Greetings dear viewer. I hope you liked the video. My channel is new so please subscribe and like! I'll take whatever I can get :) If you have an idea what movie I should look into next, please share, I am having problems deciding.
@InAwe9000 if your looking for another excellent movie lost to time - 13th warrior. An excellent movie everyone hated on/ignored in it's initial run! Ost incredible! Story fantastic! Cast once-in-a-lifetime!
@@frederickhogrefe7459 I remember seeing the movie as a teenager when it came out and was not all that impressed. I think it definitely deserves another watch!
I am always drawn to this movie. Like you, I love Polanski’s films for the sense of other-worldliness and melodrama - Lynch is a good comparison. This movie maybe pushes the melodrama too hard but the look and feel of it make it worth returning to. I’m not a fan of Depp though, and wish Polanski had stuck to his guns and not cast him. Do you know who else was in the frame for the role? Maybe it would have been another, like The Tenant, where Polanski could have done it himself. Anyway, this was a really interesting choice - made me want to watch it again. In terms of other films, I’m sure you’ll get to Exorcist III at some point. Or Bergman’s Persona?
@@jontaylor5482 It was quite hard to find info about the casting and production. Mainly I just went to magazine articles from late 90's and early 2000's. I could not find any info who else was in the contention for Corso. I already wrote to some comment here that I would have loved to see Sam Neill in the lead. Then again, I always love to see him in any role so maybe I'm just biased. I do not consider myself generally a Depp fan either, I'm more neutral towards him.
Love this movie. Love how it's a great example of pre-internet sleuthing. Like an old fashion quest, we chase after rare and obscure books, puzzle over riddles, get lost in foreign countrysides in search of ancient ruins. The movie plunges us off the map into a macabre world full of dark wonders. The Ninth Gate and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness are two great examples that will make you want to put on your dark adventurer cap and leave the familiar world behind.
I love this movie exactly because of these elements! Adding to that, remote places, old mansions and artifacts, secret societies, all that noir vibe of the quest, the sense of danger, the hidden/ocultist elements and much more. This movie almost intrigues me as much as Eyes Wide Shut.
I was in Milan, on business, Summer of 99. Wandering through one of the myriad small towns I found a small bookseller, in an alleyway. Just a small door with a plaque on the wall. Have you seen the Sign? I tried to find the place again, to, return my acquisition, just smooth wall. Have you seen...
One of my favorite movies. The impression I got from both the book and the movie was that there was a difference between "knowing the path" and "walking the path." Corso actually walked the path and faced the danger, therefore the reward was his. Balkan thought to use Corso as a cat's paw and snatch the reward from the assembled pages, but it wasn't *having* the pages that mattered, it was understanding and *experience*. At least that's my take.
my favorite occult film, as well. aside from your point, there is also the aspect of goal/intention. Balkan wanted power for power's sake, and was willing to screw over everyone to get it, but wasn't intelligent enough to realise he couldn't use the AT prints, for example. Corso was originally just interested in the book for profit, and in his chasing it, he inadvertantly was focused on knowledge/wisdom, understanding the works context and history, seeking the original bookbinders for the last plate, putting it all together at the end and without lust for power he goes beyond the scope of his original material desires for the book for profit's sake and seeks the revelation of the ninth gate in genuine desire for knowing. Lucifer means "Lightbringer", and it's a latin translation of the hebrew "Helel Ben Shachar", meaning "Shining son of the dawn". this term was used as an informal term for wise men like scholars, rabbis, and prophets. the hebrew term technically refers to the planet Venus, the brightest "Star" which appears and rises just before dawn and heralds the coming of the sun, just like how a prophet heralds the coming of a new covenant or a rabbi points the way to god/spiritual enlightenment. in the bible, anywhere they call Jesus "light of the world" or "day star" or similar terms, they're actually usually translating Lucifer/Helel. and if you adhere to the extrabiblical but generally ubiquitous idea that lucifer was the serpent in Eden, his first act was convincing mankind to eat of the fruit and gain knowledge/wisdom, regardless of God's admonitions and the limitations he placed upon them. knowledge for knowledge's sake, and the will to ignore limitations and persevere through obstructions, no matter how great. so you could argue that Balkan's ignorance and brutishness, combined with his blind lust for power was what doomed him. he had the will but not the understanding. Corso showed both his intellect and his will, and at the end abandoned his material desires and chose to seek wisdom for wisdom's sake, which showed his understanding of what Lucifer IS, a guide to enlightenment, even if Corso didn't CONSCIOUSLY recognize it. effectively, Balkan was an occultist that went through the motions of rote memorization and ritual practice, but never had the wisdom to see past his egoic need for power, or to internalize the concept he was chasing and achieve personal Gnosis. but Corso, through the process of his chasing the book, experienced a hard won spiritual initiation of sorts and came to sort of subconsciously know the truth, to intrinsicly understand, and in the end, sought enlightenment over material wealth.
I agree, it so deep and perfect on so many levels...I feel like hours of additional material are needed in order to grasp the entire movie and its messages. Every new viewing brings something surprising!
@@instinctivelychelsea2905 Some believe that Lucifer is the good guy..... giving absolute power and knowledge to those that seek it. I believe Lucifer is known as the illuminated one. And so, the characters in the film are in the lifelong pursuit of such knowledge. But clearly, sometimes at the cost of their life
This is a movie I keep watching again and again. I just can't get tired of it. Awesome tjat you picked this to review. Once again good job! Keep'em coming
A close friend of mine - unfortunately not longer with us - made two movies with Polanski: THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS and many years later PIRATES. I once asked him what he personally thought about the world famous director. His answer: "Well, he's a little, evil man. But if he rang me up today, I would work with him immediately again, of course."
Wow, thanks for sharing! I wonder if his movies are good because he is a bit evil - or despite that. I wonder if Lovecraft's works even could have come from a balanced mind.
@@sebm8511 , You've made several comments now about not understanding why Roman Polanski is being criticized about his past behavior, and asking what he did that was allegedly wrong. This information is extremely easy to find online, which means you are dishonest.. What you get out of doing this, and why you are doing this, only you know. I don't believe it is beyond your capacity to research the allegations against Polanski, and the fact that he was found guilty of drugging and raping a child, and fled the US before he was sentenced. The fact that you profess complete ignorance about his actions yet appear helpless to look up his history, makes a statement about you that doesn't need explaining. Do better than this. It isn't hard.
In the end, Balkan made a fatal mistake, he thought he could summon Lucifer, when in fact, it’s Lucifer himself that does the summoning and chose Corso instead.
Corso was - at first unknowingly to himself - the first and only person to complete the journey alluded to in the engravings; that is why Green Eyes rewards him with the authentic IXth engraving. The novel reveals that she has been around for a very long time, suggesting that she has been tasked to act as a gatekeeper. Green Eyes vanishes after performing the sex ritual depicted in the IXth engraving and informing Corso of the location of the authentic page; her task is complete. Corso is granted entry into the Kingdom of Shadows. That's my interpretation anyway.
But why was he worthy? Just because he tracked down the books and pages? The shopkeeper was the one who told him about some of the pages being signed differently, wasn't that his discovery? Wouldn't that have made him the worthy one?
@@convolution223 I think the twin shopkeepers are lower-level demons working on the same team as Green Eyes. They know too much, and even though they must have run that shop for many years, they *just happen* to be gone out of business when Corso returns to the shop, replaced by doppelganger workmen who move a bookshelf at *just the right time* for that last page to land *exactly at Corso's feet*.
This is a masterpiece of occult thriller, completely misunderstood and underrated. Every segment of this movie: the camera, the plot, the cast, the score, the cinematography, the dialogue etc is pure brilliance! One of the best thrillers of all time, even imo above Rosemary's Baby. Another great addition for 1999 - the greatest year in movie history. At least a one hour detailed review for this movie is needed. But thanks, you've done a good job here 👍
I've watched Rosemary's Baby a thousand times. I think it is much more of an accomplishment than this movie. I didn't even like this movie the first time I saw it, once he gets on the train and meets the girl, it falters.
I thoroughly enjoy this movie, but one thing I noticed the first time I watched it that I found hilarious -- the absurdity of Depp going over these supposedly priceless antique books while liberally sloshing down liquor, manhandling them carelessly with his bare hands, ashes dropping off his cigarette onto the pages.
Me too - it's so silly and it takes me out of the suspension of disbelief -weirdly the devil and witches dont because they are inherently beyond what we know but someone dealing with rare books wouldn't risk their own livelyhood and reputation but acting so recklessly with them.
@@andysmith1996 If that's so it's a stupid way to do it - someone purely interested in profit would ensure that they maximised said profit by taking care of them. Damaging them would reduce or perhaps destroy the possibility of him profiting.
Such an underrated movie! I love stories of forbidden/cursed media. Frank Langella plays Balkan so subdued, which makes him seem even more sinister. Also don't forget the iconic soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar.
Yeah, even when Corso loses his copy of the book his tone remains very calm, while being very threatening. I love his comment when Corso says "the old man said he would not sell it to save his live" - "did he?".
This movie has this really strange otherworldliness to it while also feeling like a normal set of actions and circumstances over a normal few days. Brilliant movie, pos director.
Actually, this film comes close to how the experience of the occult mysteries are if you are a student and a practitioner. Very interesting stuff and full of useful insights. 👍😇😼One of my favorites along with the Dark Song.
@@busedemirdelen1792 You will be happy to know that when I finish my Exorcist III-video, I will start to work on A Dark Song. It was recommended in the comments and I really liked it. The bluray just arrived. I will cover this movie as long as there are enough sources of information! Not that much about the production of the movie out there.
I've visited the castle from the end. I didn't know it was private property so got the cops called on me. Turns out they offered tours but I just didn't know and figured it was just a ruin owned by the state. I visited on Halloween and spent the night there and watched the sun rise up through the castle. Was very exciting.
@@InAwe9000 Apparently I only got in trouble because I had climbed INTO the castle and that was technically breaking and entering. But since I didn't steal anything and was just there as a fan of the film, the cops convinced the owner not to press charges. The worst part was that he said he would still let me take the tour, which only cost €6 I think, but I had spent my last cash on the taxi ride up there and could not afford it. I tried to get the cops to give me a ride back to the nearest town (Puivert) but they said no and recommended hitchhiking, which I did and was not a big deal at all. Southern France is so chill. One guy I rode with took me out to breakfast, and the other gave me his casette when I told him the music was cool. And while in Puivert asking for directions to the castle at a bar/restaurant, the guy spoke only French and I spoke basically no French, but he broke out a bottle of wine and just talked to me in French and with hand gestures and I spoke slow English with the few French words I knew. We finished off the bottle, and he broke out another, and then a taxi came and he was like "oh, you're taxi is here". I didn't know he had ordered me one! And he wouldn't let me pay for the wine either. I really fell in love with the region while there. Also spent some time at Carcassone and camped out on a few hilltops and also stayed in a 5-star hotel (for only €40!) But I do highly recommend booking a tour rather than just showing up (unless you have the images in the right order and are planning to do the ritual of course ;) )
Oh about the ending - I always took it that the reason the others fail and Corso doesn't is that they are already damned - he's a person who could go either way and so the inherent trap/reward works for him but in the others case they cant see it because they actually want what's being offered which means there is no need to trick them into going down that path. From Lucifer's point of view - he has no real interest in inherently evil people - they are already corrupted so he needs to do nothing but Corso thats someone who can be led down the darker path.
Some ideas about this movie: - Green Eyes multiple forms: A dog, a Little girl, the Ceniza Brothers, The last two guys working in the closed Ceniza Bros. bookstore - All of them are ARISTIDE TORCHIA (The devil´s aprentice), as Green Eyes stated, she is a student in a way - Green Eyes killed Corso´s Friend in order to prevent that he would deliver the book to Liana - Balkan failed because he wanted to be equal to Satan. Corso, in the other hand, runs his own race. Ambition do not lead to succes. Passion does. - Vargas represents intellect, you don´t go anywhere just studying stuff, you need to comit - Kessler represent love and devotion, but, again, not enough... Love is a bareer to knowledge, She is too in love with Satan. - Corso succeed because he is going guided by his passion but not knowing exactly where he is going. - This movie has not an "open" ending. I can´t think of a more closed endig than de devil himself showing up. That light in the end, is the devil (Lucifer, or the "light carrier")
Hi and thank you for your insight! There was supposed to be a storyline about the Ceniza brothers being a devil's trick and that they had been dead for quite a while before Corso met them.
