Die Neun Pforten

Ein schlechtes Gleichgewicht der Ernsthaftigkeit des Themas und der Leichtigkeit. Das Ergebnis ist ein Film, der im Laufe der Zeit immer verlegener wirkt. Frank Langella ist im Finale nur eine komische Figur. Zum Glück hat den ganzen Film Johnny Depp gerettet, der wieder großartig ist. (21.01.2004)

This is the film that convinced me that Depp is a great actor. Polanski didn't need to convince me, but he could definitely have chosen a better script, this one it's as bland and uninteresting as his Frantic. But the film does have a certain amount of mystery and atmosphere, and the ending is very good. (11.10.2003)

Very badly made in comparison with the book it’s based on. Only one of the storylines is developed on here and, paradoxically, it is a “less" important one. Even so, the movie itself isn’t outright bad, although this insight into the world of bibliophiles and rare edition hunters isn’t as effective as it could (and should!) have been. Unfortunately the whole thing is spoiled by the crappy ending, Depp tries his utmost and just about succeeds in keeping its head above water. (16.02.2005)

Ein europäischer Film aus der Reihe Polanski - Emmanuelle Seigner und wieder eine interessante Adaption. Das Plakat ist zwar ein echter Hingucker, aber es lohnt sich, etwas anderes als nur eine weitere Johnny-Depp-Kreation hervorzuheben. Ich bin versucht, auch diese Suche nach den Helden von Dumas aufzunehmen. (16.06.2017)

"The Ninth Gate" is not necessarily a bad movie, but the sense of horror is practically missing here. There are moments where even the suspense is lost, which may be a reason for you to stop watching the film. Fortunately, Depp is charismatic enough here for you to accompany him on this journey and be enchanted or disappointed by the specifically strange ending that this film possesses. Enthusiasm is lacking, but I also don't have a completely ruined impression. (18.05.2015)

When the denouement itself is severely not worth crap, it's pretty hard to (unbiasedly) judge the rest of it. Still, I'm giving it a shot, and at least as far as the story itself goes, The Ninth Gate is very interesting material for filming. The problem is that the film jumps from interesting mystery waters into C-rated action sequences and (perhaps intentionally) is its own apt self-parody at times. It's just my feeling, but Polanski's direction this time around reminded me at times of a decadent East German aesthetic. (05.10.2020)