Hey folks, Harry laying here his heart ripped open by a recent twist of unmentioned fate reading a review of Polanski's latest... THE NINTH GATE. This has been a film that I have been awaiting for a very very long time. I've been a fan of Polanski's film work ever since I was a kid and first watched REPULSION, and when I heard he was working on a quasi-supernatural thriller with Johnny Depp... My antennae fully extended... and I've been picking up on signals ever since. And from the sound of Spartacus here... sounds like a fun movie. Cool. We haven't got long to wait for this one now!
Hey Harry,
This is Spartacus in Boston, (a first-time poster) coming fresh off of a press screening of Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate. The film stars Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, and Polanski's own wife, Emmanuelle Seigner. It's been awhile since we've seen good 'ol Roman, not since 1994's Death and the Maiden with Sigourney Weaver.
After five years away from the camera, Polanski has a relatively strong return feature going for him in The Ninth Gate. Johnny Depp plays Dean Corso, a rare book dealer known for his conniving abilities in dealing with rare collectibles and his ability to be bought if the price is right. This prompts a client of his, Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), to hire him to do some in-depth research in a volume he recently acquired, The Book of the Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Darkness. Balkan is interested in the authenticity of his volume in comparison to the other two volumes which also exist. From the moment Corso begins his research into the text, he finds himself beginning to be entwined in something very dangerous. As he learns the significance and history behind the volume he carries and the others he is investigating, he consistently spots a mysterious woman (Emmanuelle Seigner) following him at every turn, and a persistent thug intent on obtaining the volume he carries. To tell more would be to give away too much of this well-plotted thriller.
Unlike the apocalyptic mess of such supernatural thrillers as End of Days and Stigmata, Polanski's thriller unravels its plot and intentions slowly, yet it never loses its audience. While some of the plot devices and situations are familiar territory, Polanski makes them work with intriguing camera work and a sharp and somewhat twisted sense of humor. Depp is very good as Dean Corso, and Frank Langella makes the best of a somewhat limited role. Most intriguing is Emmanuelle Seigner as the mysterious woman following Corso, who Polanski portrays with surprising restraint. Polanski is at his best in the film when playing with some of the genre cliches that often bog down other films. He also doesn't depend on heavy special effects and surprising revelations that don't really surprise the audience. His use of Wojciech Kilar's score works well in the situations throughout the film. Polanski maintains an era of realism by actually shooting the film in Spain, Portugal, and France, where the story takes place (with the obvious exception of New York City...).
Ok....up till now....I've been praising this film. Don't get me wrong....it's a good film.....up until the end. The film does not give a very satisfying conclusion to what it has been unraveling throughout its reels. But....it is a better ending than most supernatural thrillers can come up with....but....not that much better. It just avoids the sappy, heroic ending where the all-power supernatural force is defeated in the climactic battle scene. Still, the film is worth the price of admission. And with the weaker box office draws of this time of year, it holds up much more strongly than say, Scream 3.....
How did we get here?
I led you here sir.....for I am.....
Spartacus