Well, I might as well ask....do you think that Green Eyes was the whore of Babylon as depicted in the book of revelation? In the book of shadows it does show her riding a multi headed dragon....
What I love about the movie is its old-school vibe... it hearkens back to an age of filmmaking when the director's job was to hold the audience's attention rather than constantly distract you with quick cuts. The supernatural elements are fun, but honestly there's only a few scenes that actually depend on a satanic read. The same was true for Rosemary's Baby, and I think it's one of Polanski's trademarks. You don't have to buy the ending in order to enjoy the ride. I love all the things you did: the performances (love the way Barbara Jefford says "My ohr-jee days are over"), the physicality of the books, the silky, purring menace of Frank Langella. I do agree that Corso's motivations are obscure but to me it seems simple: his love of books has been overwhelmed by his love of money, and this book offers a mystery that goes far beyond the reach of money. He wants it because his curiosity finally wins out over his greed. Thanks for a great video!
Thanks for watching and your great analysis! Your first point is excellent about the quick cuts . The movie feels mellow... like sipping on nice red wine.
How do you make that out? Gross reductionism and misplaced cockiness (that signatures your generation), stemming from stealing inspiration through surveillance abuse about something you aren't an expert on, doesn't work here. Rosemary's Baby is a about a woman chosen to become the mother of the Devil's son. I'd call that a Satanic read. And at the beginning, in our introduction to Balkan, we are told that the books all have the "same protagonist." "You mean The Devil won't show up?" Corso
@@InAwe9000 At least "Angel Heart" is available in 4k. I bought the German copy to make sure I got the unedited version, so it wasn't cheap, but it looks great.
Already did The Babadook, have a look will you! In the Mouth of Madness is something I will review at some point, one of my favourite Carpenter's. A dark song is something I recently watched after being recommended here and it was just great. Will review sooner or later! The Ritual and Hereditary are brilliant too!
This movie pops in my head randomly throughout the years, it was fascinating, it hit some nerve but I can't put my finger on what it was, I need to rewatch it again
This movie has always held a strange power for me, similar to Depp’s character, Corso. I watched it in the late 90s as a teen and just became inexplicably fascinated. I am not an avid reader, but the world surrounding these beautifully bound books is captivating. I collect old books because I love their craftsmanship and smell, and I dabble in reading them now and again, but something about an old book grabs you. The prospect of being a book detective and searching for the grandest of grimoires became a secret fantasy career of mine after watching this film, and Polanski brings it to life with a Kubrickian level of detail and care. I get lured in every time I watch it, and it is one of my favorite films. I also love The Fearless Vampire Killers. There’s something about how he makes movies that compels you to watch.
I could not have said better myself! I also love leatherbound books. I have no antique volumes, but some Easton Press ones. I'd love to get something older one day! I used to read a lot but nowadays gravitating heavily towards audiobooks though.
I'm on the same quest as you and I have found some, although one time I found in a second-hand book store 'my truly beloved' book. It was too expensive and I didn't had enough money, so I hide it on the shelf behind other books. Went the next day and was gone. Someone must have seen me doing it and got it. I cried my eyes out, and sometimes I dream that I have it and is all mine. Some time ago I found 'The White Goddess' and have been fun to know that trees represented letters, coinciding with the knowledge and love that I have for trees. Good luck on your quest.
It reminds me the quest for 'The Book of Enoch' and Bruce founded a complete copy in Ethiopia and stole it. Or the Medici and his quest for the 'Hermetica'. I wish I could get inside the Vatican's Library ... heaven.
It’s one of the few movies with cinematography so perfect and sublime that the entire film is like a moving painting. The more I watch it the more I love it…
A bit of bilingual bonus: the surname 'Corso' can be translated as Corsair (showing the character's mercenary attitude towards life). 'Ceniza' means ash, which may be a hint to the brother's true nature.
I just rewatched this film for the first time in close to 20 years. I had forgotten large swaths of what happens in the the movie aside from the ending, so it was almost like watching it for the first time. I'm shocked at how good it is despite being a fairly simple and at times odd story/sequence of events. The scene where Corso accidently punches the Girl causing her lip to bleed, and then later she smears his face with her blood and he just kinda lets it sit there on his forehead felt like to me that she was making him her familiar. Or maybe not. A lot of it is open to interpretation. I love the idea that the Girl is Lucifer since we rarely get an interpretation of Satan that's female that's not also comical. It's almost like she chose him to be the one to open the 9th gate.
It’s a quintessential hang movie, which according to Tarantino is a movie you can watch on repeat but is also a movie you can judge a person by if they like or dislike the movie.
I love The Ninth Gate. I have no idea how many times I have watched it. The colors of it are relaxing and Frank Langella is incredible. I have always loved books and I collect art.
This is in my top 5 fav movies of all time. The tone, the subject matter, the evolution of Corso and his growing obsession, it's like a character profile on myself. Unbelievable and accurate in all angles. Also my #1 favorite minimalist score. So fucking perfect, all of it.
I absolutely LOVE this movie! So much so, that I actually sought out and purchased a copy of the English translation of the "Club Dumas", and read it. To be honest, I preferred the movie to the book, but that could be attributed to the fact that the film leaned more on the supernatural theme than did the book. I also purchased the soundtrack CD as I thought the score aided the atmosphere of the film greatly! I fully realize that this film is not the critical darling that some of Polanski's previous films were, but I Love it just the same. To me, the film is an intoxicating mixture of mystery, Indiana Jones-like archeology (without the excavation!), and a spooky, atmospheric homage to the occult as well. To further display (pun intended!) my deep affection for this film, I obtained a packet of the nine engravings and the books' first page that were a promotional item from the studio, and had them professionally framed. It's amazing! I very much appreciate your video dedicated to this vastly underappreciated masterpiece from Polanski. Well Done!
THE NINTH GATE is a love story. Lucifer -- i.e. "Light-Bringer" -- is the woman with the green eyes who shows up by happenstance in order to aid Corso on his quest. There was only one true version of the Book, but each of the 3 copies had 1/3rd of the true engravings, requiring the quester to compile all 3 copies so as to unlock the final Big Secret. Balkan was 'inspired' (one might say) to send Corso on the quest to validate the copy he bought from the man who then committed suicide (whose wife had been the one who actually purchased it), but because he needed Corso as a sort of 'middle-man' to do the sleuthing -- Madame Kessler despising Balkan -- it meant that Corso would be the one, rather than Balkan, who uncovered the truth of the 1-in-3 book, a sort of inverted Trinity. Lucifer, it seems, had a centuries-long yearning to find someone to love her, and Corso was the one who found all 9 pages/engravings, to be rewarded with the 'enLIGHTenment' depicted in the final shot. In a way, the ending could be seen as a gender-reversal of ROSEMARY'S BABY, in which a human woman is impregnated by an obviously male Devil; in THE NINTH GATE, the 'devil'/Lucifer-figure is the green-eyed woman, and she mounts Corso near the end, undoubtedly becoming impregnated by him. Thus, the 'Antichrist' can be imagined to have been begotten from that union of a female Lucifer with a male human -- and there will be no need for her to be assisted by a coven of Satan-worshiping witches (as in RB), as that crowd of wannabes is portrayed as a gaggle of fools playing dress-up at that mansion where Balkan crashes the party, easily scared away by his "BOO!" I liked the movie enough to have then sought out the novel it had been based on, and I've enjoyed the other books written by Arturo Perez-Reverte that I've read so far. I'm just starting the 2nd book in his Captain Alatriste series, PURITY OF BLOOD.
@@InAwe9000 Yes, THE FLANDERS PANEL is a great read. I've also read his QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (which, I believe, has been adapted as a made-for-TV project, which I haven't seen), as well as his THE NAUTICAL CHART, which is terrific, as well as THE SEVILLE COMMUNION. After recently reading CAPTAIN ALATRISTE -- and then realizing that of all the sequels to it, I didn't own a copy of the 2nd book, PURITY OF BLOOD, I ordered it from Amazon and, as it arrived just yesterday, I've begun reading that. AP-R really knows how to write, and the English translations of his books, so far, are superb. By the time I get to the final Alatriste-series novel, I hope to Gawd that it gets translated into English, too! I took 2 or 3 years of Spanish in high school, but I graduated in 1983, and I was never fluent enough in it to do more than dabble in certain Spanish language texts, like DON QUIXOTE. Doing a Google search on "Flanders Panel" I just discovered that there was a film adaptation of it titled "UNCOVERED" starring Kate Beckinsale, which came out in 1994, and I hadn't a clue that the film existed until just now! I'm gonna have to check it out soon. Maybe it's free on RUclips . . . ?
@@InAwe9000 I just watched it on RUclips, and thought it was okay. It's been several years since I read the book, though, so I can't attest to how faithful an adaptation it may be. The Cesar character who -- SPOILER ALERT -- turns out to be the killer, if I remember right, died in the book due to him having had AIDS, he being a somewhat flamboyant homosexual. The movie hinted at his medical issues, but didn't seem to confront the AIDS factor outright. I'd have to read the novel again in order to address the overall quality of the film as an adaptation, but I must say that I didn't hate it. I wouldn't call it 'terrible'; it was 'okay'. I've seen worse films!
I liked this fascinating movie. The real point of the book was to corrupt whoever pursued its secrets. As bad as Corso started out, he progressed to doing more and more awful things. It’s like a redemption arc in reverse. By metaphorically passing through all 9 “gates,” Corso completed his doomed journey to Hell. No doubt Lucifer had some great plans in mind for poor Corso.
I always felt like Langella was doing a Christopher Lee impression this entire film. How amazing it would've been to actually have Lee cast in the Balkan role. The main reason I keep revisiting this film is purely the atmosphere and tone. It is brilliant.
Yeah absolutely! Christoper Lee or even Max von Sydow would have been wonderful as Balkan! And that said, I loved Langella in this film (and in general)!
@@InAwe9000 I'm always searching for more films that are similar to the nine gates. Id love to hear any suggestions you have. Although I most likely have seen them already 😆
@@DominarRygel-XVI Angel Heart has been the one most people recommend here. Eyes Wide Shut is of course one, as is Twin Peaks. Other movies suggested are Dark Song, which I just saw and liked.
I stumbled onto this video and glad I did. I also adore this film and it has a permanent place in my top ten favorite films as well. This film is also one of those that I consider a litmus test for others - I question the taste of anyone that doesn't at least LIKE it, and I also question the likelihood of any reasonable level of friendly compatibility with someone if they don't. Per the final segment, I agree with most of the things you said. However, I would argue that the ambiguous and what I would characterize as "neutral" demeanor of Corso is perfectly suited to what ultimately takes place in the film. Corso is a man with no passion and no real purpose - he fills his days with small pleasures like nicotine, alcohol, and the dopamine hits of rare book finds and big financial scores. But that changes over the course of the film as a fire is awakened in Corso (so to speak). Balkan says as much late in the film when he recognizes that they now share the same passion. And, as far as Lucifer is concerned, Corso represents a challenge and a passion project for Lucifer. Corso has been operating essentially as a listless atheist. Sycophants and ass-kissers like Balkan bore Lucifer. Whereas converting someone like Corso is a challenge, and anointing him to passion (as Green Eyes literally does with her own blood at one point) is a gratifying win. The film functions to steadily advance each character closer to the respective passions driving them, and Corso finds his passion in the end. Twin Peaks vibes is an excellent call by the way. The first episodes before "the reveal" are some of the best television to ever air and The Ninth Gate does indeed have a similar atmospheric feel. I have been saying for years now that I would kill for a deluxe 4K release with a new scan and remaster, HDR and color grading, Atmos audio mix, and a bunch of juicy physical extras and extensive special features. Hopefully, a company like Vinegar Syndrome or Arrow Video does that very soon. Anyway, unlike most people who always seem to have to have definitive resolution in their films, I don't always have to have that, and actually really appreciate an ambiguous ending that is open to interpretation. Such an ending in a mysterious film like The Ninth Gate is perfectly suited. One other more recent film that I have come to adore has several main characteristics in common with The Ninth Gate, and it also seems to be very divisive in terms of those who love it like me and those that instead love to hate on it. Its ending also doesn't wrap things up in a tidy bow. The film is The Blackcoat's Daughter - which, in my opinion, is one of the best offerings in its particular subgenre to be released in the last few decades. Anyone reading this that has not seen it should check it out. And, yeah, I really dig the word AWE-dah.
