Corso is the chosen one. The green eyes woman pinned on him right at the beginning until the end of the film. She saved him from all the troubles and performed all the rituals to lead him to his new identity. The whole movie is about this process. All the other characters and their associated stories are decorations. Near the end, the green eyes woman told corso that all the copies are faked because she is the only one who has the real one. All the characters were killed and their copies destroyed. IMO, the woman did all these. Balken was killed by corso which may be a pass to join the Satan.

@@greenb1a she's Roman polanskis wife

I love me some smart girl you are a smart girl you have talented skills Beyond The Pale

Anyone who gets or enjoys the 98 definitely has a good idea about what good cinema should be I give you great props for that not many people get it two older twins a beautiful Green Eyed Girl Johnny Depp and what more do you need it is cinematical Fantastico

I truly wish that I had written it because it did everything that I wanted in a movie and I love Johnny Depp in that I was never a big fan of him but now I absolutely am does that make sense

That's because majority is retarded

@@RakibHasan-hs1me Oh come on! Like any Hollywood movie it was just a silly lot of nonsense, a fantasy. Enjoying Hollywood fantasy doesn't prove you have high intelligence. It was lacking in content and what there was had to be stretched with the slow pace.

It's a terrible movie

@bryoneill11 alright mate

Mikhail Lionel go fuck yourself fuck head

I noticed it too but then thought that obviously polanksi would be aware of that happening, so it only fits that he did it intentionally. I think, at least with the smoking, the devil deals in fire and smoke, so maybe some kind of symbolism? Or it's the devil's personal work, he's not going to let anything happen to it?

@T.D. Newsh excuse my ignorance, but why a temperature controlled room?

@@TheDreamGuy85 Moisture in the air affects the paper and ink

@@chrish8229 Thank you.

im probably going to kill myself today because i simply dont want to live anymore and have not one thing to look forward to that i can hope to see. all i do is cry everyday all day and its only going to get worse til i die so i pray i die today in the next 10 minutes. i never been good at seeing or hearing hints. its always problems and solutions and if they was trying to say something it totally missed me cause all i see is nothing im willing to live for and that will never do so good bye i cant say any of it was good ever.

Defenstrator I agree, but it seems Satan sent the green eyes lady...

Corso is Don Quixote. Balkin and Mrs. Telfer are the fakes. Just like the books, two fakes and one real (just realized the connection/parallel), thanks.

agreed. it also corresponded with Balkan handing over the book to Corso to take on the quest instead of him. she goes with the book

@@fantasyvsreality1013 green eyed lady was satan himself

@@madhurverma6004 I don't think so, my top theory is she's a witch of some sort, she's the key to the final gate, I'm thinking of making an analysis of this film.

Losers

Flaws ? What flaws ?

@@andreeamanoliu4583there are none...some people will never go all in on something, i think it's insurance in case their opinion turns out to be wrong.

It was in Spain actually

@@DamiiStyle The castle ruin at the end is located in south western France

The cinematography!

@@DamiiStylepeople who say "actually" are always wrong

Wisconsin Living Since u've seen it so many times, help me out with something please. What's with the postcard showing that castle on fire before it happens were we see the exact same view as on the card ? Why does Depp go back into the burning castle at the end? Is that a demon or Satan that protects him throughout the whole film ? And what is implied & for what reason does she sleep with him for ? A satanic offspring ? Spawn the antichrist ? I too have seen this movie a lot, but I have a hard time putting it together. If you only knew what I do for a living u'd be laughing at me. I have my own theories about some things that take place in this film, but they are not giving me any closure. Even these uploaded reviews differ greatly in their attempts to explain these things. Usually when you come on here & search for a films meaning & ending explained, there has to be at least 10 or 12, yet this film only offers a few & they are all different & confusing.

Adam chewy I don't claim to have anymore incite than anyone else who's reviewed the film. Any opinion I have on the film is strictly my own and doesn't mean that is what the director intended.

Adam chewy The postcard was sent by Balkin to the Barroness and it stated that he found it first. The castle was of importance in the ritual that was needed in order to pass through the 9th gate. Balkin got that part right, as we see that is the location of the consummation between Corso and the girl, and then also the gateway to hell.

