Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

jaswarmm One of the greatest movie i have ever seen.In fact after shawshank redemption,i admire this the most.I was very curious about what happens next and so on throughout this.Johnny depp had a very mature character which suits to the plot of the movie

Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW) This movie deserve credit. It has great cast, a great plot, but questionable critiques. Johnny Depp plays rare book collector Dean Corso. Very articulate with his job. Very cutthroat as well. He gets the books cheap, and sells to the highest bidder. But a client name Boris Balkan(Frank Langella) gives him a opportunity he will never forget. He gets to check out and compare 3 books written by the Devil. One of them is exact and the others are forgeries. One is made by the author who committed suicide, and the widow(Lena Olin) tries to get it back from Corso. In New York, Corso gives the book to the owner of the rare bookstore. He would keep it save after he was killed. Corso goes to Spain where another man is drowned. But Corso isn't alone, he would encounter a mysterious woman(Emmanuelle Seigner) who seems to help him all the way. The movie was long, but it wasn't boring. Plenty of suspense. It was amazing when the widow got the book back and tried to do the ritual with the book, but is killed by Balkan and he scared off the Satan worshippers. The great parts of the scenes is when Balkan tried to make himself loyal to Satan, but when he sets himself ablaze, he got what he deserved, betrayed. The background of the castle on fire, makes a perfect setting for the sex scene between the Girl and Corso. Memorable to say the least. There are some good and bad points on this film. But to me, it was worth my while. 4 out of 5 stars

nokios-13499 Try to forget about the name Polanski, and watch the film.The plot is not different from any light stupid entertaining story of a B category film.Just because of the name of the director, people thought it has a great artistic, esoteric or philosophical value...It has not.It is good to watch especially for those who are interested in religion, history, old books and culture in general..By the way, Lucifer is described in the Bible as a very beautiful angel and Polanski knows this for sure. This is why I was shocked by the different comments wondering about the "girl" (Seigner)..No doubt at all, she is Lucifer.TSorry to say it, this only shows the low level of culture and knowledge of some commentators that praised the film and found esoteric and philosophical ideas and more bla bla bla that necessitated watching it many times !!..If you paid for the DVD, I can understand, but otherwise, it is a loss of time. Watch another movie with something new! Conclusion: Good entertainment...No real value.

strawberryfields747 I am currently engrossed in another of Perez-Reverte's takes on women fighting for power in a male-dominated sector, in the English version of Queen of the South. As in the above film, the Ninth Gate, a woman is fighting to hold sway and power over her husband in a near epic battle not of good-versus-evil, but of women fighting against men to hold scepter in a violent and, in the case of this movie above, to be first in a Satanic dimension and clique (combined). Not wanting to write any "spoiler" without making an alert, I only think of a comparison with the Ninth Gate and Queen of the South in a complex battle of male-versus-female in a male dominated system. Since the current showing of Queen of the South in the English version has not been completed, I do not know if the wife will conquer the husband in this epic battle of symbolic proportion in the TV series, but this is a recurring theme in these two Perez- Reverte film/TV series adaptations. The Ninth Gate is special for the artistic rendering produced by Polansky, just as the casting of the lead protagonist actor is a Satanic perfect match. I watch this film, however, only to compare and contrast the Perez-Reverte version of this wife/husband female versus male power struggle, and how it plays out in the power struggles in a corrupt system where all claws are exposed and there is no moral guidepost to lead the struggling contenders. Pure power machinations are thus employed, and it does lend to a powerful power contest but mostly put into criminal and other dark force realms. The Ninth Gate,as well as The Queen of the South, are powerful feminist statements as well, but as for the Ninth Gate, it appears that as far as the Satanic realm of covens and empowerment goes, oppressive Patriarchy surmounts the struggle with full support of the material and dark spiritual- dimension where these struggles are also carried out. I still have to wait and see if The Queen of the South carries out the success of patriarchy over a matriarchal power play or not, I hope Perez-Reverte has gained a different perspective or more of a leaning towards women achieving success outside of marriage, in a - pseudo-feminist approach to this dilemma, written by a man in a male-dominated genre of movie and entertainment corporate structure,than in The Ninth Gate which has offered the usual male- dominated hierarchical theme.