This is the movie I can watch anytime and still it keeps me interested, invested and even surprise me with newer details. The colours, the music, the editing, the atmosphere - everything is well crafted. I can smell those old books. The original novel was great, too. Probably I will need to re-read it again.
I was just rewatching this movie again this weekend! One of Johnny Depp's best! I keep hoping for a Director's or Producer's Unrated Extended Cut. Can't get enough of Lena Olin! Of course, Emmanuelle Seigner is a nice bonus, as well, as the Archangel!
The end of the 1990's gave us so many good movies. Many of them didn't get the attention they deserved. Polanski can be a hard sell, and if someone feels like they can't watch his movies I understand and won't criticize at all. I first experienced RP as an actor in "The Fearless Vampire Hunters", I was a child and that movie just completely swept me up. Even as a child, I crushed on Sharon Tate so hard.
I mean.. it’s fine.. For some reason this is one of my comfort movies. I keep returning to it from time to time. Maybe it’s the weird dream like quality of it. It has a very comforting Broken Sword quality to it (even though I’m pretty sure the Broken Sword games were directly inspired by this). Great video btw!
Whoa you made me remember Broken Sword. Used to play them on PC when I was a kid and was captivated by the mystery! The first two games came out before this movie though.
Glad to find someone who loves this film as much as me! I think the atmosphere it invokes is amazing, dreamlike and disturbing, with loads of little details on repeat viewing.
I subscribed when you said it was in your top 10!! I've have loved this movie for years. I didn't know I loved it at first it just became better and better over time and now I watch it once a year!
I share your sentiments and those in the comments...the fact that many hate it, makes me respect it even more :) It has a kind of subtle and nuanced brilliance about it, you can tell that very competent people were involved in it's creation. Excellent soundtrack, too. Great review!
I wonder what the book ending is. The movie demonstrates something which is an integral part of Chaos Magic, "The grasping hand is the spoiling hand." Balkan wanted what was offered very badly and spoiled it. Corso could take it or leave it and acquired what Balkan wanted. Whether or not that was something of actual value is left as an exercise for the audience.
You can find the plot synopsis online, but I recommend reading the book. I don't want to spoil the ending for you. The ending is more anticlimactic perhaps but I found the antagonist's finest hour to be more compelling.
This is the best summary and critique I've ever seen for this movie. Meticulously researched and presented, with unique observations and behind-the-scenes footage. I am seriously impressed. Its a wonder that you do not yet have 100k subs! This movie is also one of my top 10 all time greats, and I watch it every year as well. I would love more detailed analysis of the small details in the scenes / characters, versus those in the engravings (such as the key pins on the hotel manager's jacket, and other similar details that very few others have ever pointed out online). 10/10 from me, thank you and very well done!
Hi, thank you for all your kind words! I had 13 subs before this video so that is progress anyway! But take one detail right here. The bag Corso carries is a a WW2 French ammo bag, the Musette Modèle 1935! There is a channel called CineG I think that has a ton of videos on the Ninth Gate. Check it out.
Indepth information as expected and delivered in suberb fashion. This time I especially liked those couple of personal opinions. Personal touch is always appreciated, Thank You Sir..
Great video! I love the ninth gate its one of my all time favorites. I watch it several times a year. One thing that gets me coming back is the FEEL of the movie. Most horror movies give you most the answers, while this one remain shrouded in mystery. You get almost no answers, and even the end and the "reward" remains a mystery. And i love that Depps character isnt even a good person, and by the end of the movie hes even worse lol. But you still rooting for him by the end. Great review!
Love this film. Not classic Polanski but certainly more than rewatchable. Depp, Langella, Russo and Olin are fantastic, the production design is beautiful and Khondji’s cinematography is sublime. An old school euro thriller that looks and feels mesmerising.
I have a Bachelor in Filmaking from London University 1996. This movie is on my top 10 list of all time together with 2001 Space Oddyssey. The reason it has been unssucesfull was that it was released with Eyes Wide Shut that is my number 1 that have great simmilarities in tearms of Acting , Photography and Soundtrack and Settings. Almost 2 identicall films released to gether. Naturally the SUMO weight of Kubrick and his physical death overshadowed 9th Gate.
It's so cool to hear from someone who actually knows his stuff. I've seen Eyes Wide Shut many times but never really realized they were released so close together. They have the same vibe - a dreamlike quality. Can I ask what are your other Top 10's?`
Well done! I made my way through Sintra, Portugal, several years ago specifically to see some of the enchanting locations from this film. The entire region has a tremendously ancient energy RP managed to somehow capture so potently that after countless viewings I simply had to go see for myself.
The enchanting forest is beautiful, the Palacio da Pena built by the consort husband of Portugal's Queen, Ferdinand, a relative to Vlad Dracula. The Moorish Castle, but above it all The Maconic Mansion and garden of Quinta Rosalinda. Great place to go.
Loved the movie and your video! A question: assuming Green Eyes is a supernatural being / angel (and her gently downward float and effortless smiting certainly seems to suggest so), then is she a Guardian Angel protecting Corso from the powers of darkness, or actually a Fallen Angel nudging free-willed Corso gently along his path to open the last gate to her dread master's dungeon? What is your view, based on what is shown in the movie?
I'd go with A Fallen Angel performing audits in a way to find a suitable candidate to open the gate so she can get home. They go into more detail about her in the book.
As to the problem of the director's criminal past, we must always understand art and artists are never to be confused. I am greatly conflicted too. Still..."Sweet water from a foul well", as it is often remarked on. For example: Caravaggio was a monster, but I love his art.
Do you think Caravaggio painted such evocative paintings BECAUSE or DESPITE being a bit of a monster? Could the stories of Lovecraft come out of a healthy, balanced mind?
I love the Ninth Gate and just also ordered the limited edition blu-ray from Nova Media, which is a Korean distributor, but I feel this movie is worth the purchase!
If you think thats interesting there is a video on utube where a guy compares the movie, "eyes wide shut" almost scene for scene and the similarities are remarkable
@@7-z7y The irony being that the move is based on a two hundred year old novella. The corruption of the elite might update but it hasn't changed at it's core.
The Ninth Gate is a fine example of mystery thriller with supernatural themes. The film is beautifully shot, it is creepy. As an avid reader, I love all the attention to libraries and the beautiful leather bound books. I don't know why it is disliked so much, seems like a knee jerk reaction. The open ending is much better and keeps the mystery of the film going. Any finite ending would be less satisfying than the open ending. I've never read the book, but I'm curious to read about what was left out in the film and how the mystery element is shown there. Some commenters mentioned In the Mouth of Madness. I would like to add much less known The Medusa Touch from 1978, starring Richard Burton, Lino Ventura and many other ace actors. Another great mystery thriller with supernatural elements about a man, who believes he has abilities to hurt or kill other people by the power of thought. Richard Burton does a great job selling this premise with his formidable presence. Film starts as a crimi thriller, but soon adds the mystery undertones and the last 1/3 is a full on disaster film. It has great dialogues and as many people have said, it stays with the audience for a long time. If anyone is interested, you can find the whole film directly on RUclips for free by several channels.
@@InAwe9000 I hope you will have a great time (to be creeped out :-D). And if you like it, you can do a review on your channel. So far, the people who know about it are mostly those who have seen the film many years ago either as adults or as children and it really deserves a bigger exposure.
@@julianne_warren Sounds like my territory! I have a bunch of movies I want to talk about but I'll make a note to consider this in the future. I have The Babadook-video coming this Saturday, and then I'll start working on Exorcist III.
@@InAwe9000 Looking forward to them. It's good when reviews talk not only about the plot, but also about small details from behind the scenes, film score... it brings an extra value to the reviews.
@@julianne_warren Yes, in my first video I used way too much time on the plot and I've been using less and less ever since! I've asked people and they want a recap of the plot so I will use 2-3 minutes for that in the future as well.
I have always enjoyed “The Ninth Gate.” As stated, it’s not a horror movie, but a detective thriller with supernatural elements. The book itself is intriguing, even though we never see it contents, with the exception of the woodcuts. As for who the girl is…isn’t it obvious? It was to me! The ending is not spelled out, but it makes sense. The reason Balkan failed was not because one of the drawings was a forgery. It was because he was not chosen to enter the Ninth Gate. Corso was the Chosen One. That’s why the girl (LCF) protected him and helped him on his quest. What lies beyond the Ninth Gate is left to your imagination. Interestingly, prop replicas of all three versions of the book are available, but they’re rather expensive.
@@InAwe9000 , no. Balkan was too arrogant and conceited. He didn’t “earn” the right to enter the Ninth Gate. Corso endured the trials, took the risks and uncovered the clues. He was rewarded because he earned the right by his actions.
@@InAwe9000I don’t think he would ever have gotten all nine true engravings. The process was set up so only someone LCF favored could get all nine. You could have all three books and still not have all nine.
@@jeffwarshaw6838 Doubt it was a reward. Next time you watch it consider why she sends him off to find the last engraving - is it just a giant F U from a being who canonically hates humanity and who reveals to Corso that he's just damned himself for all of eternity. I suspect she needed someone like him to produce an Anti-Christ but once the little man has done his job he's just another meatbag to be tortured by her.
you are missing the most important part. The opening scene where he swindles a crippled old man and his family out of his rare book collection for a pittance of what they are actually worth. This is the moment our hero has crossed the line, the balance of his soul tipped and he has damned himself. The rest of the movie is just his journey to hell.
@@InAwe9000 Yea he was, this was the last straw, the last gram on the weight of his soul. The last of his thousands of little sins. It's what keeps hell in business.
I think when he beat the guy with the book this happens. She said she didn't think he had it in him. OR when he shot Balken, even if it was to ease suffering it was murder.
I knew it wasn't universally loved, but I didn't know that some people actually hated it. For me, I'm with the people in this section who love the flick. It's definitely an all-time fave for me, I've owned various formats on home video over the years. Luckily in the US we don't have any trouble getting it on Blu-ray. 👍🏼👍🏼
Yes I am jealous for you for the better bluray coverage. Thank goodness 4K's are universal. I've read through every one of these 700+ comments and it's usually 90% love and 10% strong dislike. Very few neutrals. Many seem to find the movie boring and the ending infuriating.
The interpretation? Its quite obvious: Concerning what type of humans want to go to heaven, this place is filled by now with the most unpleasent of personalities. If heaven exists, then hell does also and this place must be far more interesting and consequentially is the hot thing to go to.
I read the book (The Dumas Club) first and loved it. I found the film poor in comparison. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it if I hadn’t read the book first, but I’ll never know that! Perez-Reverte is a fantastic author I highly recommend the Fencing Master and The Flanders Panel.
@@hotrox2112 LOL! Do insults usually work for you? By explicit I don’t mean violence or adult content, I mean more definitive occultism. I would have appreciated something more substantial to sink my teeth into as far as the supernatural element is concerned, something shocking and dark, a momentary peek behind the curtain.
