Can a 17th-century book really summon the Devil, or is it just a hoax?
In short: Roman Polanski’s 1999 mystery The Ninth Gate follows a rare book dealer tasked with authenticating a demonic manuscript. While the film was a commercial failure in North America, it has since gained a cult following. Is it a supernatural thriller or a cynical, ironic commentary on occult clichés?
The Ninth Gate is based on Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s 1993 novel, The Club Dumas. Director Roman Polanski, working with screenwriter John Brownjohn, stripped away the book’s literary subplots to focus on the quest for a legendary volume titled The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows. In the film, rare book dealer Dean Corso, played by Johnny Depp, is hired by wealthy collector Boris Balkan to compare three surviving copies of the book. Balkan believes only one is authentic and capable of summoning the Devil, a feat allegedly achieved by the 17th-century author Aristide de Torchia before he was burned for heresy.
The film’s production spanned France, Portugal, and Spain in the summer of 1998, utilizing striking locations like the Château de Puivert and Biester Palace. Polanski, who openly stated he does not believe in the occult, approached the project with skepticism. He viewed the film’s genre tropes as inherently laughable, aiming to present them seriously while simultaneously poking fun at them. This tonal ambiguity contributed to polarized reactions; while European critics often praised its irony and pace, North American reviewers were largely dismissive, comparing it unfavorably to Polanski’s earlier work, Rosemary’s Baby.
Despite a $38 million budget, the film earned $58.4 million worldwide. Its reception was notably harsh in the United States, where it received a D- grade from CinemaScore and was criticized by reviewers like Elvis Mitchell and Roger Ebert for lacking genuine scares or a satisfying conclusion. However, the film’s reputation has evolved. Critics like Phillip Strick have argued that the film is an intricately crafted piece that deserves a second look, suggesting that its deliberate, neo-noir style—modeled after the disheveled aesthetic of Philip Marlowe—was simply misunderstood upon its initial release.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Ninth Gate
- Also: Wikidata — The Ninth Gate · CC0
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