it's easy to follow, goodjob :)

I am not a filmmaker myself, so it was interesting to see it from your perspective, with all the details. It really shows how much care and thought was brought into this. I watched the whole cutscene like 10 times already and I am still just blown away - what an absolute masterpiece. Great analysis, thank you!

Hello everyone, If you have a suggestion or know of a piece of content with an amazing story, please let me know, I would love to see it! Filmmaker Reacts to Gaming Cinematics playlist: kzfaq.info/sun/PLWF6myhJ6iSvJVz1Iw1nmX0JIkn6OACka ==================================================================================================================================== Want to be a filmmaker/storyteller/writer? These books will help you! Links in the description. Support the channel: Merch - www.kaizammit.com/ Tell everyone around you where you get your filmmaking knowledge from plus, you're gonna look cool as hell! Don't forget to let me know so I can share your snaps! ====================================================================================================================================

I like that Inarius, for all his power, looks ragged. His armor is tarnished. His hood is frayed. As opposed to Lilith who is pristine before being impaled. Prava, Inarius’ priestess, also has a very unkempt look. I think this does well to demonstrate how Inarius has set his priorities. He is not about glory or order. Which is what Angels in the Diablo universe are supposed to be about. He’s lost and is consumed by his circumstances and obsessed with returning to the heavens. In the game that’s reflected visually by the structures controlled by him and his faction. Their cathedral is disheveled. The place in which he makes his home doesn’t even have a roof. Everything looks abandoned. But he has amassed a well-trained army of zealots led by his proxy, Prava. Thanks again for the great analysis! P.S. It might be good to add a spoiler warning to the description. As another commenter pointed out, there are plot spoilers in this cinematic. Cheers!

I love prophecy has two side. "A spear of Light, piercing Hatred's heart" in this cinematic Inarius has hatred heart.

I really hope this channel blows up, this is some of the most knowledgeable and in-depth analysis I have ever seen in a reaction video. Keep at it.

This is my favorite video game cinematic of all time. I was absolutely amazed the first time seeing it as I was playing the game

My favorite bit is when Inarius is on top of the demon & reaching for the spear. It shows his hands tremble as he’s reaching for it, which shows his desperation & reliance on the spear to kill the demon. This communicates to the audience that while Inarius is powerful, he’s not invincible.

The attention to detail is so high. I recall reading that the sound pulse that is made when Inarius (the angel) lights up the battlefield at the beginning is actually at a specific tone/mhz frequency that is known to promote "peace and tranquility" in meditation etc.

In Diablo lore the Angels and heaven are not really "good" the two sides heaven and hell that are both pretty terrible. Inarius is definitely more of a villain in my view if you get into the lore. Inarius betrayed Lilith, murdered their son and then tries to kill Lilith to be accepted back into heaven.

D4 has its problems, but everyone agrees this moment was incredible. As the player, you're chasing this part of the story and see the aftermath in persuit of Lilith as the main antagonist in the campaign.

The visual of Lilith coming behind Inarius so her wings look like they are on his back making him a demon in an angels guise is awesome

Just stumbled upon your video. The way you interpret and explain things really gives me a whole new level of appreciation for filmmaking. All of these small details like Inarius striking the pillar and having the demon roar instead of Lilith screaming in pain are such clever devices that have huge amounts of symbolism while at the same time they drive the story forwards and allows for the change in view. Brilliant! As an added note of symbolism: Rathma, the son of Inarius and Lilith spoke a prophecy which ended with the words: "Then came a spear of light, piercing Hatred's heart, And he who was bound in chains was set free". Lilith is the "daughter of hatred", so Inarius thought by killing his former lover he would be allowed to return to the heavens. When Rathma refused to help Inarius, Inarius slew his own son in rage. He was so desperate and consumed by hate for the world that he was willing to do anything or kill anyone to return to the heavens. The irony being that the prophecy Inarius sought to fulfill was the prophecy of his own demise. In the end, he was the hate that was pierced by a spear of light The quality in production and writing in video games has increased so massively in the last few years. It's so nice seeing that even though they are just a cutscene in a game, they can be recognized as the masterpieces in writing, acting and cinematography that they are. Instant subscribe!