@@haircutdeluxe Those are actually there but sometimes it's better to let someone's imagination do the work. They could of had Green Eyes say "I'm LCF and now you've damned yourself to Hell for all eternity" when you see her face shape change a little but where's the fun in that - instead she sends him off to find confirmation of those things when he sees the last engraving in a kind of last F U to Corso. Instead we have an ending where you get to ponder things like is she LCF or not, is he being rewarded or punished, did he just become the father of the anti-christ etc etc.
I'm also a fan of physical media. I had a similar issue with only being able to get hold of the Spanish version of Mountains of the Moon, which had the same annoying subtitle issue. Thankfully I recently found that Viavision imprint collection had remastered it on blu ray, English with selectable subtitles. I'm in Australia which I believe is the same blu ray region as EU, maybe The Ninth Gate will have the same luck! I love Ninth Gate too, great video, liked and shared.
It was not enough for Exorcist 2 to be absolute crap - it also made people not to see Exorcist 3. Pisses me off. I so wish it had just been called Legion. I liked the book too.
When the girl does the blood ritual in the hotel room it is about the same time Bill enters the ritual in Eyes Wide Shut, I believe. (Meaning: This is serious.)
@@InAwe9000 Should also mention that "Devil's Advocate," with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves came out in 1999. One minor "ritual" toward the end - but not on the scale of EWS and TNG. LOL
@@ericthered760 I really like that movie btw, but I am not a fan of Keanu Reeves when he tries to act any more complicated roles than let's say... John Wick. I never found him convincing when he tries.. to act I guess.
I never noticed that the movers were the twins in disguise! Also, there was a website dedicated to how to recreate the book itself, along with fake text and the engravings.
Angel Heart is in direct line with the 9th gate. The forgotten masterpiece imho. The 9th Gate is definitely one of my favorite movies. Thanks for your efforts!
The Twelve Chairs 1970 - also Frank Langella as power hungry entrepreneur in Lenin's NEP economical period, where private property been allowed. He also unsuccessfully tried to collect 12 chairs versus nine books.
This is one of my favorite movies for one simple reason: nothing else feels like this movie. A movie like this lives and dies on whether it can create a proper sense of mystery and suspense. Polanski achieves this and more, adding an eerie mystical foreboding reminiscent of 'Rosemary's Baby'. I can't think of another that feels like 'The Ninth Gate'. As a small aside, I never felt the ending was ambiguous. For whatever reason the Devil had chosen Corso and not Balkan. It's clear throughout the movie Satan had chosen Corso and protected him. Why do this only to kill him in the end. This is just speculation, but I always felt Corso had impregnated Green Eyes with thee Antichrist and the power given by the book's ritual was his reward.
The craziest thing about this movie is that it's a secret society movie from someone who was in secret societies. Polanski was friends with Epstein and Rockafeller and frequently visited Bohemian Grove. Imagine the things he added in this film.
Thank you for talking about this great movie. I am 46 and for about a year i am trying to make a list of a 20 best movies i have seen. Of course The Ninth Gate is on that list. One of the first obvious choices. If i can add something to the conversation : 1st- i really like how in the movie we almost never leave corso. He is in every scene (not every frame of course :) ). We are making the same journey as he is. Every little step - like waiting at airport, taking a cab or eating dinner :) We also have a chance to gather all the clues he does and make our own deductions cause theres always at least a second for a viewer to think of the answers before corso or someone else talks about them. For me it has and old adventure -point and click game vibe like Gabriel Knight : Sins of the Fathers. 2nd - during the time when i first watched the movie there was a popular opinion that Corso himself is the devil/ lucifer - he lost the battle with God and lost himself (if i remember correctly) - so the book is a sort of a way for him to come back if he ever needs to. So in that theory only he coud open the final gate and pass through it - everyone else was doomed to fail. so thats my 5 cents - great channel and wish you success
Great review. Ive always loved this film, its a great occult mystery movie. As above, so below, is a great movie with the same kinda vibes as the ninth gate.
You sure went to a lot of trouble to do this review and I appreciate the effort. Having said that, I enjoyed this film. Solid performances all around and an intriguing plot. Subbed!
So glad to see someone talking about this movie. It's been a favourite of mine since I happened to see it in theatres at 19, probably expecting a horror movie and being surprised by its depth and atmosphere. Depp is fantastic as the noirish gumshoe and I love the motifs of leather bound books and endless glasses of whisky and cigarettes. This is definitely a dream movie for book nerds. Having it filmed in Europe brings an authenticity to the story and gives it an irreplaceable atmosphere of history and mystery. I always interpreted the ending as the Devil's final trick being he never wanted a bad person who sought him for personal gain and power, but someone with somewhat loose morals who he could fully corrupt with the promise of knowledge. Corso means 'course' or 'coursing' is another word for 'hunting' and I think that speaks to the character. Like a dog he will unknowingly follow the course wherever it leads him and that is his flaw and possible damnation. The movie is beautiful and strange and so cool. Thanks for reviewing it!
You and I are very much of the same mind. If Green Eyes is LCF then her sending him off to find the last engraving is the ultimate snide F U from a being who canonically despises humanity.
Is the knowledge Corso receives simply a confirmation that LCF is a trickster that used Corso’s curiosity against him, or is there something more meaningful beyond the gate. That’s the fun of the film, the unknown realm our main character willingly walks into. We walk into it with him but we never receive the answer so the movie is always an enigma. This makes it reachable.
Agreed. Having read so many comments here, some people dislike the open ending and many, like you and me - enjoy the fact that it leaves you wondering what actually happened.
The depth of the blacks, the soft ambient glow with soft transitions between red, orange, and yellow in combination with the refresh rate on that monitor... The stuff of envy, mate.
It was certainly one of the most enjoyable films I've ever seen. Polanski, for all his own personal deficiencies, is an absolute cinematic master and genius. Not all his works manifest this same degree of genius, which is often the case with genius, but when they do . . . it is indeed sublime.
The protagonist is in hell; without clues, left by divine providence, he would be blind to the existence of his damnation. His perceptivity and intuition are rewarded, by either God or Satan, with the knowledge of his circumstances. Presenting the clues, at the proper location, proves the holder has become self-aware, self-actualized or "illuminated" to the truth. The movie implies that humanities separation from God is self-imposed; and that God doesn't reject anyone from heaven, nor does Satan force anyone to remain in hell. People, allowed to act upon a free-will, can leave the presence of God; but often forget how to return - even when they want too. This spotlights humanities fallibility: That no amount of power, choice, will or independence, can rival, or substitute, the need for Gods grace.
Greetings dear viewer. I hope you liked the video. My channel is new so please subscribe and like! I'll take whatever I can get :)
If you have an idea what movie I should look into next, please share, I am having problems deciding.
@InAwe9000 if your looking for another excellent movie lost to time - 13th warrior. An excellent movie everyone hated on/ignored in it's initial run! Ost incredible! Story fantastic! Cast once-in-a-lifetime!
@@frederickhogrefe7459 I remember seeing the movie as a teenager when it came out and was not all that impressed. I think it definitely deserves another watch!
I am always drawn to this movie. Like you, I love Polanski’s films for the sense of other-worldliness and melodrama - Lynch is a good comparison. This movie maybe pushes the melodrama too hard but the look and feel of it make it worth returning to. I’m not a fan of Depp though, and wish Polanski had stuck to his guns and not cast him. Do you know who else was in the frame for the role? Maybe it would have been another, like The Tenant, where Polanski could have done it himself. Anyway, this was a really interesting choice - made me want to watch it again.
In terms of other films, I’m sure you’ll get to Exorcist III at some point. Or Bergman’s Persona?
@@jontaylor5482 It was quite hard to find info about the casting and production. Mainly I just went to magazine articles from late 90's and early 2000's. I could not find any info who else was in the contention for Corso. I already wrote to some comment here that I would have loved to see Sam Neill in the lead. Then again, I always love to see him in any role so maybe I'm just biased. I do not consider myself generally a Depp fan either, I'm more neutral towards him.
@@InAwe9000Sam Neil would be perfect.
Love this movie. Love how it's a great example of pre-internet sleuthing. Like an old fashion quest, we chase after rare and obscure books, puzzle over riddles, get lost in foreign countrysides in search of ancient ruins. The movie plunges us off the map into a macabre world full of dark wonders. The Ninth Gate and John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness are two great examples that will make you want to put on your dark adventurer cap and leave the familiar world behind.
God I love In the Mouth of Madness. To combine Carpenter with Lovecraft and throw Sam Neill into the mix. Love it.
I love this movie exactly because of these elements! Adding to that, remote places, old mansions and artifacts, secret societies, all that noir vibe of the quest, the sense of danger, the hidden/ocultist elements and much more.
This movie almost intrigues me as much as Eyes Wide Shut.
@@chermebrownsauce8049 Good to hear!
You are right!!
I was in Milan, on business, Summer of 99. Wandering through one of the myriad small towns I found a small bookseller, in an alleyway. Just a small door with a plaque on the wall.
Have you seen the Sign?
I tried to find the place again, to, return my acquisition, just smooth wall.
Have you seen...
One of my favorite movies. The impression I got from both the book and the movie was that there was a difference between "knowing the path" and "walking the path." Corso actually walked the path and faced the danger, therefore the reward was his. Balkan thought to use Corso as a cat's paw and snatch the reward from the assembled pages, but it wasn't *having* the pages that mattered, it was understanding and *experience*.
At least that's my take.
That's a good analysis!
Good take! My conclusion, too, was the Devil, like God, dislikes the lazy, especially when they offload their heavy lifting upon others.
That's really brilliant and makes me love the movie even more. Thank you for sharing!
my favorite occult film, as well. aside from your point, there is also the aspect of goal/intention. Balkan wanted power for power's sake, and was willing to screw over everyone to get it, but wasn't intelligent enough to realise he couldn't use the AT prints, for example. Corso was originally just interested in the book for profit, and in his chasing it, he inadvertantly was focused on knowledge/wisdom, understanding the works context and history, seeking the original bookbinders for the last plate, putting it all together at the end and without lust for power he goes beyond the scope of his original material desires for the book for profit's sake and seeks the revelation of the ninth gate in genuine desire for knowing.
Lucifer means "Lightbringer", and it's a latin translation of the hebrew "Helel Ben Shachar", meaning "Shining son of the dawn". this term was used as an informal term for wise men like scholars, rabbis, and prophets. the hebrew term technically refers to the planet Venus, the brightest "Star" which appears and rises just before dawn and heralds the coming of the sun, just like how a prophet heralds the coming of a new covenant or a rabbi points the way to god/spiritual enlightenment. in the bible, anywhere they call Jesus "light of the world" or "day star" or similar terms, they're actually usually translating Lucifer/Helel. and if you adhere to the extrabiblical but generally ubiquitous idea that lucifer was the serpent in Eden, his first act was convincing mankind to eat of the fruit and gain knowledge/wisdom, regardless of God's admonitions and the limitations he placed upon them.
knowledge for knowledge's sake, and the will to ignore limitations and persevere through obstructions, no matter how great.
so you could argue that Balkan's ignorance and brutishness, combined with his blind lust for power was what doomed him. he had the will but not the understanding. Corso showed both his intellect and his will, and at the end abandoned his material desires and chose to seek wisdom for wisdom's sake, which showed his understanding of what Lucifer IS, a guide to enlightenment, even if Corso didn't CONSCIOUSLY recognize it.
effectively, Balkan was an occultist that went through the motions of rote memorization and ritual practice, but never had the wisdom to see past his egoic need for power, or to internalize the concept he was chasing and achieve personal Gnosis. but Corso, through the process of his chasing the book, experienced a hard won spiritual initiation of sorts and came to sort of subconsciously know the truth, to intrinsicly understand, and in the end, sought enlightenment over material wealth.
excellent, astute explanation, a brilliant movie!🤩
Don't care what anyones says it was an absolute classic and was way deeper than anyone seems to accept.
It really is, even after all these year's I still find something
I agree, it so deep and perfect on so many levels...I feel like hours of additional material are needed in order to grasp the entire movie and its messages. Every new viewing brings something surprising!
Great ! What's the deeper meaning ?
