Barnes & Noble

A suspenseful hybrid of supernatural thriller and literary detective story set in the cloistered world of rare book collectors, The Ninth Gate marks the return to form of internationally renowned director Roman Polanski. As he did in Rosemary's Baby some 30 years ago, Polanski takes pleasure in imagining satanic currents seething beneath an ostensibly mundane milieu. This creepy tale finds ethically challenged rare-book dealer Johnny Depp accepting an odd commission from millionaire collector Frank Langella. As the owner of a fabulously rare tome on Satanism, Langella wants Depp to find two collectors who possess the only other surviving copies, then compare discrepancies in the engravings, which hint at a terrifying secret. Polanski allows viewers to accompany Depp as he tracks down the other collectors, analyzes the clues in their books, and narrowly escapes death before uncovering Langella's hidden motive. Exquisitely photographed and less dependent on special effects than most films in this genre, The Ninth Gate relies on clever plotting and evocative atmospherics to enhance its aura of quiet menace. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

An authority on rare books is drawn into a confrontation with the forces of darkness in this thriller directed by Roman Polanski. Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a rare book broker who makes his living tracking down valuable items for rich bibliophiles. Corso is hired by Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a millionaire New Yorker with a vast collection of occult literature and a keen interest in "The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows." Legend has it that the book was co-written by Satan in the 17th century, and only three copies are known to exist; the owner of one recently sold the book to Balkan a few days before killing himself. Balkan wants Corso to find the other two copies (one owned by a Mr. Fargas in Portugal and the other by a French collector named Kessler) and examine them to determine if they are forgeries. Corso is told to be thorough and spare no expense. He begins by visiting Liana Telfer (Lena Olin), the widow of the man who once owned Balkan's copy of the book, who has an unusually strong desire to get the book back, and confers with his friend Bernie (James Russo), who soon turns up dead, in a manner much like an illustration from the book. Corso learns that the book contains clues to a puzzle that will allow people to call up the devil, and certain people will stop at nothing to find the missing parts of the formula. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012236212850
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Time: 2:13:00
• Sales Rank: 2,708

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