Okay kids, let’s get those Ouija boards out, start shuffling the tarot cards and grab the beer we are going to conjure up Satan. Okay, maybe it doesn’t happen exactly that way in the Ninth Gate, but it could have.The Ninth Gate stars Johnny Depp, Frank Langella and Emmanuelle Seigner. It costars Lena Olin, Jack Taylor and Barbara Jefford. It is directed by Roman Polanski.
No one is better at their job then Dean Corso (Depp). Corso is an expert in seeking out rare books for his customers, always the highest bidder. He will travel anywhere, and do anything to get the job done.
Everything in Corso’s life is going great until he is hired by Borris Balkan (Langella). Balkan has recently added a new book to his collection, Book Of the Nine Doors To The Kingdom Of Darkness. A book that solves the secret of bringing Satan back into the world.
There are only three copies left in the world and Balkan wants to make sure his is the real thing. The other two copies are in Europe and Balkan wants Corso to travel there and compare the books. Corso, who does not believe in such things , takes the job and the huge check.
Before leaving for his trip, Corso pays a visit to Liana Telfer (Olin), the wife of the late previous owner. She is surprised that her husband sold the book, before he killed himself. Mrs. Telfer can’t help much with knowledge about the book, and Corso leaves.
Corso starts to notice people following him, especially a beautiful girl, and when his apartment is ransacked he decides to hide the book. He asks a friend to hide it in his bookstore for safe keeping, until he leaves town. Later on he is visited by Mrs. Telfer, who wants to buy the book back at any price. When he refuses, she knocks him out. When he comes to, he heads back to get his book he finds is his friend dead, and the store in shambles. Corso does find the book and heads to Europe.
The first stop that Corso makes is at a used bookstore in Portugal. He talks with the shop’s owners that sold the book to Mr. Telfer. They inform him that the book is real.
Together they go through the nine pictures in the book. Some of the pictures in the book are signed LCF, while others are signed by a different artist. Corso guesses Lucifer, and he is right.
While Corso travels to his next destination, he again sees the girl (Seigner). She has followed him from New York and is sticking close to him. Corso arrives at Victor Fargas’ home to look another copy of the book. Fargas (Taylor) assures him that his copy is real, yet there are differences in three of the pictures. When leaving, he is almost runned down, the first of many attacks.
Corso runs into the girl back at his hotel and comes to the conclusion that she is working for Balkan. When Corso is contacted by Balkan, he is told to get Fargas’ copy of the book. Together Corso and the girl go back to get the book. They find Fargas dead and the book burning in the fireplace.
The next stop for the two is Paris to look at the other copy owned by Barroness Kessler (Jefford). Everything in her book is the same except for three of the pictures. Before he investigate further, someone knocks him out. When he come too, the place is on fire and the Barroness is dead.
The Ninth Gate is a very entertaining film. It gives the used Satan movie theme a new twist that separates it from others. The movie is thrilling at times, but near the end it has it’s slow points. The most important thing is too pay close attention because the clues are given sometimes very sneakily.
Johnny Depp is very good and his dry humor is right for the part. Langella gives a good performance, as does the rest of the supporting cast. Polanski delivers a good film, and still has that master touch.
Final Synopsis: One glance at the watch, a tendency to look over the shoulder for the rest of the evening and a good topic for later conversation with friends.
