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.

Tall order to make books scary, but this baby does it! Also it has by FAAAARRRR the best and coolest 'meet the devil' scene EVER! And no it's not some pointy guy with horns saying hello. Watch the movie and you'll see... (damn I just got chills thinking about it). 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! :) I must visit! Maybe I shal meet El Diablo...

This is a very VERY elegant horror movie. NO bloody gutsy to speak of - but lots of good plot things happening and just all around very 'cool'.

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.

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! These people probably need a on-line walkthrough to go to their own toilet and cant appreciate a little mystery or enigma! Let's face it-the world's a mysterious place and you cant expect neat and convenient signposts! The film as I understood it: Unknown ages ago Satan had given mankind a "manual" describing how to acquire godly powers, in the form of "Delomelanicon", a legendary scroll written by no other than "Louis Cyphre" himself! A Venetian demonologist, Aristide Torchia, acquired a copy of this work and adapted its text and engravings to a book he called "The nine gates to the kingdom of shadows". Torchia deliberately hid the true knowledge of the "Delomelanicon" in three variations of his book-a measure to weed out the lamebrains who read the book "just for a Sunday evening". Only three copies survived his torture and eventual burning at a stake.It is of these volumes that Balkan speaks of in the film. Corso is a cynic and only realize the true significance of the "Nine gates" as he research for Balkan's assignment. In the end it becomes an obsession for him, too. As for the ending ... seeing the last engraving Corso finally realises the true meaning of his quest and he is magically transported to the Devil's castle for an audience with Satan himself. From the choice of actors and the musical score to the locations, the use of SFX, visual metaphors ... "The ninth gate" excels. Polanski's vision is unique, to put it mildly, and the acting by Depp,Lagella and Jafford adds realism to the the quirky characters. Films of such delectable european flavour are indeed rare in these days of uninspired, talentless films. Please dont give us a sequel("Return to the ninth gate", "The ninth gate-part 2") ! For those who found the film to be "heavy" - give up on the original story "The Club Dumas" by Arturo Peres-Reverte ... you will be confused some more. As for the rest, please find a copy and enjoy since it is much more detailed than the story and have those cool engravings!!!!

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.