This movie and book are allegories about biblical Gnosticism and Kingdom of Heaven. LCF and shell references are references to Revelations 22:16. Bright and morning star is planet Venus (Boticelli-Birth of Venus) Pagan Roman Goddess of love beauty fertility sex and prostitution aka Lucifer meaning the bringer of light in Latin proves Jesus' ministry is supposed to mirror the Book of Joshua-(same name as Jesus in Hebrew)- and the story of Jericho- only the harlot/prostitute/innkeeper Rahab and her household were saved. Mary Magdalene is obviously the correct answer to Matthew 11:27/Luke 10:22 i.e. Father becomes Daughter, Mother becomes Son. That's the symbolic meaning of all the word and number palindromes in the Bible and Gospels that Jesus himself emphasizes at Matthew 16 without explaining why thus leaving it up to the reader to figure out what it means, and why many parables take place on the road to Jericho. The Club Dumas, which this movie is based on, also mentions/emphasizes palindromes. Coincidence? Obviously not. The Amen at Revelation 3:14 is monotheistic pagan Egyptian name for God same idea as Hindu Brahmin that all Gods/Godesses are different aspects of the androgynous Amen. Gen 1:26-7 is actually pagan Egyptian in origin, as well as the two Creation and Flood stories, with the original intended meaning that God's image is male and female which, obviously, it would have to be in order for males and females to be made in God's image. Tree of Life is also only mentioned in Gen and Rev i.e. alpha and omega books of Bible. Rev 3:14/the Amen explains good shepherd/wolf motif in john 10 sheepgate parable among many other things because Osiris the Good Shepherd and his jealous, homicidal werewolf brother Set were two of the most prominent deities in the Pagan Egyptian pantheon. Hebrew OT deity is Devil/jealous homicidal Werewolf/Beast Set(brother of Osiris the Good Shepherd) who wants everyone to be sociopaths and psychopaths instead of eating fruit from Tree of Knowledge of what is Good and what is Evil i.e. a conscience which means 'with knowledge" in latin, which is why Revelations 11-13 says the Devil tricks the whole world into worshipping the Beast minus those whose names were written in the Book of Life. Osiris the Good Shepherd, who is a married adulterer like Zeus, says if you live your life according to knowledge of what is good and what is evil (your conscience) he will grant you godhood in the form of eternal life. Twin passages of Matthew 23:13 and Luke 11:52 prove Chrisitanity is a 2 level mystery religion-you need the Key to a House of Knowledge to enter Kingdom of Heaven living amongst us to figure out the intended meaning of parables and symbolism and temple furniture ala Matthew 13:10 and Isaiah 6:9 which explains why John 13:18 says some apostles chosen and some not. Key is in my avatar. Cannabis is sacrament in Hinduism(monotheistic paganism) at right hand of Ark of the Covenent/Almighty coming on the clouds of Heaven. Isaiah 57:16, Psalm 103:9 and Lamentations 3:31 all say Gods wrath does not last forever because if it did the souls He made would feint before Him. Reincarnation is only afterlife theology that fits suffering serveant passages at Isaiah 53, because a long life is still a finite life which the suffering servant is said to live after dying and being buried among the rich, which Jesus reteaches at Matthew 11:14 and elsewhere. Josephus records that Saducee and Pharisee are afterlife theologies that Jesus obviously wants people to reject and Paul declares himself to still be Pharisee at Acts 23 which is ae theology of the epistles i.e. literal resurrection/final judgement/unbiblical eternal punishment. Saducee means belief in no soul and no afterlife. Aionion obviously means age enduring or lifetime-enduring not eternal. I hope people who read this become enlightened. Read 101 Myths of the Bible by Gary Greenberg President of Biblical Archaeology Society of New York. Seek and you shall find and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free and we know the scripture cannot be changed. Not sure if smoking is a good idea though in the long run. Try topicals and edibles (at the right dosage) instead.

Wow! You wrote a whole bunch of fucking shit!

great explenation :-)

Phenomenal easement.

