PLOT SUMMARY: A book dealer is hired to track down two rare books that are thought to be supernatural in nature.
Netflix recently added the movie The Ninth Gate and naturally, the summary had me intrigued.
However, the running time of more than two hours did make me hesitate. A thriller should ideally be taut, the story must not meander and based on other successful thrillers, not be more than two hours.
Still, one could be surprised and a movie could be an edge-of-the-seat thriller regardless of the running time.
Unfortunately, the Ninth Gate is not as succinct as it should be. Along the way, the story simply staggers along and plays spoilsport. The ending too, was a bit of a puzzle and didn't agree with the character's nature as expressed throughout the movie.
THE NINTH GATE Movie Plot
Dean Corso enters an apartment to appraise books of an old man who is wheelchair bound. The family is trying to get some money from the vast collection of rare books the old man has.
Dean Corso expertly cons them into selling him rare books at a very low price. The old man is unable to speak, but his frustration is palpable. The family is oblivious to the true value of the books. They pay Dean and he happily goes on his way.
He deals with a book collector who is a good friend of Dean's and also a business partner.
Dean is later called on by a name called Balkan who has a job for him. He has rare books in his collection but is especially keen to have Dean look at a very special book: The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows by Aristide Torchia.
It was thought that the author had written the book in collaboration with the devil himself and the book could be used to summon the devil. But due to the nature of its content, the books were burned although only three books remained. Balkan owns one and believes that only one of them must be authentic. He wants Dean to go to France and Portugal and meet the owners of the other books and also examine them to see if he can figure out which book is authentic.
Before that Dean wants to meet Telfer the man who had sold Balkan his copy of the book. Telfer is shown hanging himself and his widow now wants the book back. She tries to seduce Dean and he gets waylaid but keeps his senses long enough to deny what she wants. Angry, she knocks him out.
Luckily Dean had given the book to his book seller friend for safekeeping. Unluckily for the friend, he is killed for it just like one of the engravings in the book. Dean retrieves the book and off he goes to Spain.
Throughout it all, there is a strange woman following him and staring at him. She's literally everywhere he goes.
In Spain, Dean meets with the Ceniza brothers who restore books and had done so for Telfer. He shows Dean that in the nine engravings, six of them were labelled A.T. that are initials of the author, and three of them are labelled L.C.F. They are supposed to stand for Lucifer? The devil was apparently too lazy to sign his complete name. Or rather he didn't mind because isn't sloth one of the sins?
Dean then travels to Portugal and meets with the owner of the other book, Victor Fargas. He studies the book and sees subtle differences in his copy and that some of them are signed L.C.F.
He makes a note and calls Balkan who tells him to get the book. Dean runs into the girl again and thinks she may be working for Balkan. She avoids answering who she really is and they go see Fargas later only to find he has been drowned. His copy of the book is found in the fireplace and Dean notices that the three engravings with L.C.F. on them has been ripped out.
Dean then travels to France but an incident occurs where some men try to steal Balkan's copy from him. The girl is able to help him and Dean, though grateful for her help, also suspects her because she has followed him to France now.
Dean decides to take precautions with his book and instead of asking the hotel for some safe options, he hides his book behind the mini fridge.
He then goes to meet the Baroness and strikes up a conversation with her. At first she finds him quite charming but soon enough she guesses he has been employed by Balkan and refuses to talk to him.
Dean is encouraged by Balkan to talk to her again and Dean suspects his employer may be close by. But Balkan evades his questions.
Dean goes to meet the Baroness and tells her that her copy may not be authentic and that there are differences in all three books. He wants to take a look at hers. She is initially skeptical but when he shows her the differences with the photocopies he took of Balkan's book, she is immediately convinced and lets him use her study. Of course, he isn't allowed to smoke while working.
As he stoops over to study the book, someone comes up behind him and knocks him out.
When Dean awakens, he finds the Baroness in her wheelchair bumping against the wall. He turns her around and finds her strangled and her tongue sticking out.
He tries to look for the book but finds a fire starting in the rooms. Dean flees and makes sure the whole staff sees how guilty he looks.
He goes into his hotel room and finds things in disarray. He checks behind the fridge and of course the book is gone.
Dean goes the reception and is told that his wife had gone to the room. Dean tells them he has no wife and initially suspects the stalker girl for impersonation. When she tells him she doesn't have the book he talks to Balkan and tells him his theory of the three drawings in each book being purposely different and labelled with L.C.F because it is supposed to be used for the ritual. Balkan tells Dean to return his book and take the money he was promised. Dean reluctantly tells him he lost the book. Balkan is irate but Dean promises to get it back.
He approaches the reception desk and is told that the woman who pretended to be his wife was dark-haired. Dean immediately guesses it was Telfer's wife who wanted the book back at all costs.
THE NINTH GATE Ending Explained with Spoilers
The girl and Dean track down the woman to a mansion. They find a satanic ritual is taking place and everyone present is wearing dark robes. Dean also wears a robe and enters the hall.
Telfer's wife is getting prepared to summon the devil when out of nowhere Balkan storms in and takes the book back. Dean remains incognito and watches the drama for a while. Balkan struggles with Telfer's wife before he strangles her.
Dean finally intervenes but the stalker girl flies from the balcony to stop him. No one notices that she just flew in or that her eyes changes color. She says not to intervene and Dean complies.
Balkan runs off with his book and Dean follows him, ignoring stalker girl who wanted to come too. But Dean is sure that she isn't exactly on his side.
They come to an abandoned castle where Balkan is performing the ritual with the nine pages drawn by Lucifer. The ritual is completed and Balkan thinks he is invincible now. He lights himself on fire to show off in front of Dean and for a few moments, it works. And then suddenly Balkan begins to feel the heat and starts to burn.
Dean uses a gun on Balkan after collecting the nine pages to spare him the pain of burning alive.
Dean gets into the car when the stalker girl materializes and seduces him.
While they get intimate with each other, right out in the open in front of a burning castle, the girl's eyes changes and she pretty much growls and groans. Dean is stunned but continues to do what he is doing.
Later she reveals that Balkan didn't achieve immortality because one of the drawings was a fake. When they stop to fill up the car tank, the girl disappears and leaves behind a note for Dean to find the authentic missing engraving at the Ceniza brother's store. He takes the engravings and heads to the castle which opens and emits a bright light. Dean walks in.
The end.
The movie could have been better had the editing been tighter. The pacing slows several times and meanders. The role of the girl is never explained. Was she a demon herself? Was she always looking for someone worthy of Lucifer's drawings and had chosen Dean to be it?
Dean was always a shady character who lied and cheated his way to get what he wanted. Clearly he had no morals, yet there was no indication of him ever being intrigued by the devil or wanting to gain supernatural powers.
But somewhere down the line and towards the climax he just becomes so captivated by the mystery of the books and whether or not that the devil can be summoned, that he just gives in and lets himself be ensnared by the devil himself.
Or was it that the stalker girl had successfully corrupted him or brainwashed him?
The movie is okay to watch once but the slow pacing will make you feel dull and not at all excited to what happens next.
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