Watch the trailer: http://videodetective.com/TitleDetails.aspx?publishedid=00482444
Here's a movie that we saw in the theater about 10 years ago and I thought it was so-so at the time. The Ninth Gate is about an unscrupulous rare book dealer (Johnny Depp) who's hired by a wealthy NYC publisher (Frank Langella) who owns an extensive collection of books about Satan. He owns one of three remaining copies of an old book with nine engravings that supposedly will conjure up the devil. He sends Depp to Europe to compare his version to the others to learn which if any version is authentic. Things turn to mayhem & murder as he discovers variations in the pictures. Depp is aided by a mysterious woman (the director's younger wife) who helps in his search while the treacherous widow (Lena Olin) of the previous owner of Langella's copy wants Depp to return it.
After seeing the movie, I listened to an abridged audio version of its source called The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. My wife has most of his novels which spin literature, history, and fantasy into good reads. The Ninth Gate uses part of this multi-plotted book for its story. There would have been too much stuff to cram into a two hour movie and I always felt the satanic part clashed with the rest of the novel. about finding the original manuscript of Dumas' The Three Musketeers.
I haven't seen the movie again since that time. I bought the DVD several years ago and it remained unwrapped until last night. So how does it compare to my memory of it? I liked it more this time because I think it's the kind of work that needs repeated viewings to follow the clues. This morning I listened to director Roman Polanski's audio commentary which was more on the technical side as he explained how which scenes were filmed on location or in studios. Since he's not allowed in the USA because of an incident years ago (He fled prosecution involving having sex with a minor), the NYC scenes were convincingly faked in France and so were European streets and interior ones.
The movie wasn't a big hit because people who were expecting a gory horror film were disappointed by its low keyed, slow paced plotting and perhaps the ending that Polanski admits he wasn't sure is the best one. Maybe Polanski fans were expecting another Rosemary's Baby although there are some similarities, but on its own terms this movie is different and good too. It's almost like a detective story as Depp slowly pursues and deciphers clues to the secrets of the three books while pursued by those who want the information for themselves. It's a classy production with good acting, photography and a moody minimalist score that's isolated on the DVD for your listening pleasure. Call it an intellectual horror film which detractors mean it's not scary and just boring but this thinking will deprive you of a good viewing. Startling instead of frightening and thinking is required to follow the plot and clues as almost like doing a puzzle. Good bonus extras including Polanski's wry commentary. You can find this DVD for under $10 most anywhere.
After seeing the movie, I listened to an abridged audio version of its source called The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte. My wife has most of his novels which spin literature, history, and fantasy into good reads. The Ninth Gate uses part of this multi-plotted book for its story. There would have been too much stuff to cram into a two hour movie and I always felt the satanic part clashed with the rest of the novel. about finding the original manuscript of Dumas' The Three Musketeers.
I haven't seen the movie again since that time. I bought the DVD several years ago and it remained unwrapped until last night. So how does it compare to my memory of it? I liked it more this time because I think it's the kind of work that needs repeated viewings to follow the clues. This morning I listened to director Roman Polanski's audio commentary which was more on the technical side as he explained how which scenes were filmed on location or in studios. Since he's not allowed in the USA because of an incident years ago (He fled prosecution involving having sex with a minor), the NYC scenes were convincingly faked in France and so were European streets and interior ones.
The movie wasn't a big hit because people who were expecting a gory horror film were disappointed by its low keyed, slow paced plotting and perhaps the ending that Polanski admits he wasn't sure is the best one. Maybe Polanski fans were expecting another Rosemary's Baby although there are some similarities, but on its own terms this movie is different and good too. It's almost like a detective story as Depp slowly pursues and deciphers clues to the secrets of the three books while pursued by those who want the information for themselves. It's a classy production with good acting, photography and a moody minimalist score that's isolated on the DVD for your listening pleasure. Call it an intellectual horror film which detractors mean it's not scary and just boring but this thinking will deprive you of a good viewing. Startling instead of frightening and thinking is required to follow the plot and clues as almost like doing a puzzle. Good bonus extras including Polanski's wry commentary. You can find this DVD for under $10 most anywhere.
The movie has made me start reading the unabridged novel.