She represents the whore of babylon, not a familiar. That's why you see her riding the dragon in one of the engravings. She helps fullfills greed, selfishness and sin to the pagan. Hence always there to help Corso.

And she leads him down the right path/road to St. Marten's chateau. Good catch.

she is sure to not influence his decisions, she follows the book, and Corso's instructions. only time she really helps him (other than physically) she points out St-Martin.

Yes, I always viewed that as an act of mercy...I'd rather be shot and die instantly than a prolonged death of excruciating pain.

It’s a great book. Middling movie.

It really is one of the rare instances where the movie is better than the movie imo. The dumas club plot of the book wasn't nearly as interesting as the occult elements.

Years ago I tried to read the book, didn't even make it half way through it, it was terrible.

True, the Devil seeks him out.

Corso WAS the Devil, him going through the gate is the Devil going back to heaven.

He doesn't have to 'summon' the devil. He 'walked' through the nine gates quite literaly throughout the movie, as described in the opening credit that leads to the title.

At the end Balkan actually summon the devil. Dean Corso showed up.

@@gedion749 If we're assuming this is rooted in Christian mysticism, he's not the devil. The last engraving shows the girl sitting astride the beast with seven heads, which I presume was a reference to her riding him outside that same castle. The beast and the devil are different characters. However, it is interesting from the point of view that the serpent in the garden of Eden story is later conflated with the devil by Christians, and the serpent's big no-no was to bring knowledge to the world, much like the Greek myth of Prometheus. Corso enters the gate because he's in pursuit of knowledge. The castle used for the final scene was, notably, the site of the final conflict between the Catholic church and the Cathars, who believed the Christian god to be a false god.

It's definitely a bibliophile's dream movie. Such love and reverence for literature. Makes me miss my library.

I loved the end. Corso (Who is Satan) got back into heaven.

@@jasonmanwell8155 This is the satanic gnostic view of the world and hence of this plot.

@@fansofst.maximustheconfess8226 This movie is about 2 paths. If you follow the material path like Balkan that wants egocentric power, it will lead to your destruction. Corso on the other hand (Who is the Devil in the movie and is helped by Green eyes (The whore of Babylon))seeks knowledge and enlightenment, the spiritual path and is led to "Heaven". If you look at the engravings, the knight with his finger over his mouth showing silence which is how you meet God, total silence and stillness, not even thought. Or the reaper standing over the man counting coins, signifying that you must not seek material goods or it will lead you down a path of destruction. The chess game where it shows that we are equel to God because we are a part of God; and it also shows the dogs fighting (Competing - Egocentrism) with The moon (God) looking on unhappily because competing and ego is the wrong path to return back to God. All of the engravings are steps to be taken to receive the gift of enlightenment, and Corso represents everyone who is not on that path ("Sinning" Because he is the Devil), but if you change your actions and pursue the spiritual path like he did at the end then you will fulfill your purpose for being here, to return home with God.

That's polanski for you. His movies don't really end...

@@jasonmanwell8155 the blonde girl is actually Satan imo

Ha, haven't thought about it this way

That's what i thought too, Lucifer is summoned back as the new born that they conceive.

Good observation. Hadnt thought of that.

Genius, sort of like a succubus. Nice observation kind stranger.

It's obviously one of my favorite Depp performances. The only other one that compares would be Donnie Brasco.

Makes you wish Depp had pursued more serious roles in the years that followed this film.

Same here. We must be in love with the devil.

Kubrick also used rear projection in EWS. They are sister films, about the same subject.

Because the shadow is symbolic of subconscious; not one's soul

@@JiandiP I dont think that was the meaning of a shadow in the book, but I could be wrong

@@curtiswashington8536 Shadow is an international military agency establish to protect our planet from alien incursions.

@@curtiswashington8536 it's important you brought that up and ill tell you why. I have not read the book but have been reading a fairly rare academic book, "The Red Goddess" based on The Whore of Babylon which found her way in Rev. from the Bible but was known thoughiut the ancient world. In Rev., she rides a red dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. If you recall, the woman from the movies rides a Red Viper. She represents a means to ascension via the union of opposites. Literally speaking, this is the act of ("Holy") sex. Figuratively speaking, this is a union of the subconscious and conscious ego. This book came out 2007 but this dynamic has been known, perpetuated by the Adepts for centuries.

