User reviews

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.

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... fascination with evil.

The story looks simple. 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. First - Roman Polanski proves he is such acclaimed director for a reason. In every scene, you feel his existence, you feel that almost every scene has its powerful significance. Part of that is great, cold and suspenseful Cinematography. Great Score by Wojciech Kilar adds to the climate of the movie.

Johny Depp is great as always, and in the seconds plan actors you won't find a bad one. The screenplay is witty, there is unexpected humour in a lot of situations which makes it an easy, fun watch until... the ending. The ending turns the movie into a dark thriller leaving lot of things open, unsaid. We can almost FEEL the evil, in the end.

7/10

Never seen it and today was the day to finally watch this whodunit flick. Some say it's a gothic horror but for me it doesn't come close to a horror.

But it wasn't that bad at all. Even clocking in over 2 hours it never had a dull or boring moment. If you are into a good thriller then you are at the correct place with this flick. Okay it' do has some supernatural elements but even that won't bother you as watching this.

Pure entertaining, a good Roman Polanski flick.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5.

I am having a hard time with one major flaw in this movie. The way everyone in this movie handles rare books is appalling. The men on Pawn Stars wear white cloth gloves to touch first edition Mark Twain books... so why on earth would 15th century books be handled the way these are tossed about through the whole film.

Kleenex brand tissues are handled with more reverence by my children at home than these priceless rare books in this film.

That being said I enjoyed the topic.

The acting is perhaps subpar in parts but the sets are nicely done.

Watching a Polanski movie with such disregard for details is a bit shocking.

I loved this film, the opulence and wonderful European locations. A film that is truly atmospheric and very special. A cast of excellent actors, Depp, Langella and Olin to name just three, certainly not a mainstream film that was going to break any box office records but a good psychologically addictive film exploring the occult. If history, books and the darker side of human nature interest you then you will find this film fascinating. Depp plays the part of a very focused, self serving and amoral loner hired by the owner of a book said to be co written by the Devil himself. Depp is to trace the authenticity of the only two remaining books thought to possibly be copies, held in private book collections in France and Portugal. Well worth watching

After being hired by Frank Langella (as Boris Balkan), "Johnny Depp unlocks the gates to hell, in Roman Polanski's newest thriller. Depp stars as Dean Corso, an unscrupulous rare-book dealer who is hired to locate the remaining copies of 'The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom,' a demonic manuscript that can summon the Devil. Corso becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving murder, theft, and satanic ritual; and, ultimately finds himself confronting the devil incarnate," according to official synopsis.

In order to look old, bookish Depp occasionally has a chalk-like substance added to his temples. He treats rare old books indelicately, and sometimes blows tobacco smoke on them. Despite these early warnings, "The Ninth Gate" becomes intriguing, as Depp's character unfolds the mysteries of three Satanic volumes, and their differing illustrations. Emmanuelle Seigner and Lena Olin are obviously bad news, but Depp messes with them anyway.

The major film's main weakness in that it doesn't go anywhere with its promising storyline; and, most importantly, it lacks a satisfactorily ending. You might even call it incoherent (see for yourself, if you dare). 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

The Ninth Gate is a great film and one of Roman Polanski's most underrated films. Twenty years from now people will give this film the respect it deserves and hail it to be the great film that it is.

Fist of all The Ninth Gate is not an action film. It's a slow-paced psychological thriller very similar in tone and style to Polanski's earlier films Chinatown and Frantic. Johnny Depp and Frank Langella both give great performances. Darius Khondji's photography is amazing and it has an even more amazing score by Kilar. The majority of the film was shot on location and is like a guided tour through Europe.

Ignore the negative reviews and comments from people who've been brainwashed and blinded by the current Hollywood fast-food style of film making with the intention of only appealing to the lowest common denominator. A review doesn't make a good film better or a bad film worse. A superb film. Rating 10 out of 10.

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. Boris Balkan wears very thick eyeglasses and you can hardly recognize him and he also likes to stand in a circle of fire and laugh his head off. 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. As this film progresses, you will begin to learn just who this girl is, especially when you see her sexy burning Green Eyes glaring into your eyes and she does a very good job of seducing Dean Corso. This is truly a great film and Roman Polanski made this film into a Classic for all generation to view and enjoy.

What makes this movie rather unique in this day-and-age is to see a horror- occult movie that has very little action. That may turn off a lot of modern-day viewers and critics but I thought it was refreshing.....as long as the story could still keep one's attention, which it did. It also did it with a pretty long movie: 133 minutes. 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. Without giving anything away, this is a classy, solid thriller.....and more importantly, fun to watch.

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. He must encounter the only other two copies of this strange book who give his proprietary an extraordinary power. Corso undergoes a dangerous voyage through Madrid, Toledo, Paris and towards a strange castle. 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. Glamorous cinematography by Darius Khondji and suspenseful musical score by Wojciech Killar. The tale is based on Arturo Perez Reverte's novel whose books have been adapted to cinema in several occasions(Alatriste,Nautical chart, Tablet of Flandes, Fencing master). The motion picture is professionally directed by Roman Polanski(The pianist,Bitter moon,Frantic,Dance of vampires), though very inferior his classic'Rosemary's Baby'. Rating : Acceptable and passable.

Roman Polanski's movies aren't about shooting and destruction like so many other movies these days, his movies are about people and their remarkable adventures. The Ninth Gate is supposed to be a thriller or horror movie but it is neither. The Ninth Gate is an occult movie and that is a whole different ballpark.

spoilers ahead!

