The Ninth Gate by christhecynic

OTHER SCIENCE FICTION SERIES

The Ninth Gate

POSTED BY: CHRISTHECYNIC
UPDATED: Friday, February 6, 2004 05:59
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VIEWED: 4841
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Sunday, May 25, 2003 3:56 PM

Just watched it, if someone could clarify the ending for me I’d appreciate it.

Was he Satan? At the end I mean. Some would say he merely became an archdemon, where as if the guy on fire was right then our good old book guy should be equal in power to god.

Wasn't totally sure which happened, maybe if I had started watching at the beginning I would know.

The script is no help, it is just wrong, it was a good idea to modify it. Because if it had been followed then the movie would suck.

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Sunday, May 25, 2003 6:10 PM

LIVINGIMPAIRED

Hey, yeah, it's a cool movie, but it's one of those that makes more sense with repeat viewings. The way I see it, the woman following him on his travels was Satan. You see, the books were not so much as an instruction manual to becoming an archdemon, but a prophesy, describing the assent of one such individual. In fact, the books act only as a guide. Notice, the next time you watch it, how each illustration in the books describes a step in the journey as Jonny Depp figures out the mystery of the book. For example, the twin booksellers are clearly depicted as the "angel" firing an arrow at the traveler beneath. The woman riding the serpents is the mystery woman.

Very cool movie.

________________

Ah, yes. Home sweet hell.

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Sunday, May 25, 2003 7:33 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC

But the Seven headed is often regarded as Satan, that would make him the devil.

On the other hand, the movie would make most sense if it was all about the devil getting herself a boyfriend. And yeah, I saw how each thing was part of his journey

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Sunday, May 25, 2003 11:45 PM

LOTV

Would love to comment, but I've only seen The Ninth Gate once in a foreign language...

Was it just me, or does it not make much sense the first time you see it (or was it just because it was in a foreign language?)

LOTV: "No, it does not stand for "Lord of the Voles... "

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Sunday, June 29, 2003 7:43 PM

RIVERSIDE

I really loved The Ninth Gate. I thought the books were more prophecy than how-to myself, although perhaps I need a second viewing. Very cool movie though. I like movies that have an ending that fits with the rest of the movie, even if it's not necessarily what the audience wants to see, or what they think the audience wants to see. Like In the Mouth of Madness (the best Lovecraftian movie ever made IMO), another non-hollywood ending. Hmmm..I think I need to see it again, and do some pondering this time, rather than just letting it flow over me in it's strangness. :-)

Quote:
Originally posted by LivingImpaired:
Hey, yeah, it's a cool movie, but it's one of those that makes more sense with repeat viewings. The way I see it, the woman following him on his travels was Satan. You see, the books were not so much as an instruction manual to becoming an archdemon, but a prophesy, describing the assent of one such individual. In fact, the books act only as a guide. Notice, the next time you watch it, how each illustration in the books describes a step in the journey as Jonny Depp figures out the mystery of the book. For example, the twin booksellers are clearly depicted as the "angel" firing an arrow at the traveler beneath. The woman riding the serpents is the mystery woman.

Very cool movie.

________________

Ah, yes. Home sweet hell.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2003 4:57 AM

SAGRILARUS

Hey, if you liked the movie, the book will blow you away. The plot in The Ninth Gate is merely one slice of what goes on in The Club Dumas. Intense read.

Sag.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2003 8:34 AM

RIVERSIDE

Hey, thanks for the reccomendation. I was actually looking for something good to read.

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Sunday, November 2, 2003 1:07 PM

MADSPINNER

The Ninth Gate is a Quest. The reason the book doesn't work for the other guy at the end, isn't just because he doesn't have the last page... It is because you can't pay someone to complete your quest for you. Our hero (DEPP) went through all the trials (gates) required and at that point he was the only possible person who could complete the quest.

The engravings in the movie are a combination of tarot influence, combined with religious images. The last picture, of the woman, is a representation of the harlot of babylon riding her beast with 7 heads. Many interpert the harlot, to also be satan.

I thought the ending was very clear. He opened the 9th gate and had access to hell and satan and untold power. I wouldn't think what happened after would be important. It was the quest that was the object of the movie. Anything after would just be bad renditions of hell...

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Sunday, November 2, 2003 2:12 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC

The question is what he got for completing the quest, if she is Satan then what is he? You really don't see any evil coming out of it, the evil comes from others, not the book or the girl. You don't even know if the devil is really evil, maybe she just wanted a boyfriend.

That's the thing, it is about the quest so you don't understand the outcome.

When talking of the devil in a work of fiction you start with knowing nothing, by it's very nature literature on the devil comes from the opposing side. Not exactly what you want to trust.

So what it a happy ending? Was he good or evil at the end? Was she good or evil?

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Sunday, November 2, 2003 4:13 PM

LORA

Think about this: the strictest Christian dogma says the same things about women as it does about the devil. If you get real deep in it, we can't be trusted, we will always lead a good man to his fall, and we are just too sensual for anyone's good. The movie was directed by a Roman Catholic, so I think he'd agree with my theory: the woman was the illusive Devil. As noted above, Depp's character completed all the trials set up to prevent anyone of faint (or completely pure) heart reaching her, and she actually had no power to FORCE anyone to do anything against their will.

If I didn't know a little bit about the director, I would prefer to think that it was written in the idea that she represented the old Goddess, demonized by the later advance of the big three (Judaeism, Christianity and Islam), and only accessible through texts written by her detractors over the centuries since the overwhelming of her followers.

Only the author of the book really knows, but it was a really good movie.

Not as good as the Firefly movie will be, but still worth watching.

"Is there any way I'm gonna get out of this with honor and dignity?"

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Sunday, November 16, 2003 12:26 PM

CHRISTHECYNIC

Old goddess, that was beyond me. That's a thought, especially with the Christian adoption of heathen gods as demons, or –in very rare cases– angels.

The thing is that you simply can’t tell if she is good or bad, with the exception of her stopping Depp from stopping a murder (of an evil person) she didn’t do anything bad, nor seem to require anything overly bad.

Never even considered the possibility of other religions (that’s very odd for me), thank you.

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Thursday, November 20, 2003 2:51 PM

GLUEHWURM

I'm in total agreement: the book is outstanding. I recently reread it because I felt so let down by The Da Vinci Code--it was even better the second time.

Of course, it helps to be a rabid Dumas/Sabatini fan. The exchange of quotes from Scaramouche at the beginning just sucked me right in: I always thought the opening paragraph was one of the best beginnings in literature.

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Friday, February 6, 2004 5:59 AM

SAGRILARUS

Alas, the woman (Irene Adler) is not the devil, which is described in the book in far more detail. But you're on the right track. Read the book folks! You won't be disappointed.

Sag.

N.NC SC.O TEN.BR LVX

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