The Ninth Gate
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a New York City rare-book dealer motivated solely by financial gain. He appraises old book collections and guides owners on their strategy to monetize them. But then, Corso…
The Ninth Gate
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a New York City rare-book dealer motivated solely by financial gain. He appraises old book collections and guides owners on their strategy to monetize them. But then, Corso cheats the owners and buys the best books from them for cheap, as they have no clue about their real value. Wealthy book collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) hires Corso to compare his recently acquired copy of the book The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, by seventeenth-century author Aristide Torchia, to the other two known to be in existence. Torchia is alleged to have written the book in collaboration with the Devil, and only three copies survived when he and his works were burned for heresy in 1666. Balkan informs Corso that only one of the 3 copies is genuine and is reputedly a version whose author was the devil himself. The book contains nine engravings that, when correctly interpreted and the legends properly spoken, will summon the Devil. Balkan suspects that his book might be a forgery and asks Corso to travel to Europe (where the other 2 copies are located) to determine whether his is genuine and to acquire the others for Balkan - at any cost, or by any means. Balkan gives his own copy of the book to Corso. During his travels, Corso comes into contact with a mysterious woman ("The Girl") who appears to be following him. Balkan's copy of The Nine Gates had previously belonged to bibliophile Andrew Telfer, who committed suicide soon after selling the book to Balkan. Moreover, Telfer's widow Liana (Lena Olin) wants the book back, as Telfer originally bought the book for her. Liana tells Corso that Telfer acquired the book in Spain and is surprised that he sold it to Balkan, as the book was his most treasured possession. Corso returns home to find is ransacked after he found the Girl at the library keeping an eye on him. Corso gives the book to his business partner Bernie to hide the book. Bernie says that the book is worth at least$1 million. Liana later comes over to Corso's apartment and seduces him, hoping he will sell the book to her. After they have sex, and he refuses to sell, she attacks him and knocks him unconscious. Liana was shown to have a tattoo of a coiled snake on her thigh, similar to the coiled snake figure on the front page of the book. The next day, Corso goes to a bookseller who is Corso's business partner and rare-book shop owner, Bernie (James Russo), whom Corso had asked to hide the book. Corso finds Bernie murdered and his corpse is posed to reflect one of the engravings in The Nine Gates, which, as in the image of The Hanged Man Tarot card, shows a man suspended by one foot upside down. Corso retrieves the book. Corso tries to back out of his deal with Balkan, but he refuses and asks Corso to proceed as planned. Corso travels to Toledo, Spain, to talk with the Ceniza brothers (Jose Lopez Rodero), book restorers who owned Balkan's copy before the Telfers. They say that while Telfer paid for the book, it was Liana who made him buy it. They point out to him three of the book's engravings signed "LCF", which, with their prompting, Corso understands means that Lucifer himself designed and cut them. The two show him that, of the book's nine engravings, only six are signed "AT"; the other three are signed "LCF" for Lucifer. Corso next goes by train to Sintra, Portugal, and visits Victor Fargas (Jack Taylor), whose copy of The Nine Gates Corso compares with Balkan's. To his surprise, Corso discovers that the signature "LCF" is found in three different engravings in the Fargas copy, which vary in detail from their counterparts in the Balkan copy. Corso relays his findings to Balkan and Balkan orders him to acquire Fargas' copy. The next morning a mysterious young woman The Girl (Emmanuelle Seigner), who has crossed paths with Corso since Balkan summoned him for this assignment, awakens Corso and leads him back to Fargas' house where he finds the old man murdered. Corso retrieves Fargas's burnt copy from the fireplace and finds the three "LCF" engravings torn out. In Paris, Corso visits the Baroness Kessler (Barbara Jefford), owner of the third copy of The Nine Gates. The Baroness initially refuses any contact with Corso once she realizes who his employer is. The Baroness says that after the death of Torchia, a secret society was formed to perpetuate his memory and to preserve the secrets of the book. The society was called the Silver Serpent. For centuries, they have met and worshiped the prince of Darkness, every year on the anniversary of Torchia's death. The Baroness says that Liana married Telfer for his money and restored her chateau. Corso is attacked while walking outside by Liana's bodyguard (Tony Amoni), only to be saved by The Girl who exhibits seemingly supernatural powers. Corso hides Balkan's book in his hotel room and asks the concierge of the hotel to locate Liana for him. Corso gets a call from Balkan and informs him about the last copy of the book with the Baroness. Corso returns and intrigues Kessler-a lifelong devotee of the study of the book-with evidence that the engravings differ across the three copies. Having gained access to Kessler's copy, he records three further differences. Corso finds that three different engravings in