Unravelling the Mysterious Conclusion: The Ninth Gate Ending Explained
Roman Polanski's Ninth Gate leaves viewers with a startling, perplexing, and finally maddening ending. Although the ending doesn't specifically suggest the supernatural, the sheer frequency of coincidences makes it challenging to dismiss the likelihood. Following cynical rare book dealer Dean Corso ( Johnny Depp), the movie follows him as hired by eccentric and wealthy Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) to locate all copies of "The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows," a book said to have the ability to call the Devil.
Crashing the Mystery: The Fascinating Story of the Ninth Gate
Originally motivated just by financial gain, Dean's globetrotting trip becomes a suspenseful and psychologically unsettling trip that questions his points of view and those of the audience. Though not as profoundly philosophical or atmospheric as Polanski's earlier works, such Rosemary's Baby, The Ninth Gate examines themes of religious fervor and belief in a compelling and intense way.
Attempt of Boris Balkan to Call the Devil
Three engravings in each book are signed "L.C.F.," while the remaining six bear the signature of Aristide Torchia, the original author of the book. Dean notes this odd pattern as he sets out to find the last copies of the book for Boris. Though dubious, Boris says the Devil helped Torchia create the books; Dean eventually comes to believe "L.C.F.," stands for Lucifer.
When Dean finds the last copy in Portugal, he discovers Boris has been following his every step. Shockingly killing the previous owners of one copy, Boris disturbs a Satanistic ceremony carried out using the books. Then he leaves carrying all three books and heads to a far-off church to get ready to carry out the ritual personally. Dean tracks him; his reasons are unknown: is he there to confront Boris, stop him, or just watch? For Dean, the distinction between observer and participant has become hazy since he discovers he is caught in a conspiracy he never would have imagined. Overpowering Dean, Boris orders him to observe as he carries out the rite with the nine engravings signed "L.C.F."
These nine engravings seem to give Boris the power and longevity he so yearns so he may touch fire without burning. Trapped in a pit as flames cover the church, Dean challenges Boris to demonstrate his demonic ability. Sure of his success, Boris drenches himself in gasoline and starts to burn. When he discovers his ritual has failed, his triumphant laughter soon gives way to agonizing screams.
Dean runs from the pit, gets the nine engravings, and kindly puts Boris out of his suffering burning. Boris's obsession with the Devil has caused him to injure and control people all through the movie. Dean's grounded perspective of the world seems to rule even with his relentless belief. It seems the Devil cannot be summoned, a man cannot walk through fire, and finally a bullet with life and death power.
The Challenge of "The Girl"
The movie gains still another level of mystery from an enigmatic character just known as "The Girl," performed by Emmanuelle Seigner. When Dean meets her on his travels, she seems oddly eager to help him hunt the books. Dean is shocked to find the Girl waiting for him in his car after fleeing the flaming castle. They give a passionate hug, a moment of great closeness among the turmoil.
The Girl disappears, though, after leaving the castle and leaves a note asking Dean to check an abandoned store. Dean finds the last engraving there, behind a dusty bookcase. Sitting naked atop a dragon-like creature in a posture mirroring her embrace with Dean, the engraving shows a woman quite similar to the Girl. From the Book of Revelations, the engraving shows the biblical Whore of Babylon.
This realization emphasizes how unintentionally Dean has entered the ritual. He might now be in charge of an event he did not plan for and first did not think to be feasible. The movie deftly examines the idea of belief since even the skeptic can become enmeshed in the mystery.
The Interpretive Value of the Ninth Gate
Dean now possesses all the tools required to finish the Satanistic rite, a ritual both the cult and Boris failed to accomplish. With the last engraving in hand. The engraving shows the same remote castle Boris met his fiery end in, implying the castle itself is The Ninth Gate.
Dean is blinded by a white light as he gets closer to the castle, so leaving the ending of the film dubious. Does this mark the opening of the Ninth Gate or is it a symbolic opening of Dean's mind to the supernatural possibilities? The movie lets the audience to decide on the interpretation.
The Ninth Gate: An Account of Fanaticism and Doubts
Notwithstanding its uncertain ending, The Ninth Gate deftly examines the conflict between doubt and fanaticism, showing how both apparently opposing points of view might produce the same result. Dean stays dubious throughout the movie, seeing Boris's ideas as naive and driven just by greed. Dean sticks to his reasoning even in the face of progressively supernatural events, rejecting the possibility of something outside the logical.
Conversely, Boris welcomes the reality of forces outside human comprehension since he thinks he can personally gain from them. Dean's mistrust is confirmed when Boris dies in the flames: God and the Devil are unreal, and those who mindlessly believe differently will meet terrible end.
But the movie ends with a turn-about. The last meeting with the Girl, the disclosure of the Whore of Babylon engraving, and the following blinding light all point to a more deep and horrible reality. The Ninth Gate suggests that the chosen person to open the gate is not the fanatic but rather the skeptic.
Already a disciple of the Devil, Boris had nothing to benefit from the rite. Dean, though, offers a far more valuable prize. His fall from grace is far more important and the Devil's power is indisputable since he is skeptical and believes he is intellectual superior over faith. In the end, the movie stresses the need of being receptive to the opportunities that lie outside our grasp and avoiding mindless obedience or obsessive ferventism. Boris might have passed death, but Dean's sinister trip is just starting.
critical reception: a split ending
With a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the Ninth Gate drew conflicting opinions and a critical consensus that the movie was not totally successful. Divergent audiences also contributed to the film's 58% rating of approval. Renowned critic Roger Ebert, for instance, gave the movie just two stars, expressing dismay that it fell short of its promise and so generating more questions than answers following the last scene.
Although some reviewers praised the film's dark humor, many felt the supernatural ending unsatisfactory. One critic observed Polanski seemed to have a "dickens of a time with the supernatural ending," characterizing the finale as "ridiculous" in a "darkly funny film." Nonetheless, movie buffs valued its atmospheric suspense and nuanced themes; some critics likened the last act of the film to Polanski's earlier creations, including Rosemary's Baby and The Tenant.
The Ninth Gate: a convoluted and provocative movie
The Ninth Gate is a movie open for several readings. Although some viewers would find the ending perplexing or even irritating, it finally emphasizes the way the movie explores the human condition—our inclination to search for meaning in the face of the unknown, our obsession with the supernatural, and the possible risks of both doubt and fanaticism. The film's uncertain ending lets viewers consider the actual nature of the Ninth Gate, Dean's degree of participation in the rite, and his future. Long after the credits have rolled, this movie stays with viewers to consider the secrets of the universe and the possible results of our decisions.
