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The Ninth Gate: Friday March 10, 2000

Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is highly skilled at his work, a position which requires dexterity, cultural expertise, nerves of steel...and few scruples. Known for locating rare books for wealthy collectors, Corso is hired by eminent book-lover and scholar of demonology, Boris Balkan (Frak Langella). Corso's mission: to find the last two volumes of the legendary manual of satanic invocation "The Nine Gates of the Shadow Kingdom," compare them with Balkan's first volume, supposedly the only one of its kind, and ascertain the authenticity of the series.
Directed by Roman Polanski and written by Polanski, John Brownjohn and Enrique Urbizu, "The Ninth Gate" is based on the novel "The Club Dumas" by Arturo Perez-Reverte. Starring Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin and Emanuelle Seigner, the film is produced by Orly Productions and Polanski's R.P. Productions. Executive produced by Mark Allan and co-produced by Alain Vannier and Inaki Nunez, the film's director of photography is Darius Khondji with production design by Dean Tavoularis.  ©2000 Artisan Pictures Inc. All rights reserved.

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For The People's Review of The Ninth Gate Scroll Down.

Score:

Reviewers

Ebert UsaToday Mr Showbiz Herald Average
Points 50 50 34 62.5 49.13

 

Film-o-Meter

49.13 - Go See At Matinee

notworth.jpg (2646 bytes)

 

Rating System:

0 - 40 points

Not Worth Seeing
40 - 65 points  Go See At Matinee
65- 85 points Worth Seeing
85-100 points Definitely worth seeing. "A must see!"

Director

Roman Polanski 

Writer

John Brownjohn 
Roman Polanski

Budget

$38 Million

Genre

Thriller

Starring:

Johnny Depp

as

 Dean Corso

Running Time

2hrs - 7 mins.

Rating

Rated R for some violence and sexuality.

Distributor

Artisan Entertainment

Trailer

Real Player

Website

Official Site

Soundtrack

SoundTrack from 

 

 

 

 The People's Review of The Ninth Gate 

Bolt
score = 80
comments = Eighty is a reasonable score for this entertaining film.  The negative reviews concerning the conclusion of The Ninth Gate are misguided at best.  The movie was thoroughly engaging and the ending was both fitting and appropriate.  I think Aquirre's comments were the only ones that even remotely reflected a true understanding of this movie.  The finale brings some form of closure to the story without having to force feed you the ultimate result of Depp's personal journey. Thank god (no pun intended) for movies that allow one's imagination to connect the dots.  By the way, Emanuelle Seigner's beauty and accent are easily worth two hours of viewing by themselves.

Ash
score = 100
haha Critics are pathetic, this is one of the most enthralling, entertaining, suspenseful and intelligent movies i have in a long long time. I just read one critics review and his excuse for it being bad is because it's special effects were too good and it didn't correspond to his old love of movies that had great stories but looked like crap. He said it had a great story but because it looked so good he wont review the movie well. Is there a movie that isnt completely foreign or nonsensical that can receive an actual good review? Is it because Roman Polanski was accused of pederphilia at one point that critics believe they must now review his movies badly? I can't see any other reason. hahaha i was just reading the peoples reviews. HAHAAH Holly, stupid people are so amusing.'duh what did the ending mean?, i'm too stupid to figure it out so i'll deem the movie bad' haha and the people who arn't entertained unless they see lots of blatant empty and boring  violence, blood and sex such as Paul Branscum are just plain sad. Oh and Lisa T, u narrow minded individual, keep your mind open, u don't have to agree with it but u could atleast give it some thought

Marcus
score = 70
Hmm.. The Ninth Gate Graet film, keeps you riverted to your seat and on the edge at times. The suspence in the film is good to see, as until recently not many films prefered to take the "Hitchcock" line, more the blood and massive effects for cult movies.
The question every body seems to say is "What does the ending mean?" I don't think we will ever know the real answer to that, I'm still thinking about it.
It will be one of those nikling questions people will say to you down the pub. "Did you see that Ninth Gate film, with Johhny Depp... What did you think the ending meant?" Personaly I think the mysterious girl was an Angel sent down to make sure the devil did not appear to reak Hell on earth and was learning about human life at the same time. If you watch the film it does work. On the train Johnny Depp asks her "are you a student?" and she says "you could say that!!!!!!!

Anil
score = 70
comments = I give 70, rest boils down to the end of the movie. I enjoyed my sunday though; the movie was so exiting that I supposed to see even more exciting ending. Too bad. But still it is one of the best to see these days.

Valerie 
score = 70 
This film was interesting in the horror area, just comparing it to other brainless gorey types. It was slow in a way and the music was strange and too repetitive, but somehow the movie kept my attention. The ending was a let down after waiting for this big finale, but i seem to think that a $38 mil film wouldnt make it to the screen if the director wasnt a genius of some sort. The ending (i believe) was alot more intelectual and symbolic then everyone first reacts to. I think the devil was the lady following Depp and she wanted to impregnate herself with his manly devilness so that when he died, she could have another devil on earth. She knew his future and he was clueless and possessed by the whole Ninth Gate ideas and his mission.