Sign of bad cgi…

Absolutely. How can anyone not see this? It's a blatant act of mercy.

The book is explicit -- she is a fallen angel in the story. She describes to Corso at one point the experience of rebelling against God and losing the battle.

@@dashx1103 Thanks ! "Fallen angels" are normally associated with _Hell_ , as Lucifer was also a falling angel symbolized as a falling star, hence the name "Lucifer", meaning "lightbearer".

@@drumstick74 😈

In the film I’d say she’s Balkin’s familiar who is also Lucifer’s assigned familiar . She’s introduced at Balkin’s talk while he’s discussing Witch’s familiars. Otherwise she’s Lucifer.

@@bardoface Fair assumption! :)

Hahahah that part was super hilarious

I like those connections. I fell down a rabbit hole of connections when writing my new Hellraiser video (on hold until I hit 50 patrons). However, you're confusing Balkin's actor (Frank Langella) with Christopher Lee (Sauromon from LOTR), who was in 6 films with Johnny Depp - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dark Shadows, Hugo, Alice in Wonderland, Sleepy Hollow, and Corpse Bride.

@@DubiousConsumption Thank you for the clarification. For some reason, Christopher Lee has a more extensive filmography with great talent, yet the dark energy of the villans they act is similar to me, occult, charismatic and ominous. I am only too glad you straightened that out.

@@jmallett6081 Have you seen the director's cut of the original Wicker Man? Christopher Lee plays the administrator of the Island, but seems to be manipulating it more than actually buying into it.

@@DubiousConsumption I have seen Wicker man, not sure if it is the version you mention. His character may or may not believe in the pagan religion, yet he mentioned his father's using it and so he is using it, genrrational. A lot of people who are doctors, lawyers, scientists, and seemingly influential types use the occult for their own reasons. The question is why do things like rituals with children and women, murder and cross dress for something you don't believe in? In an interview, Christopher Lee stated that Satanism and paganism is throughout the British area and it is very real. Why would people think about such atrocities unless they receive something out of this? Like most religion, it is also a game of the mind and real things happening in a world we cannot see. In certain places how can we feel energy or uneasiness without knowing why. As the saying goes, the greatest lie the devil played is making you believe that he doesn't exist.

This is the first real reasoning that makes me want to appreciate the end twist of the book, rather than feeling like it was tossing the baby out with the bathwater.

What can you really define as 'real'?

I just finished it again minutes ago and I'd have to agree.

Primus Knight yeah he didn’t like the man but you don’t want to see someone burned alive, even your own worst enemy.

The movie is one of my favorites. I wish I could've talked about the score, because I find myself throwing on The Ninth Gate only to sit on the menu, listening to that bit of score for hours without realizing I haven't turned on the movie. There were things to enjoy in the book, but the last minute rug pull really ruined it for me. It's similar to a lot of issues people have with YellowBrickRoad, which I discuss in my other video. With YBR, I was able to disassociate the ending from the rest and find the greatness in the story. And I think that's what draws me into The Ninth Gate over the book: focus.

@@DubiousConsumption yeah, the book has a VERY different feel to the film, i agree the film has more focus, but i really enjoyed the book too, the theme of salvation through love is rather beautiful. Edit: and yes, the score for the movie is wonderful, very evocative

@@DubiousConsumption i also think you've missed the reference in the film to the Cathars, the castle at the end is an ancient Cathar fort. The Cathars believed the Christian god is actually a false god, a demiurge, and satan is the real good guy, Lucifer, the lightbringer, similar to Prometheus . So Corso becomes enlightened, passing through the nine gates out of the kingdom of shadow , in fact Corso is the devil. "Green eyes" is the whore of babylon , shown riding the beast outside the Cathar castle in the engraving and also for real as she fucks Corso as the castle burns. Another thing pointing to Corso being the devil is Balkans ceremony, as he gets to the bit where the devil is meant to appear who makes an entrance!? In fact Corso treats Balkan as Lucifer would treat such a power hungry fool, he tricks him into destroying himself, finishing the job with a bullet in the back of the head. Remember this is a gnostic film, the devil is the good guy, true path to enlightenment, god is a fake, holding us in the world of shadow.

