One film which I often watch when I have the time is Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate, which stars Johnny Depp.
The Ninth Gate – Unlocking The Gates of Hell
Although the film has never had high ratings from the critics and it’s overall rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 2 out of 5, it is still a film that I personally enjoy watching every now and again.
The story follow Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) and his struggle with evil, he’s a rather shady book dealer from New York who is hired to find the last remaining copies of “The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows”, a manuscript that has supposedly been written in collaboration with the Devil.
His search for the book soon becomes as obsession and he becomes caught up in conspiracies of murder, theft and satanic rituals as he finds out that the book’s nine engravings could open the gates of Hell!
I am a fan of both Johnny Depp and Roman Polanski and I think this could be moving me to being a little biased when it comes to The Ninth Gate, it is on of those no brainer movies that does plod along at its on pace.
The cinematography in the film is superb and this is what probably appeals to me watching the film so many times, it is all beautifully done, it also has a lovely score that really brings a dark foreboding feel to the overall movie.
Running at over two hours, there are some that have given up partway through the film, due to its long-running time, my advice is to give it a chance all the way through, it may not be the best Polanski film, but it’s certainly up there with Rosemary’s Baby.
If you are after a film that is a little different and at sometimes unnerving to watch on a Film Friday, then give this one a go.
Depp and the Devil!
Movie title: The Ninth Gate
Movie description: A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.
Date published: June 2, 2000
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 13min
Director(s): Roman Polanski
Actor(s): Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
