The Ninth Gate

Plot synopsis:
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp), a New York City rare book dealer, makes his living conning people into selling him valuable antique books for a low price, and then re-selling them to private collectors. Corso meets with wealthy book collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), who has recently acquired a copy of the (fictional) book The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows by 17th-century author Aristide Torchia, one of only three extant copies. The book is an adaptation of one written by the Devil himself and purportedly contains the means to summon the Devil and acquire invincibility and immortality. Balkan believes two of the copies are forgeries. He hires Corso to check all three, and acquire the legitimate one by any means necessary.
Balkan's copy was acquired from Andrew Telfer (Willy Holt), who killed himself soon after. Telfer's widow Liana (Lena Olin) seduces Corso, in a failed attempt to get the book back. Meanwhile, Corso leaves the book for safekeeping with bookseller Bernie Rothstein (James Russo), who is then murdered; his corpse is found posed like an engraving in The Nine Gates.
Corso travels to Toledo, Spain. The Ceniza brothers, book restorers, show him that three of the engravings are signed "LCF". Corso deduces that Lucifer himself designed and cut them. Corso travels to Sintra, Portugal, to compare Victor Fargas' (Jack Taylor) copy of the book to Balkan's. To Corso's surprise, he discovers that the signature "LCF" is found in three different engravings, which vary in small but significant details from the images in the Balkan copy. The next morning, a mysterious young woman (identified only as "the Girl") (Emmanuelle Seigner) who appears to have been shadowing Corso since Balkan hired him, awakens Corso and leads him to Fargas' house. He finds the old man murdered and the "LCF"-signed engravings ripped out of that copy.
In Paris, Corso visits the Baroness Kessler (Barbara Jefford), who owns the third copy. At first the Baroness refuses to cooperate, but Corso intrigues her with evidence that the engravings differ among the three copies. He explains his idea: each copy contains three different "LCF"-signed engravings, therefore all three copies are required for the ritual. Corso finds "LCF" on three different engravings in the Baroness's book confirming his theory.
Kessler is killed, and the Girl rescues Corso from Liana's bodyguard. When Liana steals Balkan's copy from Corso's hotel room, he follows her, and witnesses her using the book in a Satanist ceremony. Balkan suddenly interrupts the ceremony, kills Liana, and leaves with the engraved pages and his own intact copy.
Corso pursues Balkan to a remote castle, depicted in one of the engravings, and finds Balkan preparing the final ritual. After a struggle, Balkan traps Corso in a hole in the floor. Balkan performs his summoning ritual: he arranges the engravings on a makeshift altar, and recites a series of phrases related to each of the nine engravings. Balkan then douses the floor and himself with gasoline and sets it alight, believing himself to be immune to suffering. Balkan's invocation fails, and he screams in pain as the flames engulf him. Corso frees himself, kills Balkan, takes the engravings, and escapes.
Outside, the Girl appears and has sex with him by the light of the burning castle. She tells him that Balkan failed because the ninth engraving he had used was a forgery. On her suggestion, Corso returns to the Ceniza brothers' now vacant shop. By chance he finds the authentic ninth engraving. On it, there is a likeness of the Girl. With the last engraving in hand, Corso returns to the castle. He has completed the ritual requirements, and he crosses through the Ninth Gate into the light.

Tags: dark, mystery, neo noir, murder, paranormal, atmospheric

Review:
An interesting plot (based on "El Club Dumas", by Arturo Pérez-Reverte), Darius Khondji's brilliant cinematography, Wojciech Kilar's killer background score, Polanski's masterful direction and the overall atmospheric nature of the movie make up for a great watch!
My viewpoint is that there may be untied ends and unanswered questions...but it is nothing that can't be figured out.The Ninth Gate is the kind of movie that you would wanna watch again..and then discuss it with fellow-viewers..then watch it again.
The story gets better every time you watch it, pay attention to even the smallest details like the color of the mysterious girl's socks, there is a good reason why Corso has a shoulder bag and an overcoat he never seems to part from, until the 'notorious' very last scene; shoulder bag and overcoat are gone...
I have played this movie several times for friends and no one has gotten bored.The attraction is (1) decent acting; (2) some great sets; (3) an involving story; (4) interesting characters and (5) low profanity.What keeps most viewers interested is simply wondering what is going to happen next in "Dean Corso's" (Johnny Depp) quest to figure out the hidden message.
The first time I watch it, I was captivated by the music ( and Johnny Depp, gotta love him...) I also really liked the story and most of the actors' performances.
The second time I watched it I started to pick up on the details, like the engravings, the real purpose of the mystery woman and the excellent work on the scenery and lightning.