They could represent Cerberus the twin headed dog that guards the gates to hell.

paul elephant Cerberus was Hades guard dog in Greek mythology. So the book wouldn’t orient towards that because it’s a monotheistic story.

The one brother was pictured in one of the prints as shooting arrows from above, just before the scaffold almost kills Corso down the alley. Minions? Forgers? Guides for Corso? All possible. Ask Roman, maybe he knows.

The one thing i still didn’t get it is why they were talking in spanish.

@@matheusmarques7009 Maybe because they were in Spain?

This and Donnie Brasco are my favorite Depp roles.

So, the book the brothers worked on included a forgery plate. Basically, their way of stopping whoever got all three books together to summon the devil. That's the reason it didn't work. When Corso goes back to the abandoned shop, the pages he finds are the real deal. So, at the end, he's headed back to complete the ritual, all with Green Eyes guiding him the whole way.

@@DubiousConsumption The very premise of Lucifer scattering the pages in different copies of the book struck me as a ridiculous idea. I could not take the occult part seriously, but I like the movie for all the other reasons.

The issue isn't that he lifted a subplot. He took 95% of the story, left out the rug pull from the next to the last chapter, and then finished the story that had been set up in the book. Glad you liked both. If I had read The Club Dumas first, I might've been more receptive to it. But, at this point, it really just feels like the author felt he was smarter than everyone else, and, in doing his reveal, left the rest of the story feeling underwhelming.

Yeah he did open all the secrets gates

it's the seven headed dragon.

Jb Montgomery I was thinking green eyes was the whore of babylon cause of how similar they both looked the depiction in the book and her. or its lucifer

I think in some ways lillith because of her being the Devils lover (as per the Jewish old testament describing her with green eyes) and being his right hand man if you forgive the term for all things seducing thoose in the intrest of the occult

@ Moose Well why wouldn't she be both ? Who is the whore of Babylon specifically? The sex scene in front of the burning castle gives us this clue since she is in the dominant position. And it was Lilith who would not lie beneath Adam and be subservient to him , having been created equally by god. This dismayed Adam ... So god made Eve out of his rib to be a more demure and subservient mate. Lilith was scorned by this ... and went off in the world to do who knows what ... having never ate of the tree that made Adam and Eve mortal.

So the whore of Babylon? Or did I misunderstand that, but they specifically mention her as one of the woodcarving prints.

The point about the whore of babylon ... is that she is Lilith

Problem is . . . It's called The Club Dumas. Named after Alexandre Dumas. Don Quixote was written by Miguel de Cervantes.

Dubious Consumption the four books he buys in the beginning of the movie and brings to Bernie’s book store.

@@jkarmazynsimba Yeah, but I never talk about that in my video. They say in the movie it's Don Quixote. I say "Lucas Corso (Dean in the film) acquires a chapter from The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas early on in the story, before being embroiled in the Satanic plot that dominates both versions." I'm clearly talking about the book here, my dude.

In the book, which I'm talking about, it is the Three Musketeers. It's why the book is called The Club Dumas.

@@DubiousConsumption sorry my mistake. Title is confusing. so you talk about the Book. I was to hasty with my comment. Thanks for the response.

We don't know what happened to the twins at the end. I always had the feeling like they were a ruse from the beginning, a la The Game. All we know is that they are no longer at that shop. Yes, the twins created the forgery during rebinding the book. That's why they were talking up how intricate the book was.

@@DubiousConsumption Yep ... any way there was another twin at the end seen at the shop don't you think they are the same twin from the beginning ? . Thanks for the reply

You are learning 8)

@@DineshC I think Polanski said that in the director's commentary on DVD that he made a year after the movie came out. It's online, but I forget where I saw it. Probably found it through the swisscows search engine.

He looks like he is walking into his own house, to my eyes.

Watched it many times, I stick with hints, Polanski gave in interviews, She is the Devil herself.

