The Ninth Gate (1999)

Director: Roman Polanski

Starring: Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Emmanuelle Seigner, Lena Olin

Primary genre: Horror

Secondary genre: Neo noir thriller

“The Ninth Gate” is a return to the occult for director Roman Polanski after “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968). Based on the novel “The Club Dumas” by Arturo Perez-Reverte, “The Ninth Gate” is a rather slow burn horror that echoes very much the dready feelings of similar genre related films of the 70’s.

Perhaps wisely so, it has a stark contrasting style with the more popular and flashy horror flicks of the 90’s who employed CGI, extravagant creature designs, edgy soundtracks and flashy directional style to attract audiences. Polanski’s direction is pretty much the same that he used in other similar works in his filmography, emphasizing space and atmosphere over cheap scares and buckets of blood. It might be too slow for those who require something more heart pounding but there is merit in the occult approach here that unfolds through a neo noir approach of investigation.

The set up is intriguing: Depp’s Corso searches for a book that it is said to have the power to summon the devil across various European locations which lends the film a sense of witch like feeling. Shot in various Parisian, Toledian and Sintrian vistas with beautiful art deco buildings, “The Ninth Gate” benefits from a book loving production design and some ambiguous interpretation of its proceedings that are guaranteed to start some discussion among cinephiles.

Yet, despite its well intentions, its script (co-written by Polanski) feels that it has all the ammo but not the artillery. By the time we reach to the climax, there is a sense of “that’s it?” and the lack of any horror or suspense related scares will definitely disappoint some. It does not help that the entire film is build on Depp’s character (who is doing great work as Dean Corso) who does some really baffling decisions once things start go wrong much to our dismay.

Not much can be said about the rest of the cast with the exception of Polanski’s wife, the gorgeous Emmanuelle Seigner who steals the film right under Depp’s feet in a minimalistic role that plays more on body language rather than on actual line delivery.

“The Ninth Gate” is not for everyone and despite the intriguing premise, most will definitely find the film anti-climatic. The atmospheric direction, ominous music (by Wojciech Kilar) and Depp’s acting keeps things rolling but one would have expected the collaboration of Depp and Polanski to bear more momentum than just an ok horror vehicle.

Underwhelming collaboration between Depp and Polanski

+Depp is great as Dean Corso

+Emmanuelle Seigner is stunning

+Emphasis on ominous atmosphere

+Book inspired production design

+Interesting story

-…that feels that evaporates at the end

-Lack of suspense and scares

-Rest of the cast does not have much to do