his copy are signed "LCF", and the engravings signed this way have subtle differences from those signed "AT". Corso is attacked, and the Baroness is strangled to death and her library set on fire. Corso returns to his hotel and discovers Balkan's copy is missing. Now believing that each copy of The Nine Gates is genuine, Corso suspects that the secret is a combination of the "LCF" versions of each of the nine engravings, distributed across all three copies of the book. Corso finds that Liana stole Balkan's copy from Corso's hotel room. He informs Balkan about the same. The Girl and Corso track Liana to her family's ancestral manor where a Satanic cult are conducting a ritual using Balkan's book. Balkan suddenly interrupts the ceremony, kills Liana, takes the engraving pages and his own intact copy, then flees. Corso abandons the Girl, presuming she was working for Balkan, and pursues Balkan but loses him when his car breaks down. Corso finds a clue in Kessler's belongings that directs him to a remote castle. Corso pursues Balkan to a remote castle, which was depicted in one of the engravings, and in a postcard that Corso found in Kessler's copy and finds Balkan preparing to open the nine gates. After a struggle, Balkan manages to trap Corso in a hole in the floor, thus immobilizing him and allowing Balkan to perform his summoning ritual unmolested-but with Corso as a 'witness'. Balkan recites a series of phrases related to each of the nine engravings, then douses the floor and himself with gasoline and sets it alight, believing himself immune to the flames. Balkan's invocation, however, appears to fail, and Balkan begins screaming in agony as his body starts to burn. Corso frees himself and, with Balkan engulfed in flames, puts Balkan out of his agony with a shot and escapes the fire. Sitting in Balkan's car, Corso is startled by the Girl, and she kisses him. The two are then shown having passionate sex on the ground while back-lit by the burning castle. The Girl's face and eyes seem to change as she writhes astride Corso in a state of crazed bliss. She tells him that Balkan failed because the ninth engraving Balkan had used was a forgery. When they stop for gasoline she vanishes but leaves Corso a note sending him to the Ceniza brothers. At their shop, Corso finds they have vanished, and the shop is being cleaned out. As workmen remove a large bookcase, a dust-covered paper floats down from the top. This is the authentic engraving, which depicts a woman who resembles the Girl that she is the daughter of Satan and that she is pregnant with his child. Corso, now with all nine authentic engravings in his possession, returns to the castle. The gates open on their own and emit a powerful bright light as Corso walks through, taking the journey through the Ninth Gate.
The Ninth Gate
Mystery,Thriller
Film Details
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a New York City rare-book dealer motivated solely by financial gain. He appraises old book collections and guides owners on their strategy to monetize them. But then, Corso cheats the owners and buys the best books from them for cheap, as they have no clue about their real value.
Wealthy book collector Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) hires Corso to compare his recently acquired copy of the book The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, by seventeenth-century author Aristide Torchia, to the other two known to be in existence. Torchia is alleged to have written the book in collaboration with the Devil, and only three copies survived when he and his works were burned for heresy in 1666. Balkan informs Corso that only one of the 3 copies is genuine and is reputedly a version whose author was the devil himself.
The book contains nine engravings that, when correctly interpreted and the legends properly spoken, will summon the Devil. Balkan suspects that his book might be a forgery and asks Corso to travel to Europe (where the other 2 copies are located) to determine whether his is genuine and to acquire the others for Balkan - at any cost, or by any means. Balkan gives his own copy of the book to Corso.
During his travels, Corso comes into contact with a mysterious woman ("The Girl") who appears to be following him. Balkan's copy of The Nine Gates had previously belonged to bibliophile Andrew Telfer, who committed suicide soon after selling the book to Balkan. Moreover, Telfer's widow Liana (Lena Olin) wants the book back, as Telfer originally bought the book for her.
Liana tells Corso that Telfer acquired the book in Spain and is surprised that he sold it to Balkan, as the book was his most treasured possession. Corso returns home to find is ransacked after he found the Girl at the library keeping an eye on him. Corso gives the book to his business partner Bernie to hide the book.
Bernie says that the book is worth at least$1 million. Liana later comes over to Corso's apartment and seduces him, hoping he will sell the book to her. After they have sex, and he refuses to sell, she attacks him and knocks him unconscious.
Liana was shown to have a tattoo of a coiled snake on her thigh, similar to the coiled snake figure on the front page of the book. The next day, Corso goes to a bookseller who is Corso's business partner and rare-book shop owner, Bernie (James Russo), whom Corso had asked to hide the book. Corso finds Bernie murdered and his corpse is posed to reflect one of the engravings in The Nine Gates, which, as in the image of The Hanged Man Tarot card, shows a man suspended by one foot upside down.