@@instinctivelychelsea2905 Some believe that Lucifer is the good guy..... giving absolute power and knowledge to those that seek it. I believe Lucifer is known as the illuminated one. And so, the characters in the film are in the lifelong pursuit of such knowledge. But clearly, sometimes at the cost of their life
This is a movie I keep watching again and again. I just can't get tired of it. Awesome tjat you picked this to review. Once again good job! Keep'em coming
Totally
same!
It’s a very comfortable movie
Licky licky goo daw
@@AndePants7376 Yeah I know what you mean. Like…cozy, homelike.
A close friend of mine - unfortunately not longer with us - made two movies with Polanski: THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS and many years later PIRATES. I once asked him what he personally thought about the world famous director. His answer: "Well, he's a little, evil man. But if he rang me up today, I would work with him immediately again, of course."
Wow, thanks for sharing!
I wonder if his movies are good because he is a bit evil - or despite that. I wonder if Lovecraft's works even could have come from a balanced mind.
I am confident he is evil and this is an evil movie. Effective and engaging, but evil in worldview and message.
Your friend had real character and principle, there.
@@InAwe9000unlikely
@@sebm8511 , You've made several comments now about not understanding why Roman Polanski is being criticized about his past behavior, and asking what he did that was allegedly wrong. This information is extremely easy to find online, which means you are dishonest..
What you get out of doing this, and why you are doing this, only you know.
I don't believe it is beyond your capacity to research the allegations against Polanski, and the fact that he was found guilty of drugging and raping a child, and fled the US before he was sentenced.
The fact that you profess complete ignorance about his actions yet appear helpless to look up his history, makes a statement about you that doesn't need explaining.
Do better than this.
It isn't hard.
In the end, Balkan made a fatal mistake, he thought he could summon Lucifer, when in fact, it’s Lucifer himself that does the summoning and chose Corso instead.
In Polanski's world, the Devil summons you.
Corso was - at first unknowingly to himself - the first and only person to complete the journey alluded to in the engravings; that is why Green Eyes rewards him with the authentic IXth engraving. The novel reveals that she has been around for a very long time, suggesting that she has been tasked to act as a gatekeeper. Green Eyes vanishes after performing the sex ritual depicted in the IXth engraving and informing Corso of the location of the authentic page; her task is complete. Corso is granted entry into the Kingdom of Shadows. That's my interpretation anyway.
Makes sense!
It does make sense, he was worthy
@@YudaHnK Exactly. The film gives Corso agency which he doesn't really have in the novel. The novel ends right after Balkan/Borja kills himself.
But why was he worthy? Just because he tracked down the books and pages? The shopkeeper was the one who told him about some of the pages being signed differently, wasn't that his discovery? Wouldn't that have made him the worthy one?
@@convolution223 I think the twin shopkeepers are lower-level demons working on the same team as Green Eyes. They know too much, and even though they must have run that shop for many years, they *just happen* to be gone out of business when Corso returns to the shop, replaced by doppelganger workmen who move a bookshelf at *just the right time* for that last page to land *exactly at Corso's feet*.
This is a masterpiece of occult thriller, completely misunderstood and underrated. Every segment of this movie: the camera, the plot, the cast, the score, the cinematography, the dialogue etc is pure brilliance! One of the best thrillers of all time, even imo above Rosemary's Baby. Another great addition for 1999 - the greatest year in movie history. At least a one hour detailed review for this movie is needed. But thanks, you've done a good job here 👍
Thanks man! Means a lot :)
I say that 1999 was the best year for cinema all the time. Haha
@@josiewalker7012 I think you are just about right about 1999. Not a bad time to be alive.
Bravo!
I've watched Rosemary's Baby a thousand times. I think it is much more of an accomplishment than this movie. I didn't even like this movie the first time I saw it, once he gets on the train and meets the girl, it falters.
I thoroughly enjoy this movie, but one thing I noticed the first time I watched it that I found hilarious -- the absurdity of Depp going over these supposedly priceless antique books while liberally sloshing down liquor, manhandling them carelessly with his bare hands, ashes dropping off his cigarette onto the pages.
Its also true about Ceniza bros and even Fargas who has the remains of his collection on the floor…
Me too - it's so silly and it takes me out of the suspension of disbelief -weirdly the devil and witches dont because they are inherently beyond what we know but someone dealing with rare books wouldn't risk their own livelyhood and reputation but acting so recklessly with them.
@@alphaomega2117 even as a kid (with OCD) that bothered me
I think it's to reinforce how his interest in them is purely mercenary.
@@andysmith1996 If that's so it's a stupid way to do it - someone purely interested in profit would ensure that they maximised said profit by taking care of them. Damaging them would reduce or perhaps destroy the possibility of him profiting.
Such an underrated movie! I love stories of forbidden/cursed media. Frank Langella plays Balkan so subdued, which makes him seem even more sinister. Also don't forget the iconic soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar.
Yeah, even when Corso loses his copy of the book his tone remains very calm, while being very threatening.
I love his comment when Corso says "the old man said he would not sell it to save his live" - "did he?".
This movie has this really strange otherworldliness to it while also feeling like a normal set of actions and circumstances over a normal few days. Brilliant movie, pos director.
Yeah, like I said it mixes the mundane with the fantastical in a really weird way, just like Twin Peaks but in a more subtle way.
Actually, this film comes close to how the experience of the occult mysteries are if you are a student and a practitioner. Very interesting stuff and full of useful insights. 👍😇😼One of my favorites along with the Dark Song.
@@busedemirdelen1792 You will be happy to know that when I finish my Exorcist III-video, I will start to work on A Dark Song. It was recommended in the comments and I really liked it. The bluray just arrived.
I will cover this movie as long as there are enough sources of information! Not that much about the production of the movie out there.
@@InAwe9000Oooo I will be looking forward to that! Not many people covering that film and it is a very interesting film 😍
@@busedemirdelen1792 Stay tuned :)
I too, watch this over and over. To me the message is very simple: You don’t call the devil, the devil calls you.
Sounds about right!
"The devil' (the evil) is not "outside" of us...
Wow- right on. Never thought of that before, but I think you got it. Love the movie.
five or six gates feels adequate
nine is an ostentatious display of wealth
The French in a nutshell.
Far too vulgar display of power
Isn't the devil a man of wealth and taste ?
@@theobservarator6424 Book was Italian, though! Or well, Venetian - since Italy did not exist at that point in time... :)
"Yes, Bob, your five gates are quite lovely. I remember when I was a child and our family was destitute and we only had five gates."
I love this movie for all the reasons you listed. And the dialogue with the score gets me every time.
Glad to hear you liked it too!
Probably Polanski's most underrated film, along with Bitter Moon.
Very true!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've visited the castle from the end. I didn't know it was private property so got the cops called on me. Turns out they offered tours but I just didn't know and figured it was just a ruin owned by the state. I visited on Halloween and spent the night there and watched the sun rise up through the castle. Was very exciting.
Wow I am so jealous! There was another viewer who spent a night there too but did not get the cops after her!
@@InAwe9000 Apparently I only got in trouble because I had climbed INTO the castle and that was technically breaking and entering. But since I didn't steal anything and was just there as a fan of the film, the cops convinced the owner not to press charges. The worst part was that he said he would still let me take the tour, which only cost €6 I think, but I had spent my last cash on the taxi ride up there and could not afford it. I tried to get the cops to give me a ride back to the nearest town (Puivert) but they said no and recommended hitchhiking, which I did and was not a big deal at all. Southern France is so chill. One guy I rode with took me out to breakfast, and the other gave me his casette when I told him the music was cool. And while in Puivert asking for directions to the castle at a bar/restaurant, the guy spoke only French and I spoke basically no French, but he broke out a bottle of wine and just talked to me in French and with hand gestures and I spoke slow English with the few French words I knew. We finished off the bottle, and he broke out another, and then a taxi came and he was like "oh, you're taxi is here". I didn't know he had ordered me one! And he wouldn't let me pay for the wine either. I really fell in love with the region while there. Also spent some time at Carcassone and camped out on a few hilltops and also stayed in a 5-star hotel (for only €40!)
But I do highly recommend booking a tour rather than just showing up (unless you have the images in the right order and are planning to do the ritual of course ;) )
@@miketheburnswow thanks for the story! Quite an adventure you had 😅
Oh about the ending - I always took it that the reason the others fail and Corso doesn't is that they are already damned - he's a person who could go either way and so the inherent trap/reward works for him but in the others case they cant see it because they actually want what's being offered which means there is no need to trick them into going down that path. From Lucifer's point of view - he has no real interest in inherently evil people - they are already corrupted so he needs to do nothing but Corso thats someone who can be led down the darker path.
Interesting view!
@@InAwe9000 Thanks
that's a really insightful tale. you made me think
If someone has offered up their soul then it is already worthless. If nothing else, Lucifer prefers s a challenge.
@@alienteknology5390 Well said!
Some ideas about this movie:
- Green Eyes multiple forms: A dog, a Little girl, the Ceniza Brothers, The last two guys working in the closed Ceniza Bros. bookstore
- All of them are ARISTIDE TORCHIA (The devil´s aprentice), as Green Eyes stated, she is a student in a way
- Green Eyes killed Corso´s Friend in order to prevent that he would deliver the book to Liana
- Balkan failed because he wanted to be equal to Satan. Corso, in the other hand, runs his own race. Ambition do not lead to succes. Passion does.
- Vargas represents intellect, you don´t go anywhere just studying stuff, you need to comit
- Kessler represent love and devotion, but, again, not enough... Love is a bareer to knowledge, She is too in love with Satan.
- Corso succeed because he is going guided by his passion but not knowing exactly where he is going.
- This movie has not an "open" ending. I can´t think of a more closed endig than de devil himself showing up. That light in the end, is the devil (Lucifer, or the "light carrier")
Hi and thank you for your insight! There was supposed to be a storyline about the Ceniza brothers being a devil's trick and that they had been dead for quite a while before Corso met them.
Well, I might as well ask....do you think that Green Eyes was the whore of Babylon as depicted in the book of revelation? In the book of shadows it does show her riding a multi headed dragon....
What I love about the movie is its old-school vibe... it hearkens back to an age of filmmaking when the director's job was to hold the audience's attention rather than constantly distract you with quick cuts. The supernatural elements are fun, but honestly there's only a few scenes that actually depend on a satanic read. The same was true for Rosemary's Baby, and I think it's one of Polanski's trademarks. You don't have to buy the ending in order to enjoy the ride. I love all the things you did: the performances (love the way Barbara Jefford says "My ohr-jee days are over"), the physicality of the books, the silky, purring menace of Frank Langella. I do agree that Corso's motivations are obscure but to me it seems simple: his love of books has been overwhelmed by his love of money, and this book offers a mystery that goes far beyond the reach of money. He wants it because his curiosity finally wins out over his greed. Thanks for a great video!
Thanks for watching and your great analysis!
Your first point is excellent about the quick cuts . The movie feels mellow... like sipping on nice red wine.
How do you make that out?
Gross reductionism and misplaced cockiness (that signatures your generation), stemming from stealing inspiration through surveillance abuse about something you aren't an expert on, doesn't work here.
Rosemary's Baby is a about a woman chosen to become the mother of the Devil's son.
I'd call that a Satanic read.
And at the beginning, in our introduction to Balkan, we are told that the books all have the "same protagonist."
"You mean The Devil won't show up?"
Corso
This and Angel Heart are my top two favorite occult stylized movies.
I already made a note to rewatch that. Haven't seen it for ages.
@@InAwe9000 At least "Angel Heart" is available in 4k. I bought the German copy to make sure I got the unedited version, so it wasn't cheap, but it looks great.
@@andysmith1996Yes the 4K is coming from Amazon!
Check Dark Song by the way!
@@InAwe9000 Thanks, I'll check out "Dark Song". Where did you learn there was a 4k of "Ninth Gate" coming out?
@@andysmith1996 I did'nt, hopefully I didn't give that impression. The 4K from Amazon is Angel Heart.
One of those films that never seem to tire on the rewatch.
