The Ninth Gate (2000) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | The Ninth Gate (1999) |
| Director | Roman Polanski |
| Screenplay Writer | Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn, Enrique Urbizu |
| Based on Novel by | Arturo Pérez-Reverte (The Club Dumas) |
| Lead Actors | Johnny Depp, Lena Olin, Frank Langella |
| Cast | Johnny Depp, Lena Olin, Frank Langella, Emmanuelle Seigner, James Russo, Barbara Jefford |
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller, Horror |
| Release Date | August 25, 1999 (France) |
| Duration | 2h 13m (133 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$38 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | France, Spain, United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$58.4 million |
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Summary
Dean Corso (Depp), a shady, rare book dealer, is hired by Boris Balkan (Langella) to authenticate a copy of a 17th Century occult work said to have been written by the devil.
Review
Let me put it this way. If you are the type of critic who believes that Meet the Parents warrants five out of five stars (or beers), just skip this review and the movie along with it. Go rent The Bourne Supremacy instead. You won’t enjoy this unusual mystery directed by Roman Polanski and done in his trademark style. Effects, and even dialogue are downplayed in favor of imagery.
While it’s got more than a little suspense and has some elements of a traditional thriller, it’s more artistic than anything else. It’s visually stunning in an old fashioned, understated way, filmed entirely in Europe and with limited retouching. One cannot say enough about Johnny Depp and the brilliance he brings to every role. He brings a complexity and depth to Dean Corso, the sleazy book sleuth at the center of The Ninth Gate that no other actor could.
Boris Balkan, a New Yorker obsessed with the occult, dispatches Corso to Europe to find the two other copies of the book he owns a 17th Century text believed to be written by the Prince of Darkness himself. With the help of a mysterious girl (Seigner), who seems to appear whenever he needs her the most, more and more details become uncovered.
The deeper he digs, the more Corso becomes ensnared in what is simultaneously an intellectual mystery and a supernatural quest for power. The superficial story line and the deeper, occult elements eventually come together in the end as the identity of the Devil and Corso’s real role in the movie are finally revealed. It is a bit slow at times and the ending leaves a little to be desired. However, it is still highly recommended if you go in with the right mindset and enjoy something unusual.
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