JOHNNY DEPP: THE DEVIL MADE HIM DO IT

“I’m not interested at all in witchcraft and demonology as a philosophy. The devil makes me laugh.”

- Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski's THE NINTH GATE has always held a strange fascination for me. While some would disagree, after viewing it multiple times since its release in 1999 I have come to consider it a minor classic. There is something about the story, the mood, the characters and especially the visuals that make it a compelling, and at times, near-mystical experience.

Johnny Depp as Dean Corso.

Much of the criticism is directed at the slow-moving plot, but when you look at Polanski's body of work, in particular CHINATOWN, you will come to the obvious conclusion that he is no Antoine Fuqua or Roland Emmerich in that regard. Besides that, I think NG as a conventional Hollywood action/thriller would have been a disaster. Instead, we have a sophisticated and intelligent film that doesn't take itself too seriously -- a tricky combination to master, but it works here. All one has to do is watch book-detective Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) unwittingly stumble through some of his scenes to catch my drift. Far from his Keith Richards-inspired Jack Sparrow, he nevertheless adds an ever-so-slight comedic touch whenever he gets in trouble -- and it's often.

The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows.

Ultimately, the film is about Satanism as practiced by society's elite and, despite the subject's spurious nature, the lengths they will go to for the promise of the money and power of the "real thing." Frank Langella plays Boris Balkan, the egotistical collector of all things Satanic with a sinister gusto, Lena Olin plays Liana Telfer, who will kill for the tome containing the "correct" spell to summon the Devil and looks as sexy as hell doing it, and Emmanuell Seigner (Polansiki's real-life wife) is the mysterious angel on Johnny's shoulder -- or is she? Based on "El Club Dumas" ("The Club Dumas" in English), the engrossing novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, NG takes some liberties, as most film adaptations do, but does not stray too far from the core plot and theme. Coincidentally, I highly recommend some of Pérez-Reverte other books, in particular, "The Flanders Panel", "The Fencing Master" and "Queen of the South" from which the successful TV crime series was based.

Emmanuell Seigner as The Mysterious Girl.

The object in question is known as The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, which has the familiar ring of another famous tome written about by H.P. Lovecraft, The Necronomicon. This one, however, is said to be written by the Devil himself. Balkan will spare no expense (or life) in his search for the authentic edition, written in the 17th Century by one Aristide Torchia. Balkan hires savvy antique book dealer Corso to investigate and track down the remaining copies to compare them and affirm that his is the authentic edition. The investigation leads Corso through a winding path from New York to several locations in Europe. Along the way, he meets a variety of interesting characters that account for some of the best scenes in the film. The climax is shot at the Cathar castle Château de Puivert where the mystery is solved, but doesn't turn out well for Balkan.

Frank Langella as Boris Balkan tries out the ritual.

As mentioned, the visuals play a large part of the mood and atmosphere of the film. This article from AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER (April 2000) discusses photographer Darius Khondji's approach and techniques for filming THE NINTH GATE.

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