Excellent acting by Johnny Depp and Frank Langella.Roger Ebert gave it 2 stars, because he didn't like how vague the ending was.
I admit also missing few things, but fortunately got most parts right in first try.Movie has good mix of ominous events and old mysteries hidden in books that leave you wonder for a while.But I'm not totally convinced about the accuracy of many interpretations what I've read .
Devilish stuff - or just normal mysteries worldwide.How movie ends is exactly like that.Most interesting question I find after watching movie was the idea of Devil in the movie.
Corso in the movie differs rest of characters in way the he doesn't actually believe in Devil.
For me The Ninth Gate is Polanski's love letter to the occult, far superior than his other films that dip a toe in those waters and are somehow held in much higher regard.
If you like the film it's also well worth checking the net for sites expanding & discussing it's themes- The Ninth Gate continues to be appreciated & inspire new audiences many years after it's release..
As with many of Polanski's films, "The Ninth Gate" includes beautiful settings, great orchestration, and intriguing characters.
Johnny Depp is brilliantly cast as the shady rare books dealer and Frank Langella gives his best performance as the millionaire Satanist intent on finding the final page of a spell that was reportedly written by The Dark One himself.
OK OK I'll let you in on a secret - devil lives in the burning fire of destruction and is embodied in your lover (ok still doesn't make sense till you see the movie).Well Johnny Depp is a quite good actor I must say, and shooting this thingy all around Europe gives it a fresh 'travel channel' vibe while you go about chasing down demon relics and whatnot - even makes me long for a stay in some of those funky little hotels!
The books-sleuth Dean Corso(Johnny Deep) is contracted by a famous magnate and tomes collector named Balkan(Frank Langella) to authenticate the rare text 'The ninth gate of the kingdom of shadows', a 17th century occult book reportedly have been written by the demon.
Corso asks help his friend Bernie(James Russo) and an old books-expert(Jose Lopez Rodero) .The book's first copy is possessed by a solitary individual(Jack Taylor) and the second by an old widow paralytic(Barbara Jefford).Corso confronts natural and supernatural problems in this terrifying adventure pursued by an enigmatic woman(Emmanuelle Seigner).This exciting movie packs mystery, tension, spooky scenes, strikingly suspense and creepy images.The picture is entertaining , however contains some moments a little embarrassing such as the surprisingly scenes about the satanic reunion, similarly made to 'Eyes wide shut' by Stanley Kubrick.
And, of course, this being a movie about the devil and an author burned at the stake, fire and smoke and ashes HAVE to be there as a means for Polanski to add some humor to the story.
I would expect that someone who has seen his other films would understand (i.e., the fearless vampire killers is a good one to compare this one to..), but alas, people jump on the critical bandwagon and say 'this is not polanski's finest'...WHATEVER!
This film is astounding...a clear departure from The Club Dumas, the book on which it is based, as Polanski has taken a sub - plot and brought it to the fore, focusing instead on the occult aspects of the story.
Certainly the best and most stylish horror of the 1990s, it placed Roman Polanski back at his roots, allowing him to once again explore the dark depths of the occult and the human psyche, and providing the viewers with the pleasure of following the new protagonist on a thrilling journey in search of...
I quickly saw them attack the film, complaining (their complaints always badly misspelled, with horrendous syntax, third-grade lexicon and short, monotonous sentences, regardless of the language used) that the movie was "confusing" (please stick to your level of entertainment, an X-Men cartoon), that "nothing happened" in it (nothing certainly ever happens in their heads; as for the film, the fate of the world being chosen and sealed was but one of the things that happened), that it was "too slow" (no, my "dears" - *you* are), or that "the acting was bad" (compared to their favorite pearls of cinematic performance, such as "Scream 3" or "Jason goes to Hell"), or that there "wasn't enough action"...
Congratulations and thanks to Polanski & Co. for making a truly enjoyable film.(and that's something considering the kind of drivel that is available for our entertainment these days!) For those who keep moaning about being left-out of the ending or the meaning of the film-stick to your Disney's Classics or else grow up, read more books and be more imaginative!
Unscrupulous book dealer Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is drawn into a dangerous world of witchcraft, magic, and mystery after he is hired by collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to seek out the only remaining copies of Satanic textbook 'The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows', a work reputed to have the power to summon the Devil.After several viewings, I still don't fully comprehend everything about The Ninth Gate: it's one of those film that is deliberately ambiguous.
