The Ninth Gate (2000) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/ Member: Online Film Critics Society
Starring Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Emmanuelle Seigner, Lena Olin. Directed by Roman Polanski. Rated R.
I saw Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate right after Final Destination, and I'd be lying if I said that these circumstances didn't affect my judgment at least a little bit. Many will argue that comparing the two would be comparing apples and oranges because they are so superficially different but I'd say that they have more in common than meets the eye. After all, they have the same intention: to generate suspense and evoke occasional laughs. So why does The Ninth Gate succeed while its more mainstream counterpart fails? Because instead of relying on mayhem and explosions, Polanski's superb supernatural thriller uses quiet, building tension. By the time the ending comes around, I realized that a) the time has flown by and b) I've moved precariously close to the edge of my seat.
The movie has a mustached, older-looking Johnny Depp as Dean Corso, a bibliophile specializing in extremely old and rare books. He does a lot of mundane, regular stuff like appraisal and not-terribly-exciting searches. He also has a few employers who expect more. One of these employers is the creepy Boris Balkan, who has a gargantuan collection of ancient volumes all having one thing in common: Satan is the main character.
Dean has done things for Balkan in the past and has been paid handsomely, but this time Boris has a special assignment for him. He has one very special book, said to conceal the secret to unleashing the devil's powers. Conveniently, it was written in 1666. There are three surviving copies. Dean is to go to Europe and seek out the other two in order to verify that Boris's is the real deal and not a phony.
The Ninth Gate is probably the most intense movie experience I've had since Arlington Road, which is remarkable because there is not a whole lot of action. The movie was quiet and slow, yet the excitement kept building. This is partly because the plot is so inherently interesting - - as Dean Corso begins to uncover the secrets of the mysterious book, we're with him every step of the way, just as curious as he is. It also has to do with controversial director Roman Polanski's masterful plotting and staging of scenes. An example (minor spoiler ahead, skip to next paragraph if you don't want it): in France, Dean meets up with an enigmatic woman, who seems to pop up everywhere he goes in the most opportune circumstances. At one point, we see her fly. Dean does not. A lesser director would have punctuated the scene with loud music, heavenly choruses, et al. Polanski stages it matter-of-factly; it's a surprise made all the more creepy by the fact that it's not highlighted in any way. Blink and you'll miss it.
When people talk about Johnny Depp, especially with negative connotations, I always suggest that they watch The Astronaut's Wife and Sleepy Hollow back to back to get a sense of the actor's astonishing range. Now, I add The Ninth Gate to that list. He's a veritable chameleon (a title usually reserved for the deserving, though less daring, Edward Norton) and it's unbelievable to me that he has never received an Oscar nomination. Here we see yet another side of him. His performance is more subtle, not as distinctive, but that doesn't make it any less impressive or engaging.
The one thing that prevented me from calling The Ninth Gate a full- blown masterpiece is the ending. If Polanski's intention here was to leave us with unanswered questions, he succeeded, as his movie just sorta stops instead of giving us a satisfying and rewarding conclusion. As spectacular as everything that came before the ending was, such ambiguity was a letdown.
Still, there is so much good about The Ninth Gate that I recommend it strongly despite a disappointing ending. There's nothing like a little devil worship to complete a weekend, don't you think?
Grade: B+
©2000 Eugene Novikov
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