I wish you'd do more of the filmmaker breakdowns. I was really hoping you'd do more of what you did the first time you watched this scene (obviously not the full scene) and break down all the parts after what you had initially seen. I just like learning about those different filmmaking techniques and how they tell a story. I like the story analysis as well, and of course the reaction, but the breakdowns are my favorite thing from you!

I don't see the answer to your question handily near the top so here's the rundown for what you see in the last shot: The Whispers of the Damned are formations of ash depicting the slowly contorting aspects of damned humans screaming in perpetual silent agony. They're what makes up those pillars and the figures on the floor in the final shot. They are shown early on and mentioned by Lilith as her opening line to Inarius. This is her foreshadowing his fate and you can see another side of this when the shadow of a pillar shows her silhouette instead, implying they are a part of her power. She already knows what she will do to him if he gives her the answers she suspects he will give. When she finally corrupts his angelic form, he becomes one of the damned and the final shot shows the ashen aspects reaching to claim what is left of him. It's beautifully done. Oh and for their son, Linarius (Rathma) was one of their children, who rebelled against his parents and became one of sanctuary's most important protectors. He served to maintain the balance between good and evil at all times among humanity and therefore protecting them from heaven and hell as if one or the other gained too strong a foothold on humanity, the other would destroy sanctuary and all of humanity with it. This is why Inarius killed him. Linarius would be a problem for the angels if they wanted to destroy or use humanity and so Inarius killed his son to please them and make up for his perceived mistake of creating him in the first place.

Inarius had an incredible presence.

Amazing analysis and reaction. Thank you.

Blizzard could make 10 Diablo films and I’d be gripped for all of them, they’re some of the best visual artists on the planet

this was such a stunning cinematic. i think they did it so wonderfully. i was truly impressed. one thing i think was also really well emphasized about inarius. he has lost his way and has something to prove. he's trying to prove his worth to get back into heaven, but this video does a good job emphasizing his flaws and why he has been excluded. he's powerful, but flawed, and lilith exploits his vulnerability there.

I feel like i need full movie of this cinematography honestly 😍♥️

At 4:00. To me the changes speaks of intimacy. As soon as he enters the room with Lilith the tone is set for an old couple to have a "good talk". Everything gets softer. The sound, the movements etc. Gives you hints early that they have a past, even before their dialogue says so. He do not approach her as a normal "pleb" he is used to toy around as he please. To him, she is more of an equal which comes with some respect to him.

Blizzard artists are truly talented people. I always love their cinematic and art design as well.

really enjoyed your video m8

truly one of the best cutscenes i have ever seen.

we can see the disappointment when she ask "what about our son" and Inarius reply "i have to set things right to satisfy the heaven" that sadness and disappointment

I've watched this epic video every month since the game came out

One thing I feel is really cool about this is, the way the to fights follow each other. almost like a symbiosis, or a duel of fates.

If you have the time to play the game to enjoy the entire story, it is worth it. There is also the books of Lorath which is read by Ralph Ineson that will tell you the history of the series in a wonderful fashion. Something to understand as well is while Inarius is defeated, he ultimately is not dead. The eternal conflict has raged long before Sanctuary existed, the angels and demons have died fighting over and over. They will re-form again over time in heaven and hell respectively. Lilith is also the villain, she does at least have one redeeming attribute. She did love her son.

Great reaction!

The moments the priestess bow and music change, DAMN IT'S FREAKING FUCKING AMAZING

I can just recommand the lore of Diablo. It takes about 35 min to watch a video about it on youtube but it is definitely worth the watch. Great Video btw !😀

" silence was their answer." Great line

My favorite part is the Inarius reveal. They are in one of the darkest pits of the Burning Hells, the only light source being the molten stone from the cracks beneath them. Then, like the daybreak before a battle; where the attacking army would move in so the defending army would have the sun in their eyes; the Light washes over them. Then slowly Inarius himself is shown, in a reveal shot that resembles a fresco, his wings spread as wide as the entire army beneath him.

All good fights have an inner battle and an outer battle. The action reflects and amplifies the internal emotional conflict.

i literally bought this game because of this cinematic even tho i never played diablo before. it is just amazing and make me want to know the full story behind. Amazing!

The lore to this story makes it all the more interesting. However, the cinematic alone is probably the greatest I’ve ever seen in a video game in my life,

I can't help but notice how the dudes who helped bring the big demon to the knees disappear when it's stabbed.