Being in southern Iraq, try Aramaic or Sanskrit or Hebrew.... If any of the words match up, then you will know it is a language derived from one of those three. Guess what language is the closest to Hebrew? Germans. Who made the first printing press? The Germans. Who printed the bible on mass first? Germans. Why is it German blood is traced back to Palestine? Why do people with coloured eyes (not brown) have the same ancestor?....think ww2 how do you smear the culture you are trying to destroy? Claim they think they are better than everyone else, so their true identity is never discovered. If you want to know where the Aryans are from, you have to look at where they are not.... In Iraq hps many indigenous white people with blonde hair and blue eyes in Iraq? 1 maybe 2? Its cos they have been enslaved and hunted for over 1500years. Be honest, as you were reading, I would bet all was fine until you read the name Aryan, then the brainwashing kicked in and most think of a skinhead or Nazi never are they seen as who they are...the lost tribes, forever to be persecuted

Paras mucker?

It's heavily implied that Balkan killed the two of them, since he ended up with all the full engravings, despite the books having been partially burned before Corso could get to them. The twist in the book is that it all had nothing to do with The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, so the brothers disappearing is a thrown away detail in the movie. In movie language, it feels like they nefariously disappeared, like they'd served their purpose (or had been found) and moved on. However, all we know is the shop is closed and they left the original page behind. Since it was left behind, I'd say they died (whether that was by Balkan or old age, we have no idea).

I don't know what happened to The Chicken Brothers (make me laugh).

that actress is his Polanski's wife

@@cleetusvd072 yes, and you win nothing.

@@RobertSlover yes you can pay later maybe

Yeah, it's weird. This is by far the one I spent the least thinking about and it's the one every flocks to. Try some of my newer stuff and see what you think.

I've been mulling this over for a few days, trying to pull something that fits the feel. I can't promise you'll get what your looking for, but here's what I've come up with. 8MM (1999) - Nic Cage investigates the disappearance of a girl, delving into the seedy world of Snuff films. True Detective (S1 & S3) - Split timeline detective story about missing children. Really good stuff. Dark City: Director's Cut (1997) - This version keeps the identity of the Strangers held back and treats it like a real detective story, as opposed to revealing everything in the opening monologue. Exorcist III (1990) - More of matching wits than a detective story, this is so much better than the original. Birth (2004) - A wealthy socialite dies. Ten years later, a kid shows up saying he's the woman's reincarnated husband. Weirdness ensues. Kill List (2011) - An assassin picks up three hits, only for it to get much darker and more evil than he thought. [Spoiler for content] . . . . . . Crosses lines with 8MM.

@@DubiousConsumption Thanks! I've only seen Dark City, but theatrical cut.

@kendzo92 The Movie The Changeling starring George C Scott . The Movie The Awakening Starring Charlton Heston

When I watch the Holcroft Covenant I start thinking of The Ninth Gate. I think it is the music. And you have a likeable star, in over his head, but instead of Satanists, the plot revolves around Nazis.

Oh, my dude, you're going to like my next video. It's on John Carpenter's Cigarette Burns. Should be done today or tomorrow. It'll have some recommendations but I'd throw out probably 8MM and In the Mouth of Madness. I guess I should ask: what about Ninth Gate are you trying to see in other films?

I mean, based on all the Crossroads myths, I think most would.

@@DubiousConsumption this movie shows many being killed knowing about the nine gates. that's not worth it. learning about God is a little different. But lcf, human beings are curious about lcf. Curiosity however will get you in trouble. So I'm stopping learning about lcf. I don't want to know more because it's creepy. This is just for me, everyone else has their choice.

I still can't believe I had a guy in the comments argue he hadn't learned to act by this point.

Oh, man, I watched some old movie the other day and I thought, "That is where Polanski got the inspiration for the Ceniza brothers scene." But I forget what it was. I believe it was a classic film.

I always loved this performance. Also really liked Secret Window back in the day. Need to watch that again.

I found the score hilariously cheesy

Yes, she said that, but in the book there is nothing explicitly supernatural. So it's up the reader to decide if the girl was a fallen angel or she was just crazy and mysterious.

@@mwont The Girl reminded me of the little angel that appears to Jesus when he is on the cross in the Last Temptation of Christ.