The Much-Overlooked Symbolism in Roman Polanski’s “The Ninth Gate”
(Source: The Vigilant Citizen)
When “The Ninth Gate” was released in 1999, critics found the movie pointless. But that’s because they completely missed the point of the movie. Through symbolism, “The Ninth Gate” tells a story of occult initiation while commenting on the elite’s obsession with Satanism. Here’s a look at this much-overlooked movie.
Warning: 25-year-old spoilers ahead!
When The Ninth Gate was first released in 1999, it wasn’t a big commercial success. Critics said the movie “meandered aimlessly” and had a “lackluster ending” that not even Johnny Depp’s star power could save.
At first glance, the critics were correct: The Ninth Gate appears to be about Johnny Depp running around various countries while lighting cigarettes at every opportunity he gets. And after about two hours, the movie ends in a rather anti-climactic way.