Blizzard Cinema crew truly another breed

Fantastic reaction and breakdown. This might get lost in time, but you should definitely check out the closing cutscenes for each Act in Diablo 3. The storytelling in them is pretty good imo.

I have learned a lot about how these cinematics are created just by being a fan of Blizzard games since 2006. But your video and breakdown of the D4 cinematic has doubled my knowledge. Haven't played the game yet but it's even half as good as this cinematic count me in

D4 is basically the kids breaking genertational trauma. Inarius and Litlith are exes , they gave up the eternal war between heaven and hell, had kids. Those kids were known as the Nephalim , the Nephelim interbred and the heaven/hell powers get weaker and eventually that results in ... humans. (Inaruius is basically the equivalent of that rich kid who got a girl pregnant in uni, left the rich family had a kid and then later decided to go back, as long as he abandoned everything before. Lilith is basically asking if they accepted him back or not) D4 is us telling heaven and hell were they can go. But I know the graphics don't measure up, but watch the D2 chapter scenes, Inarious boss Tyriel is a major player and his wings are like white paint strokes, great visual representation on the difference between Inarius and Tyriel.

Blizzard always has amazing cinematics, especially for the diablo series. It would be interesting to have you look at the evolution from Diablo 1 to now Diablo 4. This was super informative and entertaining, can't wait to see you do more.

Inarius is definitely an animal since he was tortured in hell for so long, he's lost that honor / pride that angels usually fight with. It's much more brutal and animalistic, clever usage of any tool in his arsenal to see his enemies vanquished.

I love the scene when Inarius got spear to the chest you can see the Angelic Blood coming down the tip were she's stabs him just Amazing and good details.

To follow up on his defeat of the large demon. His nonchalant attitude followed by the look straight towards where Lilith has gone further cements his power. He immediately returns to his goal, The Large demon was barely a distraction and though he's still completely surrounded by demons he doesn't even spare a thought for them, they are all so thoroughly beneath him they don't even deserve his attention.

Another Blizzard franchise with good cinematics is Starcraft. I would recommend Starcraft II's three intro cinematics: Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void

they once created sanctuary and humans were born of angels and demons (way stronger than a demon or angel). that´s what she is talking about the "choice" they make. he was doomed loong before that. both were tired of the eternal conflict. but to ally oneself with a demon as an angel...it´s an absolutely "no go". well, nothing he would have ever done would have brought him back to the heavens, they banished him...but hells banished lilith, too for the same reason. his choice leads him there. this is why i love her line...silence is their judgement...it´s is so amazing. the heavens planned to wipe out humankind in the past because they were scared af of them. angels in this universe are tremendous self-centered, stubborn beings that think what they do is always right and always good. one of the angels gone mad at some point later and killed 80% of humans in diablo 3. so few remains and the followers of light (those tiny weak humans now after centuries) are fanatic people you can compare to the inquisition. they burn you at the stake for simple things that are not in line with the views of the church. they destroy other cultures like the druids who live their own way and are not interested in church at all. they kill their own followers for the so called "good". lilith wanted to power up her children and give them free will to save themselves instead of being her to be the savior... instead of allying, they kill each other. day by day .

My head Canon has always been that angels were never supposed to set foot in hell. They repulse each other. That's the hesitation of his feet hitting the ground. But his hate pushes through, sundering the ground as he touches down.

This might just be the best cinematic Blizzard has ever done.

The ultimate Enemies to Lovers plot. Except no one gets a happy ever after😂

I think an aspect you are missing about when Inarius lands; the demons shrink back from his grace and he *ignores* them hunting for Lilith. They were literally not worth his notice as he was sol focused on his goal/revenge.

There is no Luciferian character in Diablo. Inarius' story was so short in the first four acts, but his has hints of the Lucifer archtype. Inarius is in Mephisto's recovery thingy. There is potential that he will reform into a demon and overtake hell while Prime Evils are weakened and Mephisto is out doing whatever he is up too...probably trying to discover Lucian's body (Lilith's brother) to be reborn into.

In this game its not so much about good and evil, but its more of an order vs choas situation between these 2. Inarius representing order and lilith representing chaos

The whole time i was watching this in game i just couldnt stop going "holy shit that was cool"

Even though I despise on what Diablo has turned into they still have damned good animations

It's weird how you mentioned it looks like a painting, because that's exactly their art style in the game! They studied gothic oil paintings for the look and feel of the game.