@@angrypossumsx1259 Yeah I feel so too. There are some films I could just watch twice in a row, and this is one.
@@InAwe9000 Watched it at least dozen times and will keep watching it.
'In the Mouth of Madness', 'The Ritual', ' Hereditary', 'A Dark Song', 'The Babadook', 'Ready or Not'.
Already did The Babadook, have a look will you!
In the Mouth of Madness is something I will review at some point, one of my favourite Carpenter's. A dark song is something I recently watched after being recommended here and it was just great. Will review sooner or later!
The Ritual and Hereditary are brilliant too!
@@InAwe9000 Thank you I'll look.
This movie pops in my head randomly throughout the years, it was fascinating, it hit some nerve but I can't put my finger on what it was, I need to rewatch it again
Yeah it does that :)
This movie has always held a strange power for me, similar to Depp’s character, Corso. I watched it in the late 90s as a teen and just became inexplicably fascinated. I am not an avid reader, but the world surrounding these beautifully bound books is captivating. I collect old books because I love their craftsmanship and smell, and I dabble in reading them now and again, but something about an old book grabs you. The prospect of being a book detective and searching for the grandest of grimoires became a secret fantasy career of mine after watching this film, and Polanski brings it to life with a Kubrickian level of detail and care. I get lured in every time I watch it, and it is one of my favorite films. I also love The Fearless Vampire Killers. There’s something about how he makes movies that compels you to watch.
I could not have said better myself! I also love leatherbound books. I have no antique volumes, but some Easton Press ones.
I'd love to get something older one day! I used to read a lot but nowadays gravitating heavily towards audiobooks though.
I'm on the same quest as you and I have found some, although one time I found in a second-hand book store 'my truly beloved' book. It was too expensive and I didn't had enough money, so I hide it on the shelf behind other books. Went the next day and was gone. Someone must have seen me doing it and got it. I cried my eyes out, and sometimes I dream that I have it and is all mine. Some time ago I found 'The White Goddess' and have been fun to know that trees represented letters, coinciding with the knowledge and love that I have for trees. Good luck on your quest.
It reminds me the quest for 'The Book of Enoch' and Bruce founded a complete copy in Ethiopia and stole it. Or the Medici and his quest for the 'Hermetica'. I wish I could get inside the Vatican's Library ... heaven.
It’s one of the few movies with cinematography so perfect and sublime that the entire film is like a moving painting. The more I watch it the more I love it…
Very well said!
A bit of bilingual bonus: the surname 'Corso' can be translated as Corsair (showing the character's mercenary attitude towards life). 'Ceniza' means ash, which may be a hint to the brother's true nature.
Hey did not know that about Ceniza! Thanks for sharing!
also how the Cenizas drop their cigarette ashes on the book. Didn't know that!
I just rewatched this film for the first time in close to 20 years. I had forgotten large swaths of what happens in the the movie aside from the ending, so it was almost like watching it for the first time. I'm shocked at how good it is despite being a fairly simple and at times odd story/sequence of events.
The scene where Corso accidently punches the Girl causing her lip to bleed, and then later she smears his face with her blood and he just kinda lets it sit there on his forehead felt like to me that she was making him her familiar. Or maybe not. A lot of it is open to interpretation. I love the idea that the Girl is Lucifer since we rarely get an interpretation of Satan that's female that's not also comical. It's almost like she chose him to be the one to open the 9th gate.
Glad you watched the movie and my video!
It’s a quintessential hang movie, which according to Tarantino is a movie you can watch on repeat but is also a movie you can judge a person by if they like or dislike the movie.
@@IndianBrah well put!
I love The Ninth Gate. I have no idea how many times I have watched it.
The colors of it are relaxing and Frank Langella is incredible.
I have always loved books and I collect art.
Thanks for your reply! I love books as well!
Thanks for watching!
Not just one of my favorite movies, but one I love to watch repeatedly. Great atmosphere, great acting....and then there's Lena Olin. Wow.
I know what you mean. Grrrrr.
This is in my top 5 fav movies of all time. The tone, the subject matter, the evolution of Corso and his growing obsession, it's like a character profile on myself. Unbelievable and accurate in all angles.
Also my #1 favorite minimalist score. So fucking perfect, all of it.
Glad you love it too!
I absolutely LOVE this movie! So much so, that I actually sought out and purchased a copy of the English translation of the "Club Dumas", and read it. To be honest, I preferred the movie to the book, but that could be attributed to the fact that the film leaned more on the supernatural theme than did the book. I also purchased the soundtrack CD as I thought the score aided the atmosphere of the film greatly! I fully realize that this film is not the critical darling that some of Polanski's previous films were, but I Love it just the same. To me, the film is an intoxicating mixture of mystery, Indiana Jones-like archeology (without the excavation!), and a spooky, atmospheric homage to the occult as well. To further display (pun intended!) my deep affection for this film, I obtained a packet of the nine engravings and the books' first page that were a promotional item from the studio, and had them professionally framed. It's amazing! I very much appreciate your video dedicated to this vastly underappreciated masterpiece from Polanski.
Well Done!
Thanks for your comments! I did not know there were promotional engravings... I really want a set as well now!
Excellent video! The Ninth Gate is one of my favorite movies. I think I’ll watch it again.
My job here is done!
THE NINTH GATE is a love story. Lucifer -- i.e. "Light-Bringer" -- is the woman with the green eyes who shows up by happenstance in order to aid Corso on his quest. There was only one true version of the Book, but each of the 3 copies had 1/3rd of the true engravings, requiring the quester to compile all 3 copies so as to unlock the final Big Secret. Balkan was 'inspired' (one might say) to send Corso on the quest to validate the copy he bought from the man who then committed suicide (whose wife had been the one who actually purchased it), but because he needed Corso as a sort of 'middle-man' to do the sleuthing -- Madame Kessler despising Balkan -- it meant that Corso would be the one, rather than Balkan, who uncovered the truth of the 1-in-3 book, a sort of inverted Trinity.
Lucifer, it seems, had a centuries-long yearning to find someone to love her, and Corso was the one who found all 9 pages/engravings, to be rewarded with the 'enLIGHTenment' depicted in the final shot. In a way, the ending could be seen as a gender-reversal of ROSEMARY'S BABY, in which a human woman is impregnated by an obviously male Devil; in THE NINTH GATE, the 'devil'/Lucifer-figure is the green-eyed woman, and she mounts Corso near the end, undoubtedly becoming impregnated by him. Thus, the 'Antichrist' can be imagined to have been begotten from that union of a female Lucifer with a male human -- and there will be no need for her to be assisted by a coven of Satan-worshiping witches (as in RB), as that crowd of wannabes is portrayed as a gaggle of fools playing dress-up at that mansion where Balkan crashes the party, easily scared away by his "BOO!"
I liked the movie enough to have then sought out the novel it had been based on, and I've enjoyed the other books written by Arturo Perez-Reverte that I've read so far. I'm just starting the 2nd book in his Captain Alatriste series, PURITY OF BLOOD.
Did you read the Flanders Panel? I am trying to decide what to read from Perez-Reverte, the Club Dumas is the only one I've read.
@@InAwe9000 Yes, THE FLANDERS PANEL is a great read. I've also read his QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (which, I believe, has been adapted as a made-for-TV project, which I haven't seen), as well as his THE NAUTICAL CHART, which is terrific, as well as THE SEVILLE COMMUNION. After recently reading CAPTAIN ALATRISTE -- and then realizing that of all the sequels to it, I didn't own a copy of the 2nd book, PURITY OF BLOOD, I ordered it from Amazon and, as it arrived just yesterday, I've begun reading that. AP-R really knows how to write, and the English translations of his books, so far, are superb. By the time I get to the final Alatriste-series novel, I hope to Gawd that it gets translated into English, too! I took 2 or 3 years of Spanish in high school, but I graduated in 1983, and I was never fluent enough in it to do more than dabble in certain Spanish language texts, like DON QUIXOTE.
Doing a Google search on "Flanders Panel" I just discovered that there was a film adaptation of it titled "UNCOVERED" starring Kate Beckinsale, which came out in 1994, and I hadn't a clue that the film existed until just now! I'm gonna have to check it out soon. Maybe it's free on RUclips . . . ?
@@patricktilton5377 Thanks for the info! Somebody in the comments said the movie version of Flanders Panel was terrible by the way.
@@InAwe9000 I just watched it on RUclips, and thought it was okay. It's been several years since I read the book, though, so I can't attest to how faithful an adaptation it may be. The Cesar character who -- SPOILER ALERT -- turns out to be the killer, if I remember right, died in the book due to him having had AIDS, he being a somewhat flamboyant homosexual. The movie hinted at his medical issues, but didn't seem to confront the AIDS factor outright. I'd have to read the novel again in order to address the overall quality of the film as an adaptation, but I must say that I didn't hate it. I wouldn't call it 'terrible'; it was 'okay'. I've seen worse films!
I liked this fascinating movie. The real point of the book was to corrupt whoever pursued its secrets. As bad as Corso started out, he progressed to doing more and more awful things. It’s like a redemption arc in reverse. By metaphorically passing through all 9 “gates,” Corso completed his doomed journey to Hell. No doubt Lucifer had some great plans in mind for poor Corso.
Good analysis! 🧐
Film reviews criticized it's open ending. Are you *kidding* me?! I *love* the open ending!
Thank you for doing a video on the 'The Ninth Gate'
Thank you for watching!
Some people really need closure at the end of the movie. Like they want to clear their mental hard drive before moving on.
Never saw it as open ended - he is literally shown walking through the gates of Hell in a film that has established that as being a bad thing.
I love this movie, great to see it get some appreciation
Glad you liked it!
Yeah....thanks for the review and appreciation of a unique, brilliant movie!
I always felt like Langella was doing a Christopher Lee impression this entire film. How amazing it would've been to actually have Lee cast in the Balkan role. The main reason I keep revisiting this film is purely the atmosphere and tone. It is brilliant.
Yeah absolutely! Christoper Lee or even Max von Sydow would have been wonderful as Balkan! And that said, I loved Langella in this film (and in general)!
@@InAwe9000 I'm always searching for more films that are similar to the nine gates. Id love to hear any suggestions you have. Although I most likely have seen them already 😆
@@DominarRygel-XVI Angel Heart has been the one most people recommend here. Eyes Wide Shut is of course one, as is Twin Peaks.
Other movies suggested are Dark Song, which I just saw and liked.
@@InAwe9000 Dark Song seems interesting and I haven't seen that one before. Love the others suggested. Thanks!
@@DominarRygel-XVI Yeah Dark Song was pretty great I must say!
Polanski's casting is always impeccable. I don't even know how they find these actors that seem to suit their roles so well.
Absolutely!
I stumbled onto this video and glad I did. I also adore this film and it has a permanent place in my top ten favorite films as well. This film is also one of those that I consider a litmus test for others - I question the taste of anyone that doesn't at least LIKE it, and I also question the likelihood of any reasonable level of friendly compatibility with someone if they don't.
Per the final segment, I agree with most of the things you said. However, I would argue that the ambiguous and what I would characterize as "neutral" demeanor of Corso is perfectly suited to what ultimately takes place in the film. Corso is a man with no passion and no real purpose - he fills his days with small pleasures like nicotine, alcohol, and the dopamine hits of rare book finds and big financial scores. But that changes over the course of the film as a fire is awakened in Corso (so to speak). Balkan says as much late in the film when he recognizes that they now share the same passion. And, as far as Lucifer is concerned, Corso represents a challenge and a passion project for Lucifer. Corso has been operating essentially as a listless atheist. Sycophants and ass-kissers like Balkan bore Lucifer. Whereas converting someone like Corso is a challenge, and anointing him to passion (as Green Eyes literally does with her own blood at one point) is a gratifying win. The film functions to steadily advance each character closer to the respective passions driving them, and Corso finds his passion in the end.
Twin Peaks vibes is an excellent call by the way. The first episodes before "the reveal" are some of the best television to ever air and The Ninth Gate does indeed have a similar atmospheric feel.