Despite my frustration at my lack of understanding, I still have a fun time trying to further unravel the riddle, spot as-yet undiscovered clues and diabolical references, and work out the answers to questions posed by the plot.While the film's inconclusive narrative does little to diminish my enjoyment of this wonderfully complex supernatural thriller, which benefits from excellent direction from Polanski, a great leading performance from Depp, and a suitably ominous score, I do struggle with the way in which the bibliophiles portrayed treat their treasured tomes, smoking fags and slurping alcohol as they study the text, handling the books sans protective gloves, and leaving vital pages to gather dust on top of old bookshelves—I treat second-hand paperbacks better than that!7.5 out of 10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb..
I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people don't like this movie - personally, I'd have to say it's one of the best movies I've seen.I wouldn't want to go too much in detail about it, suffice it to say I think it's good there are still movies made where use of one's brain is actually required when watching it, and everything is not over-explained.
That's all about that.The Ninth Gate is a good movie with an old Europe feel and an occult slant.
The film begins quite arrestingly, and then the plot slowly twists and turns, cleverly drawing you in.Acting and casting: Johnny Depp is very credible as the aloof, arrogant, back-stabbing and very unlikable rare-book specialist Dean Corso who would cheerfully sell his own grandmother had he clearly not already done so.
Much better than in many lesser films of the genre, as one would expect of Polanski.Setting: Some excellent locations were used, adding to the atmosphere.Summary: If you are at all into suspense, mystery, horror or the supernatural then you will surely greatly enjoy this film..
Roman Polanski has done it again.Johnny Depp gives a fantastic performance as a book dealer who needs to prove the authenticy of a book entitled "The Nine Gates" that is supposedly written by the devil himself.
Polanski once again directed an interesting mystery film-thriller starred by Johnny Depp and seconded by Polanski's wife, Emmanuele Seigner, and Lena Olin.
The merit of this film is that instead of looking for a rare jewel, the agent (Depp) was trying to understand the mystery of a book.
Corso becomes obsessed with the book and discloses the truth about it."The Ninth Gate" is a great movie with a confused conclusion that is not clear.
Roman Polanski is more famous for his scandals and his tragedies than for his career as a director.With the correct script,Polanski is a great director with a style which is not at the same tone of the modern things but it's at the same tone that a great movie needs to have.The ninth gate is a perfect movie directed by him.From the first scenes of this movie,it's obvious that Polanski is an authentic director with the necessary intelligence to give his movies his own vision.On this slow,but never boring movie,the revelations do not come fast;they come at the time they have to come.The person who is going to see this movie and expects to see battle body to body between Johnny Depp and the devil will be disappointed.The movie's development has a lot of precision,putting ideas in the mind of the spectator and leaving the spectator the homework of taking out conclusions.On past decades,with films like Rosemary's baby,Polanski gave a new ''air'' to horror movies.The ninth gate does the same.It's a very welcome change to crap horror movies and the film is not a copy of movies which were very successful.This movie uses the intellectual and analytic way to supernatural things and the horror comes from the human mind.The actors are perfect on their roles:the great Johnny Depp brings an excellent performance full of details.Emanuelle Seigner(Polanski's wife)brings a fantastic performance.Lena Olin and Frank Langhella are both perfect.The ninth gate is a perfect and serious movie which makes the spectator think of what is seeing.And that's something fantastic..
I was willing to go along with The Ninth Gate until I realized that it was playing out just like another Johnny Depp picture, Sleepy Hollow, where-in, one-by-one, people are killed by an unseen, unidentified force or entity.Apparently, the writers/producers of both pictures felt that there was no need to let the viewers know what was actually happening and why.
Right now, the average grade of this movie, here on IMDb is 6.6 A coincidence?"Ninth Gate" is another, after cult classic 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968), example of critically acclaimed and controversial director's Roman Polanski...
A rare book dealer Dean Corso (Johny Depp) gets an assignment to compare - by first finding the missing ones - the three last copies of a medieval "Ninth Gate of the Kingdom of Shadows".
Of course the hunt for the book, gets more and more complicated as strange things begin to happen and Corso gets himself involved in something beyond imagination..."Ninth Gate" brings out of memory the "Devil's Advocate" with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino but in many ways it's totally different.
Roman Polanski's stylish direction is a big plus factor in being able to appreciate THE NINTH GATE for the handsomely photographed thriller that it is in a tale about a man's quest for the only genuine volume of a work penned by the Devil when only three such volumes exist.
The mission is assigned to a sleazy book dealer always on the lookout for a sweetheart deal (JOHNNY DEPP who wears glasses to appear scholarly) and it is his acceptance of that mission from an equally shady publishing magnate (FRANK LANGELLA, who literally phones in his performance), that makes the film a clever psychological thriller.For all its cleverness, it does leave one stumbling in the dark toward the end which has a climax that is more confusing than enlightening.
