OK, so explain Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" to me

Cafe Society
1

OBVIOUS SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THIS MOVIE

OK, so in the film, we get to see Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) running around different parts of Europe (Potugal and France, to be more precise), searching for two copies of a book called The Nine Gates (of something or other). He’s sent on this mission by an (obviously) evil but extremely wealthy book collector who has another copy of the original (or so he wants to confirm).

Now I get that there were 3 differences in each of the three books (relative to one another). Corso explains this mid-way through as 3 x 3 (=9 ----> or the nine gates - get it?). Each book has a nearly identical copy of pictures, with these (significant) minor differences. Also, all three have different engravings - I get that.

Now my understanding is that each of the pictures pertains to something that had occured to Corso. For example, the hanging man is Corso’s friend (with whom he entrusted the book to, shortly before the friend met his end). The archer from above relates to the near-death “accident” with the falling stones and rocks after he leaves the library (with the two weird fellas) in Lisbon.

This indicates that it was Corso who was chosen all along to be the Devils butt-kisser (with the infinite wealth and power to boot, of course). My understanding is that the sexy French chick who kept Corso outta trouble is actually a (lusty) servant of Satan, sent to guide Corso through the Ninth Gate.

This is why it didn’t work for that rich evil old book collector guy. Not only did he NOT have the correct originals (we are told one of them was a forgery), but that the devil didn’t really want him in the first place.

The Ninth Gate (as I understand it) was having sex with the French demon chick in front of that burning castle.

OK, now go ahead and correct me. What the hell am I missing? Am I even half-right? I mean, why all the elaborate shenanigans? Did Corso really have to experience all that before he was ready? Am I right in thinking it is now Corso who will be the “One”? Was the Ninth Gate really having sex with that babe? Why is Corso chosen?

And any more symbolism and hidden meanings, please feel free to elaborate.

2

Forget the movie. The movie was crap. Read the book instead. It has all the stuff that happened in the movie, plus a lot of other stuff that actually explains what’s going on. Also, the ending isn’t comically stupid. Pretty much better on every level, except that Johnny Depp isn’t in it.

3

Since we have obviously both spent more time on this than Polansky, allow me to give you my interpretations as they differ from yours:

I believe Boris Balkan was murdering people to cover his tracks. I believe he made them look like the etchings in an attempt to intimidate Corso into completing his task and / or as an homage to his master, the Devil.

<see below for a huge plothole involving this>

And yes, the sultry chick (who still can’t act - Polansky being from the David Mamet school of neoptism) was an agent of the Devil. <I believe the Devil meant Corso to be the discoverer the whole time, which works unless you think about the same plothole below that I referred to above> I don’t think the sex was the ninth gate - like Lena Olin, she was a member of the society that has eevil sex in praise of their master. So that was sort of a freebie.

The Ninth Gate itself was the same building that they were at before - the one from the final etching. Sultry woman is clearly suposed to be the same woman that is drawn into the lower right corner of the final etching, pointing to the building, showing the way. As Corso approaches the building at the end of the movie, a “gate” in the building opens, and the scene fades to white, implying that it is “opening” for Corso.

Plothole
The problem with “who was killing these people and making them look like the people in the etching” is that when you consider Corso getting knocked unconcious in the Baroness’s apartment, NOBODY makes sense, as he was simply lucky to wake up in time without being burned to death. Since both the Devil and Balkan needed him to remain alive - the Devil b/c he was to receive the final gift of the gate - Balkan b/c at that point he didn’t know his original book had been stolen - the only person that makes sense to want him dead in that fire would be Lena Olin - IF you believe she had already stolen Balkan’s book from Corso’s hotel room. But why would the Devil allow that and not send his sultry henchwoman to stop it?

And speaking of that last scene - how motherfucking irritating is it to watch a movie in which everyone worships the Devil and the hero is walking towards a portal of Hell…and then they run the credits? Did the Producers cut his budget at the last second? “Sorry - no Satan shots for you.” I wasn’t that pissed off at the failure to deliver at the end of a movie like that since they didn’t have any goddamn aliens in Contact.

