Have you ever found a movie in your collection that you enjoy but can't fully articulate why that is? Yes, you could point to the craftsmanship of the director, the cast, and the writers, but there is still an underlying aspect that seems to speak to you in some way that you can't explain just yet. Incidentally, that is also an apt description of the story presented in Roman Polanski's gothic mystery thriller, The Ninth Gate. Where the protagonist's initial search for a rare and ominous book turns into a quest for something greater than he imagined. Yet, it's never made clear as to why. Not unlike how I can't thoroughly explain why I enjoy this film so much. So, let's take a closer look.
The story follows a rare book specialist named Dean Corso (Johnny Depp), who is offered a hefty paying job by a wealthy businessman named Boris Balkin (Frank Langella). Mr. Balkin has spent a lifetime collecting ancient books about one specific subject, The Devil. He recently came across a book which he considers to be the supreme masterpiece known as The Nine Gates of The Kingdom of Shadows. This book, in particular, features engravings which, according to Mr. Balkin, are "reputed to conjure The Prince of Darkness in person."
Boris Balkin has acquired one of three copies that are listed in private ownership, but he is convinced that only one is authentic. So, Balkin hires Mr. Corso to visit the other owners of the book and determine which one is genuine. However, upon inspecting the additional copies, Mr. Corso not only discovers strange aspects of each print (which I will not spoil here), but he also has found himself in over his head. Being chased and nearly killed by total strangers. Despite the unwanted danger of the job, Mr. Corso continues his investigation. Almost as if he is being drawn to unravel the mystery. To what end, only he can say.
On the surface, there is a great deal about this film to enjoy. A treasure hunt with an intriguing mystery, exotic locations, and just the right amount of cheese to be silly without being a comedy. There is also a lot to be appreciated on a technical level. The cinematography is well-composed, the cast provides a significant amount of conviction to their roles, and the editing is fluid with well-timed cuts. Probably the only technical aspect I have to criticize a bit is some of the special-effects shots. Mainly, the driving scenes. Whenever there is a close up of someone driving or riding a vehicle, It's super obvious that it's a green screen...or is it rear projection? Point is, it's a little distracting.
Setting aside some of the less-than-stellar composite shots, another aspect I have some difficulty with is the writing. Technically speaking, it's just fine. The dialogue is natural and sings well, the pacing is perfectly balanced, and the characters have plenty of texture to them. My main issue with the writing, sort of, is the amount of ambiguity. Usually, I don't mind being left to draw my own conclusions based on what the story has presented. I like it when I have the freedom to speculate and discern for myself. Even so, I do believe that there is such a thing as too much. Without spoiling exact details for those who have not yet seen the film, there are specific character motivations and conclusions to story beats that almost feel abandoned. While it never feels as though the writers got lazy or weren't capable of coming up with a creative answer, it does feel as if there should have been more of a concrete resolution than what was presented.
On the other hand, it could be argued that, given the subject matter at play, as well as the time in which it was released, it needed to be left more open to harbor the very nature of the material at hand. While the script wisely places more emphasis on the mystery, it also prioritizes its subject matter, the concept of The Devil, almost exclusively. The film never even mentions any tangential connection to Christianity or any other spiritual ideology that has traditionally been at odds with the concept of Lucifer, a.k.a Satan. To the point that it makes you wonder if there is an underlying message to the whole film, and most likely, a positive one.
To investigate this possibility, I decided to have a chat with one of my good friends, Devon. He's a fellow actor whom I've done a few shows with and a Satanist. Since we are both fans of The Ninth Gate as a film, I was curious to know if he, as a Satanist, had any kind of alternative take on the film.
For those of you who don't know, Satanism is a religion that centers around the character of Satan, a.k.a Lucifer, a.k.a, the guy who rejected God's authority and ran off to do his own thing. Believe it or not, there are officially two different organizations related to Satanism: The Church of Satan founded in 1966, and The Satanic Temple, founded in 2013. The main difference between the two is that The Church of Satan is an authoritarian theistic oriented group that believes in the supernatural. In contrast, The Satanic Temple is more akin to The Knights of the Round Table. In that, they practice compassion & empathy, defend civil liberties, and prefer scientific reason over superstition. Funny enough, neither organization believes in an ACTUAL Satan (technically).
Anyway, my conversation with my friend Devon proved to be a fascinating one. Besides enjoying each other's company, we had a lot to say about The Ninth Gate. We both enjoyed the film's emphasis on the mystery, the conviction of the cast, and especially the loveable cheesiness of certain scenes. When it came to his take on the film as a Satanist, it got a little more interesting. Devon is a member of The Satanic Temple, so most of the film's presentation is not quite aligned with their tenets. It's more appropriate to akin The Ninth Gate to The Church of Satan, due to the desire for a supernatural event by the villains. While Devon enjoyed the imagery and symbolism used in the film, he does not believe that it is an excellent introduction to The Satanic Temple. To which I agree.
While I, like Devon, would not point to The Ninth Gate as an introduction to The Satanic Temple, I would, however, argue that it could potentially function as a decent companion piece. Mostly because, upon further examination of the movie, you find that it does have at least one underlying message, which I think coincides with one of their tenets: The Ninth Gate is, in my opinion, anti-fundamentalist.
All the villains of the movie, especially Frank Langella's character, embody fundamentalism. They insist that the supernatural is real, they are entitled to power for their allegiance, and that it is all intended to be interpreted as literal and not metaphorical. As such, they continue to cause harm to the protagonist and others and refuse to stop and reevaluate their situation. In contrast, Johnny Depp's character, Mr. Corso, while not entirely altruistic, is at least not motivated by a superstition. He is more interested in the truth and is driven by curiosity. Sure, the hefty paycheck that came with the job was a grand motivator, but the true nature of The Nine Gates quickly becomes more important. Which, incidentally, coincides with the fifth tenet of The Satanic Temple. Which states, "Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs." Now, it should be noted that one of the film's supporting characters does appear to have supernatural abilities. However, the movie never makes it abundantly clear, nor does the story expect you to care. It's similar to the agnostic notion of not choosing one or the other but prefers to slide down the middle, thereby allowing personal interpretation. So while The Ninth Gate is not a prime example of what The Satanic Temple is all about, it does, at the very least, seem to coincide with an essential aspect of their creed.
The Ninth Gate is a fascinating film for many reasons, and its level of ambiguity might be one of them. While I still might have preferred that it had at least a few more concrete answers to some parts of the story, I suppose it actually has to be more open to interpretation. Otherwise, it might come off as too preachy or insistent on any given side of the argument. It's a perfect example of an agnostic story. It doesn't have a definite answer, but it is fascinated with the mystery. It's about the journey and not the destination.
I highly recommend you check out this film for yourself. At the time of this writing, it is available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Regardless of your personal beliefs on the subject matter at hand, it is still a fun and slightly cheesy mystery thriller with entertainment value to spare. It's the kind of movie that playfully invites you to ask questions and explore. Something I always appreciate in my entertainment.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
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