I have been saying for years now that I would kill for a deluxe 4K release with a new scan and remaster, HDR and color grading, Atmos audio mix, and a bunch of juicy physical extras and extensive special features. Hopefully, a company like Vinegar Syndrome or Arrow Video does that very soon.
Anyway, unlike most people who always seem to have to have definitive resolution in their films, I don't always have to have that, and actually really appreciate an ambiguous ending that is open to interpretation. Such an ending in a mysterious film like The Ninth Gate is perfectly suited. One other more recent film that I have come to adore has several main characteristics in common with The Ninth Gate, and it also seems to be very divisive in terms of those who love it like me and those that instead love to hate on it. Its ending also doesn't wrap things up in a tidy bow. The film is The Blackcoat's Daughter - which, in my opinion, is one of the best offerings in its particular subgenre to be released in the last few decades. Anyone reading this that has not seen it should check it out.
And, yeah, I really dig the word AWE-dah.
Thank you for an excellent analysis!
This is the movie I can watch anytime and still it keeps me interested, invested and even surprise me with newer details. The colours, the music, the editing, the atmosphere - everything is well crafted. I can smell those old books. The original novel was great, too. Probably I will need to re-read it again.
So many here have said the same!
I was just rewatching this movie again this weekend! One of Johnny Depp's best! I keep hoping for a Director's or Producer's Unrated Extended Cut. Can't get enough of Lena Olin! Of course, Emmanuelle Seigner is a nice bonus, as well, as the Archangel!
Lena is to my taste too. Grrr.
When separating the artist from the art, how vocal the artist is, and how available the piece of media is in second-hand-shops really helps out a lot.
Loved it. Nailed it. I am a Book collector. 1860-1930 Occult and metaphysical.
Langella, Saruman? What a voice.
So cool, what is like the grail from that era?
The end of the 1990's gave us so many good movies. Many of them didn't get the attention they deserved. Polanski can be a hard sell, and if someone feels like they can't watch his movies I understand and won't criticize at all. I first experienced RP as an actor in "The Fearless Vampire Hunters", I was a child and that movie just completely swept me up. Even as a child, I crushed on Sharon Tate so hard.
I still havent seen the Vampire Hunters, I gotta look it up.
@@InAwe9000 Good film, very quirky.
@@alphaomega2117 Thanks for the recommendation!
I mean.. it’s fine.. For some reason this is one of my comfort movies. I keep returning to it from time to time. Maybe it’s the weird dream like quality of it. It has a very comforting Broken Sword quality to it (even though I’m pretty sure the Broken Sword games were directly inspired by this). Great video btw!
Whoa you made me remember Broken Sword. Used to play them on PC when I was a kid and was captivated by the mystery! The first two games came out before this movie though.
I feel that "The Ninth Gate" is one of those rare "Occult" films, like "The Night of the Demon", "The Devil Rides Out" & "A Dark Song".
Those sound like movie recommendations 😀
A dark song is a masterpiece @@InAwe9000
@@Pietje_PiraatI’ll make it my business to see it!
I really liked Dark Song. Worth a video at some point for sure. Thanks for recommending it!
Now I need to watch Dark Song, seen the others.
Glad to find someone who loves this film as much as me! I think the atmosphere it invokes is amazing, dreamlike and disturbing, with loads of little details on repeat viewing.
You’ll find hundreds of others who love it as well in the comments!
1:14 “…after three decades since rosemary’s baby” and being wanted in us for assaulting a person less than 12 yrs old. Multiple.
I subscribed when you said it was in your top 10!! I've have loved this movie for years. I didn't know I loved it at first it just became better and better over time and now I watch it once a year!
Welcome aboard!
9:33 I did not expect this sketch to suddenly appear in The Ninth Gate review. I like it :D
Watched this for the first time earlier this week. Blown away. What a movie.
I am jealous. I wish I could watch it for the first time again.
The Club Dumas could easily be turned into 4 different movies with their own distinct narratives. The book is that convoluted.
Do I smell a Netflix series?
@@Offramp-z7p No, but you should wash yourself :-D
I share your sentiments and those in the comments...the fact that many hate it, makes me respect it even more :) It has a kind of subtle and nuanced brilliance about it, you can tell that very competent people were involved in it's creation. Excellent soundtrack, too.
Great review!
@@freshhands9461 thank you for your kind words! Really needed that today!
@@InAwe9000 Happy to help :)
I wonder what the book ending is. The movie demonstrates something which is an integral part of Chaos Magic, "The grasping hand is the spoiling hand." Balkan wanted what was offered very badly and spoiled it. Corso could take it or leave it and acquired what Balkan wanted. Whether or not that was something of actual value is left as an exercise for the audience.
You can find the plot synopsis online, but I recommend reading the book. I don't want to spoil the ending for you. The ending is more anticlimactic perhaps but I found the antagonist's finest hour to be more compelling.
This is the best summary and critique I've ever seen for this movie. Meticulously researched and presented, with unique observations and behind-the-scenes footage. I am seriously impressed. Its a wonder that you do not yet have 100k subs! This movie is also one of my top 10 all time greats, and I watch it every year as well. I would love more detailed analysis of the small details in the scenes / characters, versus those in the engravings (such as the key pins on the hotel manager's jacket, and other similar details that very few others have ever pointed out online). 10/10 from me, thank you and very well done!
Hi, thank you for all your kind words! I had 13 subs before this video so that is progress anyway!
But take one detail right here. The bag Corso carries is a a WW2 French ammo bag, the Musette Modèle 1935!
There is a channel called CineG I think that has a ton of videos on the Ninth Gate. Check it out.
Indepth information as expected and delivered in suberb fashion. This time I especially liked those couple of personal opinions. Personal touch is always appreciated, Thank You Sir..
Thank you sir.
Great video! I love the ninth gate its one of my all time favorites. I watch it several times a year. One thing that gets me coming back is the FEEL of the movie. Most horror movies give you most the answers, while this one remain shrouded in mystery. You get almost no answers, and even the end and the "reward" remains a mystery. And i love that Depps character isnt even a good person, and by the end of the movie hes even worse lol. But you still rooting for him by the end. Great review!
Thank you so much, really needed that today! And I agree with you completely!
Love this film. Not classic Polanski but certainly more than rewatchable. Depp, Langella, Russo and Olin are fantastic, the production design is beautiful and Khondji’s cinematography is sublime. An old school euro thriller that looks and feels mesmerising.
Great minds think alike.
I have a Bachelor in Filmaking from London University 1996. This movie is on my top 10 list of all time together with 2001 Space Oddyssey. The reason it has been unssucesfull was that it was released with Eyes Wide Shut that is my number 1 that have great simmilarities in tearms of Acting , Photography and Soundtrack and Settings. Almost 2 identicall films released to gether. Naturally the SUMO weight of Kubrick and his physical death overshadowed 9th Gate.
It's so cool to hear from someone who actually knows his stuff. I've seen Eyes Wide Shut many times but never really realized they were released so close together. They have the same vibe - a dreamlike quality. Can I ask what are your other Top 10's?`
Well done!
I made my way through Sintra, Portugal, several years ago specifically to see some of the enchanting locations from this film. The entire region has a tremendously ancient energy RP managed to somehow capture so potently that after countless viewings I simply had to go see for myself.
What was your favourite place there?
There was a comment earlier from someone who apparently stayed for the night at the castle ruins in France.
The enchanting forest is beautiful, the Palacio da Pena built by the consort husband of Portugal's Queen, Ferdinand, a relative to Vlad Dracula. The Moorish Castle, but above it all The Maconic Mansion and garden of Quinta Rosalinda. Great place to go.
Loved the movie and your video! A question: assuming Green Eyes is a supernatural being / angel (and her gently downward float and effortless smiting certainly seems to suggest so), then is she a Guardian Angel protecting Corso from the powers of darkness, or actually a Fallen Angel nudging free-willed Corso gently along his path to open the last gate to her dread master's dungeon?
What is your view, based on what is shown in the movie?
I'd go with A Fallen Angel performing audits in a way to find a suitable candidate to open the gate so she can get home. They go into more detail about her in the book.
As to the problem of the director's criminal past, we must always understand art and artists are never to be confused. I am greatly conflicted too. Still..."Sweet water from a foul well", as it is often remarked on. For example: Caravaggio was a monster, but I love his art.
Do you think Caravaggio painted such evocative paintings BECAUSE or DESPITE being a bit of a monster?
Could the stories of Lovecraft come out of a healthy, balanced mind?
I love the Ninth Gate and just also ordered the limited edition blu-ray from Nova Media, which is a Korean distributor, but I feel this movie is worth the purchase!
That the Ninth Gate came out in 1999 seems oddly appropriate.
Yeah it's quite convenient :)
If you think thats interesting there is a video on utube where a guy compares the movie, "eyes wide shut" almost scene for scene and the similarities are remarkable
@@7-z7y The irony being that the move is based on a two hundred year old novella. The corruption of the elite might update but it hasn't changed at it's core.
The Ninth Gate is a fine example of mystery thriller with supernatural themes. The film is beautifully shot, it is creepy. As an avid reader, I love all the attention to libraries and the beautiful leather bound books. I don't know why it is disliked so much, seems like a knee jerk reaction. The open ending is much better and keeps the mystery of the film going. Any finite ending would be less satisfying than the open ending. I've never read the book, but I'm curious to read about what was left out in the film and how the mystery element is shown there.
Some commenters mentioned In the Mouth of Madness. I would like to add much less known The Medusa Touch from 1978, starring Richard Burton, Lino Ventura and many other ace actors. Another great mystery thriller with supernatural elements about a man, who believes he has abilities to hurt or kill other people by the power of thought. Richard Burton does a great job selling this premise with his formidable presence. Film starts as a crimi thriller, but soon adds the mystery undertones and the last 1/3 is a full on disaster film. It has great dialogues and as many people have said, it stays with the audience for a long time. If anyone is interested, you can find the whole film directly on RUclips for free by several channels.
Thanks I will check that movie out! I really like Richard Burton!
@@InAwe9000 I hope you will have a great time (to be creeped out :-D).
And if you like it, you can do a review on your channel. So far, the people who know about it are mostly those who have seen the film many years ago either as adults or as children and it really deserves a bigger exposure.
@@julianne_warren Sounds like my territory! I have a bunch of movies I want to talk about but I'll make a note to consider this in the future.
I have The Babadook-video coming this Saturday, and then I'll start working on Exorcist III.
@@InAwe9000 Looking forward to them. It's good when reviews talk not only about the plot, but also about small details from behind the scenes, film score... it brings an extra value to the reviews.
@@julianne_warren Yes, in my first video I used way too much time on the plot and I've been using less and less ever since! I've asked people and they want a recap of the plot so I will use 2-3 minutes for that in the future as well.
I have always enjoyed “The Ninth Gate.” As stated, it’s not a horror movie, but a detective thriller with supernatural elements. The book itself is intriguing, even though we never see it contents, with the exception of the woodcuts. As for who the girl is…isn’t it obvious? It was to me! The ending is not spelled out, but it makes sense. The reason Balkan failed was not because one of the drawings was a forgery. It was because he was not chosen to enter the Ninth Gate. Corso was the Chosen One. That’s why the girl (LCF) protected him and helped him on his quest. What lies beyond the Ninth Gate is left to your imagination. Interestingly, prop replicas of all three versions of the book are available, but they’re rather expensive.
Do you think Balkan would have succeeded if the 9th engraving had not been a forgery?
@@InAwe9000 , no. Balkan was too arrogant and conceited. He didn’t “earn” the right to enter the Ninth Gate. Corso endured the trials, took the risks and uncovered the clues. He was rewarded because he earned the right by his actions.
@@jeffwarshaw6838 Ok interesting view?
@@InAwe9000I don’t think he would ever have gotten all nine true engravings. The process was set up so only someone LCF favored could get all nine. You could have all three books and still not have all nine.
