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The Ninth Gate (1999)

The Ninth Gate (1999)
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An authority on rare books is drawn into a confrontation with the forces of darkness in this thriller directed by Roman Polanski. Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a rare book broker who makes his living tracking down valuable items for rich bibliophiles. Corso is hired by Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a millionaire New Yorker with a vast collection of occult literature and a keen interest in "The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows." Legend has it that the book was co-written by Satan in the 17th century, and only three copies are known to exist; the owner of one recently sold the book to Balkan a few days before killing himself. Balkan wants Corso to find the other two copies (one owned by a Mr. Fargas in Portugal and the other by a French collector named Kessler) and examine them to determine if they are forgeries. Corso is told to be thorough and spare no expense. He begins by visiting Liana Telfer (Lena Olin), the widow of the man who once owned Balkan's copy of the book, who has an unusually strong desire to get the book back, and confers with his friend Bernie (James Russo), who soon turns up dead, in a manner much like an illustration from the book. Corso learns that the book contains clues to a puzzle that will allow people to call up the devil, and certain people will stop at nothing to find the missing parts of the formula. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Johnny DeppFrank Langella, (more)
Director(s):
Roman Polanski
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD  |  Blu-ray
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Synopsis of The Ninth Gate

An authority on rare books is drawn into a confrontation with the forces of darkness in this thriller directed by Roman Polanski. Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a rare book broker who makes his living tracking down valuable items for rich bibliophiles. Corso is hired by Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a millionaire New Yorker with a vast collection of occult literature and a keen interest in "The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows." Legend has it that the book was co-written by Satan in the 17th century, and only three copies are known to exist; the owner of one recently sold the book to Balkan a few days before killing himself. Balkan wants Corso to find the other two copies (one owned by a Mr. Fargas in Portugal and the other by a French collector named Kessler) and examine them to determine if they are forgeries. Corso is told to be thorough and spare no expense. He begins by visiting Liana Telfer (Lena Olin), the widow of the man who once owned Balkan's copy of the book, who has an unusually strong desire to get the book back, and confers with his friend Bernie (James Russo), who soon turns up dead, in a manner much like an illustration from the book. Corso learns that the book contains clues to a puzzle that will allow people to call up the devil, and certain people will stop at nothing to find the missing parts of the formula. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
133 mins

Complete Cast of The Ninth Gate


Director(s):
Roman Polanski
Writer(s):
Roman PolanskiJohn BrownjohnEnrique Urbizu
Producer(s):
Roman Polanski
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Sexual Situations, Violence, Not For Children)
Categories:
Mystery & Suspense
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Member Reviews
     
    Nadja N.

    Is there anything Johnny Depp can not do? This movie had my attention from start to finish. I just wished they had told us the meaning of each gate and how to get through them, and the ending could have been a little bit better, but besides that.... LOVED IT.

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    George N.

    Generally good reviews before mine so I'll keep it short. I enjoyed the movie and Depp is brilliant as usual. The cinematography was quite good (kudos to Polanski) and the story line was a good balance between drama and self-humor. The major negative for me was the ending: I thought the last five minutes or so were weak, confused, or something: it just seemed like they wanted to quickly end the movie. More thought in the final could have produced a much stronger product.

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    KIRK Z.

    Don't expect a horror film - this is much closer to a detective movie. But either way, don't expect a pat ending. Watch it if you can handle an imaginative movie like 2001, and don't demand a by-the-numbers movie like 2010. Very well made - worth watching twice to fully understand who everyone was and what really happens at the end.

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