The Ninth Gate (1999)

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Arturo Pérez-Reverte (novel)
John Brownjohn (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 March 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Every book has a life of its own...

Plot:

A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.

Plot Keywords:

Book | Rare Book | Supernatural | Occult | Devil

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Dean Corso
Frank Langella	...	Boris Balkan
Lena Olin	...	Liana Telfer
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	The Girl
Barbara Jefford	...	Baroness Kessler
Jack Taylor	...	Victor Fargas
José López Rodero	...	Pablo & Pedro Ceniza / 1st & 2nd Workmen (as Jose Lopez Rodero)
Tony Amoni	...	Liana's Bodyguard
James Russo	...	Bernie
Willy Holt	...	Andrew Telfer
Allen Garfield	...	Witkin
Jacques Dacqmine	...	Old Man
Joe Sheridan	...	Old Man's Son
Rebecca Pauly	...	Daughter-In-Law
Catherine Benguigui	...	Concierge

Also Known As:

La neuvième porte (France)
La novena puerta (Spain)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

Spain | France | USA

Language:

English | French | Latin | Portuguese | Spanish

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KT | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Challet Biester, Rampa da Pena, Sintra, Lisbon, Portugal

Company:

Artisan Entertainment

Trivia:

Chateau Puivert (the Ninth Gate) is called The Devil's Tower. It was used by the Cathars to defend themselves during the Albigensian crusades in the 13th century. The Cathars were gnostic Christians but Pope Innocent III considered them to be devil worshippers.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Balkin and Corso enter the collection area early on in the film we see a building outside the many windows in the collection room. In the building outside the lights start going out one-by-one on one of the floors. But a moment later in the next shot, we see the lights back on.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dean Corso: It's an impressive collection. You have some very rare editions here. Are you sure you want to sell them all?
Old Man's Son: They're of no use to father. Not anymore. Not since he's been this way. His library was his whole world. Now it's just a feeble memory.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Masters of Horror: John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns (#1.8)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Sete saias

masterpiece

Ninth Gate is a masterpiece and it moves with weightless virtuosity. Polanski has contributed so many brilliant, quirky, unusual, visionesque, funny things. It was exhilarating to watch this graceful, lovely, stylish, mature bit of movie-making. Some of his earlier work has higher highs and lower lows, but this time he's come up with something so balanced in every respect that it seems close to perfect. It's fascinating to watch...the casting, storyline, editing, score, lighting, subtle use of effects...in fact, even his composition in the opening credits is interesting.

I am more inclined to talk about the movie as an entity and especially Polanski as a director then its components. Every detail is so carefully placed and so well integrated. Having been inspired by it to read the book it's based on, I can say that he has also accomplished that rare feat of improving the book's story line. Ninth Gate never wastes time. Every moment is calculated and has a reason. There is nothing artsy about this art, and for all its style, nothing bloated.

If you rent or purchase the DVD, in some cases it comes with a separate disk, where Polanski gives a brief analysis of almost every scene in the movie as they play. This is one case where the extra disc that comes with a movie may be at least as fascinating as the movie itself. Listening to him, and thinking about his work, drives home again the cloddish stupidity, bloated grandiosity posing as power, and utter lack of vision and artistry in almost everything produced today.

Hearing his voice on this discussion, the way he phrases, his accent, his interesting sense of humor, the way he compresses his considerable intellect for this quite sophisticated but casual chat with the viewer,(and you are not short shrifted here....he speaks for over an hour....the conversational tone simply has class) was like listening to an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time. He has a towering gift for film but expresses himself in such a funny canny unassuming way. A genuine and original artist and a terrific movie.