@@jeffwarshaw6838 Doubt it was a reward. Next time you watch it consider why she sends him off to find the last engraving - is it just a giant F U from a being who canonically hates humanity and who reveals to Corso that he's just damned himself for all of eternity. I suspect she needed someone like him to produce an Anti-Christ but once the little man has done his job he's just another meatbag to be tortured by her.
Love this film. Caught it on tv one night and was so hooked by the story and atmosphere
You and we all 😉
you are missing the most important part. The opening scene where he swindles a crippled old man and his family out of his rare book collection for a pittance of what they are actually worth. This is the moment our hero has crossed the line, the balance of his soul tipped and he has damned himself. The rest of the movie is just his journey to hell.
Interesting idea. I always thought he had been doing that for quite a while though...
@@InAwe9000 Yea he was, this was the last straw, the last gram on the weight of his soul. The last of his thousands of little sins. It's what keeps hell in business.
It’s important but I wouldn’t say it’s the “most important part”. This is art; none of us are wrong and none of us are “missing anything”.
I think when he beat the guy with the book this happens. She said she didn't think he had it in him. OR when he shot Balken, even if it was to ease suffering it was murder.
@@Timbo6669 fair, I indulged in a bit of hyperbole
I knew it wasn't universally loved, but I didn't know that some people actually hated it. For me, I'm with the people in this section who love the flick. It's definitely an all-time fave for me, I've owned various formats on home video over the years. Luckily in the US we don't have any trouble getting it on Blu-ray. 👍🏼👍🏼
Yes I am jealous for you for the better bluray coverage. Thank goodness 4K's are universal.
I've read through every one of these 700+ comments and it's usually 90% love and 10% strong dislike. Very few neutrals. Many seem to find the movie boring and the ending infuriating.
The interpretation? Its quite obvious:
Concerning what type of humans want to go to heaven, this place is filled by now with the most unpleasent of personalities. If heaven exists, then hell does also and this place must be far more interesting and consequentially is the hot thing to go to.
I've heard it said you go to heaven for the climate and to hell for the company 😏
I read the book (The Dumas Club) first and loved it. I found the film poor in comparison. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it if I hadn’t read the book first, but I’ll never know that! Perez-Reverte is a fantastic author I highly recommend the Fencing Master and The Flanders Panel.
Yes I have the Flanders Panel on my reading list!
Definitely an underrated film, my only wish would be for it to have been slightly more explicit.
Slight on imagination are you?....
@@hotrox2112 LOL! Do insults usually work for you?
By explicit I don’t mean violence or adult content, I mean more definitive occultism. I would have appreciated something more substantial to sink my teeth into as far as the supernatural element is concerned, something shocking and dark, a momentary peek behind the curtain.
@@haircutdeluxe Those are actually there but sometimes it's better to let someone's imagination do the work. They could of had Green Eyes say "I'm LCF and now you've damned yourself to Hell for all eternity" when you see her face shape change a little but where's the fun in that - instead she sends him off to find confirmation of those things when he sees the last engraving in a kind of last F U to Corso. Instead we have an ending where you get to ponder things like is she LCF or not, is he being rewarded or punished, did he just become the father of the anti-christ etc etc.
I think you would like 'The Apostle', 'The Ritual' or 'The Midnight Meat Train'. Hope you like it.
I'm also a fan of physical media. I had a similar issue with only being able to get hold of the Spanish version of Mountains of the Moon, which had the same annoying subtitle issue. Thankfully I recently found that Viavision imprint collection had remastered it on blu ray, English with selectable subtitles. I'm in Australia which I believe is the same blu ray region as EU, maybe The Ninth Gate will have the same luck! I love Ninth Gate too, great video, liked and shared.
Hey thanks for the tip friend!
I think that like exorcist 3 that this is a hidden gem that will eventually find a wider audience.
It was not enough for Exorcist 2 to be absolute crap - it also made people not to see Exorcist 3. Pisses me off. I so wish it had just been called Legion. I liked the book too.
One of my favorites. I love the 70’s title sequence.
Yeah that is insanely cool. I like it too!
Came out the same year as Stanley Kubrick's last film "Eyes Wide Shut," with similar themes and texts/subtexts.
Yep, and that dreamlike quality.
When the girl does the blood ritual in the hotel room it is about the same time Bill enters the ritual in Eyes Wide Shut, I believe. (Meaning: This is serious.)
@@watermelonlalala Yeah a lot of similarities between the two movies - including the dreamlike atmosphere.
@@InAwe9000 Should also mention that "Devil's Advocate," with Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves came out in 1999. One minor "ritual" toward the end - but not on the scale of EWS and TNG. LOL
@@ericthered760 I really like that movie btw, but I am not a fan of Keanu Reeves when he tries to act any more complicated roles than let's say... John Wick. I never found him convincing when he tries.. to act I guess.
Love it. I can understand how impatient people might find it long and dragging, but hate? Why?
Having read all the 1000 comments here, it is usually that it bored them to tears or felt a bit cheated by the ending.
I never noticed that the movers were the twins in disguise! Also, there was a website dedicated to how to recreate the book itself, along with fake text and the engravings.
@@ibji I also saw some replicas for sale for high prices. Would love to have one.
These reviews are great.. love all the movies you have covered so far.. keep them coming!
Next one in 4h or so! The Babadook - something modern for a change! Check it out soon!
@@InAwe9000 I've not seen that one... i'll wait for your review first and if like the look of the movie i'll go hunt for it :)
@@VirtualHMM.. Sure thing! Just skip the plot section then!
@@InAwe9000 That's okay.. i don't mind spoilers 😎👍
Angel Heart is in direct line with the 9th gate. The forgotten masterpiece imho. The 9th Gate is definitely one of my favorite movies. Thanks for your efforts!
Thank you for your kind words. I have Angel Heart in 4K, and will review it sooner or later!
The Twelve Chairs 1970 - also Frank Langella as power hungry entrepreneur in Lenin's NEP economical period, where private property been allowed. He also unsuccessfully tried to collect 12 chairs versus nine books.
Thanks for sharing, havent seen it but will look it up sometime :)
I remember the publicity for that movie, vaguely. Never saw it, sounded so dumb. Now, I will give it a chance.
This is one of my favorite movies for one simple reason: nothing else feels like this movie. A movie like this lives and dies on whether it can create a proper sense of mystery and suspense. Polanski achieves this and more, adding an eerie mystical foreboding reminiscent of 'Rosemary's Baby'. I can't think of another that feels like 'The Ninth Gate'. As a small aside, I never felt the ending was ambiguous. For whatever reason the Devil had chosen Corso and not Balkan. It's clear throughout the movie Satan had chosen Corso and protected him. Why do this only to kill him in the end. This is just speculation, but I always felt Corso had impregnated Green Eyes with thee Antichrist and the power given by the book's ritual was his reward.
Thanks for the great analysis!
The craziest thing about this movie is that it's a secret society movie from someone who was in secret societies. Polanski was friends with Epstein and Rockafeller and frequently visited Bohemian Grove. Imagine the things he added in this film.
Yeah just might be!
so is Depp. He's part of the same club.
Thank you for talking about this great movie. I am 46 and for about a year i am trying to make a list of a 20 best movies i have seen. Of course The Ninth Gate is on that list. One of the first obvious choices. If i can add something to the conversation : 1st- i really like how in the movie we almost never leave corso. He is in every scene (not every frame of course :) ). We are making the same journey as he is. Every little step - like waiting at airport, taking a cab or eating dinner :) We also have a chance to gather all the clues he does and make our own deductions cause theres always at least a second for a viewer to think of the answers before corso or someone else talks about them. For me it has and old adventure -point and click game vibe like Gabriel Knight : Sins of the Fathers.
2nd - during the time when i first watched the movie there was a popular opinion that Corso himself is the devil/ lucifer - he lost the battle with God and lost himself (if i remember correctly) - so the book is a sort of a way for him to come back if he ever needs to. So in that theory only he coud open the final gate and pass through it - everyone else was doomed to fail.
so thats my 5 cents - great channel and wish you success
Thanks for your input and kind words :)
This is one of my favorite movies, I agree with all of your comments. It feels like an ethereal experience every time I watch it.
Yeah exactly, very few movies/series can do the same. Twin Peaks is one.
Great review. Ive always loved this film, its a great occult mystery movie.
As above, so below, is a great movie with the same kinda vibes as the ninth gate.
@@JuanWonOne if you like the occult movie genre, try A Dark Song!
@InAwe9000 thanks for the suggestion, I'll have to watch it!
You sure went to a lot of trouble to do this review and I appreciate the effort. Having said that, I enjoyed this film. Solid performances all around and an intriguing plot. Subbed!
Thanks so much, this is the first video I've made that gained any popularity and I am still chuffed to bits.
It is a good movie that was made during the 1990s when movies were still created art in all Aspects of them.
Yeah, many movies felt like art that was meant to be enjoyed. Now they feel like content to be consumed. Or maybe I am becoming old.
Great movie but my hang up is the intense smoking while handling rare books. That’s a disaster for rarities.
@@Klaus293 Many others have said this as well, and I could not agree more. Or Fargas having his collection on the floor.
Thank you, this is one of my top 20 films of all time.
Good to hear, thanks for sharing!
So glad to see someone talking about this movie. It's been a favourite of mine since I happened to see it in theatres at 19, probably expecting a horror movie and being surprised by its depth and atmosphere. Depp is fantastic as the noirish gumshoe and I love the motifs of leather bound books and endless glasses of whisky and cigarettes. This is definitely a dream movie for book nerds. Having it filmed in Europe brings an authenticity to the story and gives it an irreplaceable atmosphere of history and mystery. I always interpreted the ending as the Devil's final trick being he never wanted a bad person who sought him for personal gain and power, but someone with somewhat loose morals who he could fully corrupt with the promise of knowledge. Corso means 'course' or 'coursing' is another word for 'hunting' and I think that speaks to the character. Like a dog he will unknowingly follow the course wherever it leads him and that is his flaw and possible damnation. The movie is beautiful and strange and so cool. Thanks for reviewing it!
Thanks for liking it :)
You and I are very much of the same mind. If Green Eyes is LCF then her sending him off to find the last engraving is the ultimate snide F U from a being who canonically despises humanity.
yeah - I am not sure why people it isn't more loved..
Yeah and it is so divisive. Well let's spread the word of the movie :)
Is the knowledge Corso receives simply a confirmation that LCF is a trickster that used Corso’s curiosity against him, or is there something more meaningful beyond the gate. That’s the fun of the film, the unknown realm our main character willingly walks into. We walk into it with him but we never receive the answer so the movie is always an enigma. This makes it reachable.
Agreed. Having read so many comments here, some people dislike the open ending and many, like you and me - enjoy the fact that it leaves you wondering what actually happened.
I still have this on DVD
Nothing wrong with DVD's!
Still the best way to watch old movies. :)
The depth of the blacks, the soft ambient glow with soft transitions between red, orange, and yellow in combination with the refresh rate on that monitor...
The stuff of envy, mate.
Haha!
Nice job. Good luck with the channel! :-)
@@alephh Kiitosta vaan!
It was certainly one of the most enjoyable films I've ever seen. Polanski, for all his own personal deficiencies, is an absolute cinematic master and genius.
Not all his works manifest this same degree of genius, which is often the case with genius, but when they do . . . it is indeed sublime.
Agreed! 🫡
The protagonist is in hell; without clues, left by divine providence, he would be blind to the existence of his damnation. His perceptivity and intuition are rewarded, by either God or Satan, with the knowledge of his circumstances. Presenting the clues, at the proper location, proves the holder has become self-aware, self-actualized or "illuminated" to the truth.
The movie implies that humanities separation from God is self-imposed; and that God doesn't reject anyone from heaven, nor does Satan force anyone to remain in hell. People, allowed to act upon a free-will, can leave the presence of God; but often forget how to return - even when they want too. This spotlights humanities fallibility: That no amount of power, choice, will or independence, can rival, or substitute, the need for Gods grace.
While this is a bit over my head, I'm sure there is wisdom here.