Really interesting analysis. Would like to see more. Some suggestions Kiriko moovie from overwatch and Starcraft 2 LOTV openning. Good job

I'd love seeing you watch the Diablo 2 cinematics.

This, right here..... is what the wow movie should of been. Fuck live action crap, this is art

UK Filmmaker Kai Zammit what kind of movie did you make?

The prophecy came true, just not how Inarius expected. “A spear of light pierces hatreds heart.” At that moment Inarius was full of hatred for Lilith.

imo its the most gripping video game cinematic i’ve ever seen. Never gets old. The story is incredible and this just gets me amped to play the game. Now I want to buy all the books. They did a great job with the cinematic leading up to its release

I can only imagine how a fight scene would look like when you have an army of angels appearing from the sky.

For me, watching the damned souls overtake Inarius was a good touch.

I like that inarius is asking for help from those trapped souls, as if theyre equal now i guess? Also, I've played the game, but i dont remember liliths wings ever glowing white like when shes behind inarius to stab him.

This trailer is wicked 👌🏻

Love seeing your reaction to a Diablo angel in combat. The angels and the major demons of this game's lore like Lilith and her father Mephisto fight with insane ferocity. These guys are seasoned fighters. I wish they could have animated Lilith in combat. The way she fights is really cool IMO, but it's not in a cutscene sadly.

To answer the question at 20:25 the two characters did indeed did have a son named Rathma. SPOILER Inarius killed him in act 1 of the game. Lillith later found his body and put two and two together.

a good thing to watch for the lore is the 4 part short video series "the book of lorath"

I learned alot from your character analysis based on cinematic storytelling (the part where the angel feels the room with his wings suggesting a scene will be emotional. I also love that the story tellers implied Lilith as a protagonist.

Fantastic vid. You’ve clearly never watched dbz though 😂 honestly great stuff though, subscribed for sure

The powerlevel was equal only to Inarius. Lillith welcomed his spear-attack with opened arms. Making hers lack of outcry from being pieced ecco their difference in determination and resolve.

Even in his self righteousness, Inarius still felt some pain killing Lillith. Lillith on the other hand, lost any love she had for Inarius when she heard his answer to Rathma’s (the son) death. That’s why she went out of her way to make his death painful and ensure he stayed in hell. I really want to see Inarius come back as a fallen angel tbh.

I feel like we have amazing art talent working in the gaming industry.

Oh... i recently noticed that the priestess is sitting far away from the first row of soldiers, and in the next shot, she sits quite close to them... right before the spears spiked down those demons...

I loved this cinematic through and through except for 1 thing. 5:16 was a perfect example at their attempt to replace Kerrigan.

Great analysis. Quite interessting to have it described in words what we see. I'm just thankful they did not use the Wilhelms scream, it always rips me out of the inversion each time. Imagine at 7:31 when Lilith stabs Inarius from behind a nice proper Wilhelm's scream... After that you could even play the Benny Hill theme, wouldn't make it any worse.

That singing of hers reminds me of the odst commercial

Better then when winter came in GoT 😂

with "our son" she means rathma in case anyone is interested in the lore

Proper pumped

the over top camera is to represent the normal view you have in game of the hordes you face while it is a great shot on its own to show numbers it is a nice nod to the games players

Hey kai could you tell me the name of that intro and outro song please ? Been looking for it for a while.

And the cool thing is: Lilith's dad and her two uncles are even scarier. They've been teased in D4's final cutscene and I can't wait for their reveal in D4's Expansion.

Hell..... done properly.

Father and Mother - Sanctuary is Earth if you did not knew. Earth is in between the constant fight. And also heaven went silent forever not interfering anymore with Earth. Also Inarus is remnant of last epoch, his death ends angel's walking on earth...

I always thought that the introduction of the priestess held a lot of interesting symbolism. She, and by extension the rest of the faithful there, are literally destroying themselves at the behest of the angel that they serve. But she shows signs of distress at the damage being done to her because her belief in the higher power is so absolute. The director seemed to be suggesting that blind devotion to any cause can be self-destructive, no matter how noble it might seem.

I've always said that Blizzard should make CGI based movies.

I love this scene of the game but all i know so far is that both angels and demons and both Heaven and Hell have been fighting each other way before mankind and humanity was even born and both sides try to gain the upper hand against the other