This film is an ode to the uninitiated, demonstrating how the occult world and its knowledge is more commonplace and 'real' than we might believe, it surrounds us, it is us.At all times, 'The Ninth Gate' makes the viewer question its directions and motives, even the lead character, Corso (Johnny Depp), cannot be trusted, everything is expendable, with a lingeringly somber feeling of danger and fragility at every twist and turn.
This may be what is portrayed in the events detailed in the film.'The Ninth Gate' is one of Roman Polanski's greatest works, threading together an engaging psychological thriller with a philosophical and theological backing that keeps the whole piece held in an air of mystery and suspense.The sets are Gothic and gloomy, the music is aptly fitting, the acting and scripts even more so; nothing breaks the persistent, unshakable scene and tone that is set by Polanski, who has obviously taken into careful consideration every possible factor to create a deeply immersive, memorable experience for the viewer.9.7/10.
The only element of the plot that held any "suspense" was Johnny Depp's (I didn't feel enough connection with the character to bother remembering his name) quest to compare the three books, and although the solution became painfully obvious about halfway through the movie there was still another hour or so spent on the subject.Even the rather slow and hard-to-believe plot line could have been partially saved by an interesting ending.
Johnny Depp gives a joyless, enervated performance as an American dealer in rare books who accepts a job from collector Frank Langella to compare his 17th-century book, "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows," adapted from the writings of Lucifer, to the two known remaining copies, one in Spain and the other in France, only one of which is thought to be authentic; soon, Depp feels he's being followed and, indeed, an enigmatic blonde begins popping up along his journey.
The Ninth Gate is a masterful film Polanski is genius.
The acting was second rate, Depp has done better, its obvious he didn't like the movie either, he was probably forced to take this role.
Greatly enjoyed this very mysterious film dealing with people trying to secure very rare books dealing with the supernatural and a desire to secure the powers of the devil.
Johnny Depp, (Dean Corso) and Frank Langella, (Boris Balkan) are the two men trying to obtain these books in order to find the Secrets of the Ninth Gate.
There is a mysterious Girl who makes quite a few appearances in this film played by Emmanuelle Seigner,(The Girl) who is the real wife of Roman Polanski.
Millionaire book collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) hires Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) - a rare-book dealer - to track down two copies of a satanic book and compare engravings to his copy.The Ninth Gate is not an intelligent or a sophisticated movie.
Still, it is actually the Polanski imprimatur that turns out to be the best reason for watching `The Ninth Gate.'  In terms of direction, cinematography and music, this film displays more subtlety, elegance and panache than most modern films dealing with the topic of devil worship.
Nonetheless, Polanski shoots his film just right, and employs a wonderful orchestral score which adds to the atmosphere no end.Depp's on solid form as the brash, rather unlikeable protagonist and Frank Langella delivers a powerhouse supporting turn.
and it is.The ninth gate introduction cards are Roman Polanski, the man who taught America the smart approach to horror movies with "Rosemary's baby"; Johnny Depp, who is known for his wonderful performances when it comes to weird characters; and, for those who are into Spanish literature, Arturo Perez-Reverte, who is regarded as one of the best Spanish writers of our time and whose novel served as inspiration.Unfortunately for the movie, Polanski overdid the supernatural approach...
Depp delivers a convincing Corso, but something is missing from his performance that makes him look flat: this may work for the Corso portrayed in the novel, but for a supernatural script, a little bit more character would have been in order.On the bright side, I think this was masterfully directed with a pretty good cinematography, good pace and an excellent plot overall.
The plot is also excellent, and challenge you to think hard about the meaning of the book Depp is investigating, and more importantly (but not so obvious in the beginning of the movie) what's the identity of the girl (Emmanuelle Seigner).
After being hired by Frank Langella (as Boris Balkan), "Johnny Depp unlocks the gates to hell, in Roman Polanski's newest thriller.
Darius Khondji's cinematography, and wheelchair-bound devil worshiper Barbara Jefford (as Baroness Kessler) are strengths.***** The Ninth Gate (8/25/99) Roman Polanski ~ Johnny Depp, Emmanuelle Seigner, Barbara Jefford.
I really expected much more from Roman Polanski and Johnny Depp.
I would have much preferred a bigger ending, although the low key, mysterious one works reasonably well in the context of the wider film.Depp is very good in the lead and suits the `ordinary' delivery of the story.
I thought it could be better if we could know the identity of Emmanuelle Seigner as the mystery girl, is she the devil herself or a keeper of the ninth gate or the book, why did she help Johnny Depp?