The Ninth Gate

In The Ninth Gate, the seriousness of the subject matter is poorly balanced with detached humor. The result is a film that becomes more awkward with every passing minute. Frank Langella is merely a comical figure in the final scene. Fortunately, the great Johnny Depp again comes to the rescue. (21.01.2004)

This is the film that convinced me that Depp is a great actor. Polanski didn't need to convince me, but he could definitely have chosen a better script, this one it's as bland and uninteresting as his Frantic. But the film does have a certain amount of mystery and atmosphere, and the ending is very good. (11.10.2003)

Very badly made in comparison with the book it’s based on. Only one of the storylines is developed on here and, paradoxically, it is a “less" important one. Even so, the movie itself isn’t outright bad, although this insight into the world of bibliophiles and rare edition hunters isn’t as effective as it could (and should!) have been. Unfortunately the whole thing is spoiled by the crappy ending, Depp tries his utmost and just about succeeds in keeping its head above water. (16.02.2005)

European film from the Polanski - Emmanuelle Seigner series and again an interesting adaptation. While the poster is eye-catching, it might be worth highlighting something other than just another Johnny Depp creation. (16.06.2017)

"The Ninth Gate" is not necessarily a bad movie, but the sense of horror is practically missing here. There are moments where even the suspense is lost, which may be a reason for you to stop watching the film. Fortunately, Depp is charismatic enough here for you to accompany him on this journey and be enchanted or disappointed by the specifically strange ending that this film possesses. Enthusiasm is lacking, but I also don't have a completely ruined impression. (18.05.2015)

When the denouement itself is severely not worth crap, it's pretty hard to (unbiasedly) judge the rest of it. Still, I'm giving it a shot, and at least as far as the story itself goes, The Ninth Gate is very interesting material for filming. The problem is that the film jumps from interesting mystery waters into C-rated action sequences and (perhaps intentionally) is its own apt self-parody at times. It's just my feeling, but Polanski's direction this time around reminded me at times of a decadent East German aesthetic. (05.10.2020)