'You have before you the mystery of which men have dreamed throughout the centuries. Thousands have died an agonizing death in hopes of just a glimpse of what you're about to see!' Those words are spoken by Boris Balkan, moments before he sets himself on fire in an attempt to raise the devil. The Ninth Gate is not only a movie about occultism, it is an occult movie by itself. First there is of course the obvious story that most people find quite disappointing BUT under the surface there is the real story that is only understood by those who are fairly familiar with symbolism and occultism.

Although The Ninth gate is based on just a part of the book El Club Dumas, it is nevertheless a clever story of its own.

The movie is about a riddle that is supposed to be hidden in three books, in the end that riddle is solved by Dean Corso. The movie itself contains a riddle and that riddle is to be solved by us. Besides the engravings, lots of symbolism and hints will help us understand the meaning of several strange events and eventually the meaning of what the story is all about and what happened to Balkan and Corso. The plot is created around a joke, a joke that is based on a misunderstanding. This makes a movie that one needs to see more than once, I bought the DVD and saw it over twenty times. 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... Aren't you curious about the meaning of broken glasses in combination of a mark between the eyes? Search the internet for the answers to the questions you have. It's fun if you like to solve riddles, I had a great time.

Apparently Polanski is not acquainted with American 20th century stories of "those who seek knowledge beyond Human ken". You know, the pulp musings of Merrit, Lovecraft, Ashton Smith, et al (for that matter, most of American filmmakers can't seem to grasp it either). Or perhaps he chooses to ignore it. Such is our loss. I always enjoy stories about hidden mysteries and covert histories, but his effort here just doesn't present enough eerie juxtaposition between the mundane elements of modern life and the supposedly preternatural parallelism of the supernatural stream of forces hidden just below our grasp. Polanski's satanism is like a dull bureaucracy made up of silly regulations - take nine engravings and call me in the morning. "Rosemary's Baby" showed a little more quirkiness, but still gets bogged down in ritual... I guess it's all those centuries of feudalism in Europe. There is no awe and wonder in this movie - certainly not from Johnny Depp. He's done better elsewhere.

Contrast this movie with something like "The Resurrected" and you will see what I mean - and not just for the bizarre shocks, of course they are there to pull in the "correct" audience of jaded young video gamers, but are limited and dispersed for story effect also. It's the same story of ordinary humans confronting a traditional and historical "evil" in the modern world with a considerably more cohesive effect.

Some of the critics ratings and user ratings really surprise and shock me at times. "The Ninth Gate" is rated so low, even by the critics (and several movie buffs), I really did not have much expectations from this movie. However, it was after all, a supernatural thriller by Roman Polanski and that was reason enough for me to see it. This, along with some comment I read somewhere that it is similar to Angel Heart, heightened my curiosity and finally saw it! And boy.. am I glad I did!

This is one of Polanski's finest films. There is no sense comparing it to Polanski's earlier classic based on the supernatural, Rosemary's Baby. That is, of course, a classic, but that does not render The Ninth Gate any lesser in terms of quality. The story revolves around a man called Dean Corso (Johnny Depp), who happens to be a dealer in rare books. He is hired by a wealthy book collector by the name of Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to authenticate a rare and very special book in his possession, "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of the Shadows". There are only three surviving copies and Balkan is convinced that only one is authentic and the others, forgeries. Corso takes up the job and then begin his investigations and a very mysterious odyssey full of twists and turns. To reveal anything more would be a crime. One should watch the movie to experience it completely.

Polanski has incorporated all the elements that make for a great movie. 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! Not to mention some great acting from Johnny Depp (always dependable) and Frank Langella. And let's not forget Mrs. Polanski herself, Emmanuelle Seigner in a very interesting role.

As for the poor reviews this film generally got, I must say I am stumped. There is not a single weak moment; the proceedings glide by smoothly, and are more than intriguing. Suffice to say, it's a very well made film and a fascinating experience.

Never mind, that some so-called critics have lambasted it for some unanswered questions and ambiguities in the story. They are probably the kind who like everything packaged in a neat order with ends all tied up, and are averse to enigma and ambiguity. 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. And am sure, every viewing will yield newer ideas and interpretations..

Polanski once again directed an interesting mystery film-thriller starred by Johnny Depp and seconded by Polanski's wife, Emmanuele Seigner, and Lena Olin. From the very beginning one is trapped by the excitement and curiosity to know about the fate of copies of a particular book. In fact the excitement lasts only until the secret is discovered. The film although starts in New York where Polanski cannot be, it recreates mainly in Spain and cold Paris. 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. The environment of the film was all cultural since it shows three or four libraries, but also with some doses of violence. Instead of being a Superman, Depp behaved as a normal human being, only cautious when the circumstances demand to be like that. The film is good to be seen, in addition to its excitement, it gives also some entertainment.

Well the movie was done in a classic Hitchcock fashion. This is not some cheesy horror flick. No pointless gratuitous violence or sex. everything shown to the viewer has value. It really puts the viewer in the shoes of the protagonist Johnny depp. Great suspense and thoughtful dialogue. Loved the characters and the sets and scenery. The music score complemented the film perfectly, but the ending offers no resolution and will leave you extremely disappointed. If the ending had resolved the plot, this would have been a 8/10 or 9/10 movie rating easily. I really loved the movie right up until it ended. Basically this movie will leave you the same way an episode of Lost ends: Pulling your hair and mad there are no answers