At some point in the future this film will be rediscovered and reevaluated as the minor masterpiece it is. It's so unlike every other film, you can understand the friction it's had with some critics and public.
The pace of the film is so delicate, there's really only a few scenes to the whole picture. It's not in any rush. The chemistry between Williams and Gooding is so comfortable from their first moment on screen, that the film can happily unroll in front of you without moving on quickly to the next moment. That's incredibly rare.
The visuals of this film are also unlike anything else, even over twenty years later. The concept of a painted film that weaves renaissance and expressionist influences into the setting is itself a character. However you don't feel like you're there just to watch a special effects film. This style is used to craft some of the best stills in cinema, but always makes sense to the story and sense of discovery.
Emotionally I can't think of many films that are this stark and brutally sad. It's not a happy film. It's still a film of course, and there's some recognisable moments of hope, but it's not Hollywood. It can be quite relentless. That horror though set against the bright colour and tone of the film's depiction of Heaven is what makes this so compelling to me.