La neuvième porte

I watched this brilliant movie two nights ago, and desperately want to see it again as soon as possible. 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. And finally, I'm astonished to see that so many didn't understand who Seigner's character actually was. To me, it was clear as day, _especially_ after seeing that last engraving. And I normally am not a very observant person;-)

Final words: Brilliant movie. Just brilliant.

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.

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

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

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..