Corso retrieves the book. Corso tries to back out of his deal with Balkan, but he refuses and asks Corso to proceed as planned. Corso travels to Toledo, Spain, to talk with the Ceniza brothers (Jose Lopez Rodero), book restorers who owned Balkan's copy before the Telfers.
They say that while Telfer paid for the book, it was Liana who made him buy it. They point out to him three of the book's engravings signed "LCF", which, with their prompting, Corso understands means that Lucifer himself designed and cut them. The two show him that, of the book's nine engravings, only six are signed "AT"; the other three are signed "LCF" for Lucifer.
Corso next goes by train to Sintra, Portugal, and visits Victor Fargas (Jack Taylor), whose copy of The Nine Gates Corso compares with Balkan's. To his surprise, Corso discovers that the signature "LCF" is found in three different engravings in the Fargas copy, which vary in detail from their counterparts in the Balkan copy. Corso relays his findings to Balkan and Balkan orders him to acquire Fargas' copy.
The next morning a mysterious young woman The Girl (Emmanuelle Seigner), who has crossed paths with Corso since Balkan summoned him for this assignment, awakens Corso and leads him back to Fargas' house where he finds the old man murdered. Corso retrieves Fargas's burnt copy from the fireplace and finds the three "LCF" engravings torn out. In Paris, Corso visits the Baroness Kessler (Barbara Jefford), owner of the third copy of The Nine Gates.
The Baroness initially refuses any contact with Corso once she realizes who his employer is. The Baroness says that after the death of Torchia, a secret society was formed to perpetuate his memory and to preserve the secrets of the book. The society was called the Silver Serpent.
For centuries, they have met and worshiped the prince of Darkness, every year on the anniversary of Torchia's death. The Baroness says that Liana married Telfer for his money and restored her chateau. Corso is attacked while walking outside by Liana's bodyguard (Tony Amoni), only to be saved by The Girl who exhibits seemingly supernatural powers.
Corso hides Balkan's book in his hotel room and asks the concierge of the hotel to locate Liana for him. Corso gets a call from Balkan and informs him about the last copy of the book with the Baroness. Corso returns and intrigues Kessler-a lifelong devotee of the study of the book-with evidence that the engravings differ across the three copies.
Having gained access to Kessler's copy, he records three further differences. Corso finds that three different engravings in his copy are signed "LCF", and the engravings signed this way have subtle differences from those signed "AT". Corso is attacked, and the Baroness is strangled to death and her library set on fire.
Corso returns to his hotel and discovers Balkan's copy is missing. Now believing that each copy of The Nine Gates is genuine, Corso suspects that the secret is a combination of the "LCF" versions of each of the nine engravings, distributed across all three copies of the book. Corso finds that Liana stole Balkan's copy from Corso's hotel room.
He informs Balkan about the same. The Girl and Corso track Liana to her family's ancestral manor where a Satanic cult are conducting a ritual using Balkan's book. Balkan suddenly interrupts the ceremony, kills Liana, takes the engraving pages and his own intact copy, then flees.
Corso abandons the Girl, presuming she was working for Balkan, and pursues Balkan but loses him when his car breaks down. Corso finds a clue in Kessler's belongings that directs him to a remote castle. Corso pursues Balkan to a remote castle, which was depicted in one of the engravings, and in a postcard that Corso found in Kessler's copy and finds Balkan preparing to open the nine gates.
After a struggle, Balkan manages to trap Corso in a hole in the floor, thus immobilizing him and allowing Balkan to perform his summoning ritual unmolested-but with Corso as a 'witness'. Balkan recites a series of phrases related to each of the nine engravings, then douses the floor and himself with gasoline and sets it alight, believing himself immune to the flames. Balkan's invocation, however, appears to fail, and Balkan begins screaming in agony as his body starts to burn.
Corso frees himself and, with Balkan engulfed in flames, puts Balkan out of his agony with a shot and escapes the fire. Sitting in Balkan's car, Corso is startled by the Girl, and she kisses him. The two are then shown having passionate sex on the ground while back-lit by the burning castle.
The Girl's face and eyes seem to change as she writhes astride Corso in a state of crazed bliss. She tells him that Balkan failed because the ninth engraving Balkan had used was a forgery. When they stop for gasoline she vanishes but leaves Corso a note sending him to the Ceniza brothers.
At their shop, Corso finds they have vanished, and the shop is being cleaned out. As workmen remove a large bookcase, a dust-covered paper floats down from the top. This is the authentic engraving, which depicts a woman who resembles the Girl that she is the daughter of Satan and that she is pregnant with his child.
Corso, now with all nine authentic engravings in his possession, returns to the castle. The gates open on their own and emit a powerful bright light as Corso walks through, taking the journey through the Ninth Gate..