Aguirre 
score = 70 
I find it very strange that so many people complain about not getting the end of the film. What did you expect, Corso to start chanting latin and the devil to appear in all his infernal majesty and welcome him to hell? The last two pieces of the puzzle were the ninth genuine engraving and Corso's seduction by the demon-girl, especially this last one symbolizing that the hero intentionally and consciously choses to enter hell, as indeed he does at the end scene. The engravings describe an initiation ritual, and the actual process that Corso goes through, from the murder of his friend and his researches, to his being given the key for the entrance way to hell. The puzzle is not intellectual, there is non an elaborate pattern or incantation ritual to be discovered. The puzzle is psychological and we follow Corso's trip from just being greedy and cynic to becoming hell's disciple. As a film it is very disturbing: Polanski tries to say something and not merely to provide beatiful pictures and intrigues. Advice: watch it again.

Jeff Shifrin 
score = 30 
Long awaiting Roman Polanski's return to film making, I was once again disapponted by one of Hollywood's great directors.  Like the late Kubrick, Scorcese, Woody Allen and Coppola, these once great artists have been either putting out narcissistic pieces of trite, personal journeys as a reflection of their own souls or just plain old schlock.  Such was the case here, as Polanski and company picked up their lavish pay checks to produce a paint by numbers plot at the pace of constipation.  Johnny Depp's look in this film is interesting enough, yet he lacks the matinee idol appeal to carry a movie by himself and has little if no help from the over theatrics of the rest of the cast.  The film is done in a way as to the way films were made during the old days of film making, where the dialogue was artificial and stilted, and the musical score drove the plot to dramatic proportions.  However, I believe audiences today find this kind of film making silly in a world accustomed to a certain amount of truth in their storytelling.  Though the opening theme sequence is original and inviting and the photogrophy and scenery worthy in texture as to be a great film, there is little to hold your interest in this convoluted mess about the devil. Hopefully, the next time Polanski decides to make a picture, he will consider the story he's about to execute and not merely the fat pay check.

Holly 
score = 40 
Dumb Ending.....Johnny Depp was good to look at.  Bad, Bad, Movie.

Lisa T. 
score = 50 
this film was very great I was on the edge of my seat it kept me wanting more, the film has the potential to be a classic,but the ending was (how shall i put it)DUMB.  I guess it has meaning to those into the occult, but I am not, so I wish they could have made the meaning more plain for the 99% of the population not into devil worship on a daily basis. I'd say see it then do what I am doing now going on-line to find the meaning to some of the things I saw in the film. MATINEE,MATINEE,MATINEE!!!!

demonica 
score = 50 
Great movie until the ending.  Did Roman Polanski run out of ideas? what did the last 10 minutes have to do with the rest of the movie???  He should go back a nd buy an ending.

JOSETTE 
score = 100 
I LOVED this movie. Maybe you need to be a bit of a Satan worshipper to appreciate the authentic language and actions .......and of course I L>OVE Roman.

Unknown2
score = None
Oh that movie sucked!  I haven't seen such a bad movie in a long time.  What were they thinking?!

Justine Camden 
score = 100 
The "Ninth Gate" is an incredible movie! It is a brilliant and intelligent piece. "A must see!!!" Director of the movie, Roman Polanski, appears to be in a good intellectual shape (something that most of our directors lack) giving  us something different that we usually get from "our" movies. Ninth Gate is no thriller,no horror (too bad for those who cannot see the difference) It made me laugh, it made me be involved in the movie, it made me listen to incredibly beautiful music by Wojciech Kilar, it made me see beautiful european landscapes, and it made me think. Once again, Polanski, is the most talented director ever. Najlepszy!

Paul Branscum 
score = 10 
Oh my god.I wasted three hours of my life in this stupid story about a book guy!?It's the worse idea of a movie ever.Could of went any slower.They introduce new characters all wrong and the very end is so bad that i feel that i was cheated out of something.Give me a break.If you liked this movie, tell me one part that was exciting or interesting.

yvonne.t@excite.com 
score = 60 
I thoought the movie itself was veery good. I was intriged the whole time. The only problem was the ending. My three friends and I where disapointed with the ending because none of us got it. I got that she told him the last page was a fake and that he got the original from the old store. Then he looked at it and the girl was sitting on the monster and there was a light coming from the back of the castle. Then he just went in. If somebody could tell me what happened at the end I would appreciate it soo much. I hate it when I'm left with a doubt. Thank you. yvonne tapia

Anne 
score = 60 
I loved the movie throughout as I was sitting on the edge of my seat enthralled by the puzzle and the mystery slowly unfolding like the petals of a rose. However, the fragrance, like the ending of this movie was not so sweet. I was creeped out, but I did not understand the ending at all. I was totally let down. The ending made absolutely no sense. The rest of the movie was interesting and the cinematography was incredible (wonderful use of colors and imagery). But Then ending was really terrible and overly obtuse! This is definitely a case where the direcxtor should have given his audience a little more explanation. I think I am not the only one who left scratching her head!

AP 
score = 70 
Not EVIL enough. No one seemed to like the end or get it and Im not sure i did as well. I guess he turned evil and got the power of the dark side or something. The ending makes u think and kinda d-side for yourself what it was about and most people are not willing to do that but I liked it because im so sick of the perfect hap-e ending in every damn movie. 

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