4

I haven’t read the novel, but I interpreted the movie as “who ever said the Devil was male?” And in the time honored tradition of females, she chose not the guy arrogant enough to think he “deserved” to be chosen, but the guy willing to make a fool of himself.

5

I saw this movie in the theater. When the credits started to roll, I turned to the people I was with and said, “What was that? No, seriously. What the fuck was that?”

But really, what could they have done? Shown the gates of Hell with The Morningstar himself standing beside them, bowing as Corso entered? It’s one of those things that you just can’t show in a movie.

Incidentally, thanks for the link Miller. I just added The Club Dumas to my wishlist.

6

It’s been awhile since I watched it, but something in the dialogue of the movie gave me the impression that Corso was going to BECOME the Devil after passing the Ninth Gate, or at least, the living incarnation of the supernatural power the Devil represents. Sultry demonbabe Olin was there to shepherd him along.

I gotta say I liked the movie a lot better when Corso was just a mildly larcenous rare book dealer. Depp did a great job of portraying him as weaselly and arrogant. I would have liked an entire movie about Corso scamming people a LOT better than the one I got.

7

Have to admit, though, Boris yelling “BOO!” to all the devil worshippers cracked me right up.

8

How about “it sucked”. Enough explaination?

9

If we assume that directors know what the hell they’re talking about, then Lumpy nailed it. In various commentaries, Polanski has asserted that the “sexy French chick” is indeed Satan and not one of his minions.

10

I’ve only seen it on broadcast TV, and came away wondering the movie’s incoherence was due to cuts for content. Does it make any more sense if you see the entire thing.

Are the cut sections worth shelling out a rental fee for?

11

If you think a minute of satangirls boobs is worth the money. You are more likely to think it is two hours of your life you will never get back. I never found the movie incoherent, just pointless and boring. I had high hopes for it and I thought the plot was building to something good.

Then it ended. And nothing happened.

I thought some scenes were good and well done but when it is put together its utter crap. In my opinion of course.

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She was the Devil? That doesn’t explain my plothole - if she were the Devil, and she wanted Corso to receive the gift of the Gate, why didn’t she intervene when he was almost burned to death in the Baroness’s apartment? Or, if the Devil was responsible for all those murders meant to look like the etchings, why would he/she knock him unconcious and leave him for dead in the Baroness’s apartment?

And what kind of pathetic Devil powers are those - occasionally levitate, and occasionally display some grade-Z martial arts? Under those criteria, Phoebe from “Charmed” could be the Devil.

Bah. I’m going to go watch some a better movie he made so I can get the stench off of me. Like Pirates. :smiley:

13

Well, I love Johnny Depp and Frank Langella, so I gave it a shot. It wasn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen, by any stretch. And I loved the Baroness with her “my orgy days are behind me” line!

I thought from the beginning that the girl was the devil.

Wasn’t it the boy-toy henchman of Lena Olin who was following Corso around doing people in and stealing or destroying copies of the book?

And one other little thing- when The Girl (this is how she’s listed on imdb) floats down the stairs by the river during the fight, isn’t that the exact same location used in Frantic and Ronin?

14

At first glance, I thought that said Batman and Robin.

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:d

16

It’s been awhile sionce I saw the movie, but is this the chick whose socks didn’t match ever? Boy was I off. I thought she was the Whore of Babylon.

17

Her socks never matched? Damn, another thing I have to look for the next time I see it…

:smiley:

18

So you really watched it more than once?

19

The only thing that carried this movie was Depp. I think he potrayed a slimy, unscrupulous agent really well.

Gotta say ditto.

20

The movie is quite simple, really. Lucifer, in the movie, is a woman! LCF has fallen in love with Corso. This is why Corso is the chosen one. At the end, they consummate their love in the flesh. Because of this, LCF lets him enter her kingdom to reign with her.
Watch how LCF kisses him; her kisses say it all. Watch how LCF is hurt when Corso accuses her of doing things against him. She is so in love! Because LCF loves him, she protects him.
LCF is quite passionate, as many women are, particularly when in love.
LCF as a woman simply made the movie more interesting; it gave it a twist!
Corso was authentic in his pursuit for the gate. He didn’t hope to gain anything except the solution to the riddle, unlike the others who wanted godhood. He was authentic.