The Ninth Gate [Blu-ray]
by Roman Polanski
![The Ninth Gate [Blu-ray]](/images/The-Ninth-Gate-Blu-ray-B0027VTMAE-L.jpg)
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Blu-ray details
Actor: Barbara Jefford, Emmanuelle Seigner, Frank Langella, Johnny Depp, Lena OlinDirector: Roman Polanski
Brand: Lions Gate
Writer: Roman Polanski
Writer: John Brownjohn
Writer: Enrique Urbizu
Writer: Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Blu-ray: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 133 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: 2009-08-11
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lionsgate
Blu-ray Reviews of The Ninth Gate [Blu-ray]
Blu-ray Review: The Ninth Gate on Blu-ray.
Summary: 4 Stars
This review and rating is really about the Blue-ray of The Ninth Gate, rather than the film itself. The reviews here about the movie itself ought to be sufficient enough to make people informed about this quirky mystery/thriller, its absorbing pace, and what it is all about.
I have seen this film a few times on the standard version I own, and I just watched the Blu-ray for the first time last night. First off, this first Blu-ray edition of The Ninth Gate says the runtime is 93 minutes. That is a very, very wrong typo on the back on the box and on the dvd itself. The DVD is the original 133 min cut same as the standard dvd. The Blu-ray indeed has the complete, unedited movie. You can just ignore the mistaken run time listed. Really though, what a bad mistake to make on a dvd. It risks making some people who are familiar with the film that this is just some sort of edited version not worth owning. Not to mention that those not familiar with the film may be deceived by this mistaken time claim as well, by planing their night or whatever around watching a much shorter film and ending up with a far longer film on their hands. Really, is this too hard to fix or get straight? Come on.
Anyway, I liked it the Blue-ray. It wasn't perfect, and I think it could have been better in places, but it really did indeed seem like a step above the regular standard dvd. I know that Blu-ray dot com mentioned some less than thrilling things about the job done on the Blue-ray here. They gave the video quality a two and a half out of five (they did give the audio high marks though). I thought the DTS soundtrack was impressive enough. And they did admit that several close ups on the Blu-ray looked pretty good when in comparison to the standard dvd.
Yes, The Ninth Gate is a first generation Blu-ray release. I watched it on good quality high def equipment last night, and there indeed is room for improvement here and there. I found some scenes to have some grain in the background that was not necessary, but not terribly distracting. At least textures did not seem waxy! This is not a film that has lost all its grain and texture. I did not find this Blu-ray abused with too much DNR. Colour saturation was actually very nice. The picture was generally clear and sharp. Comments on the Blu-ray version having washed out colours are debatable here with this one. When light streams in behind the actors through various types of windows, there is going to be less colour in some areas. There is a lot of backlighting in the movie to begin with. I think this transfer did a decent job of carrying over the intent of the films creators of lighting and cinematography. And that is the most important thing. I'd rather see too little remastering and the intent of the film makers preserved, than too much tinkering around and that intent lost in trying to make some sort of flash film that looses too much of its realistic grain, contrast, etc., and becomes a DNR waxy mess.
Most of the time, it seems to me that Blu-ray dot com is pretty dead on with their reviews. I think with this film, they might have been a bit overcritical. Probably because this Blu-ray kinda straddles the line on between what could have been a truly magnificent version vs., capturing the film makers intent.
Overall, the Blu-ray really didn't disappoint me. It may not be the final say on this film, but it is an improvement and a step in the right redirection. Seeing as how they may never make another Blu-ray version of this film (my concern is that the digital downloading world is catching up and that, like mp3's, quality may become very sporadic for a while with downloading until it supposedly is all "finally" sorted out as well), this may be our last shot at a good dvd copy right here. Its a decent job for sure.
As for the extra's, it is pretty much everything carried over from the standard as far as I can tell. A commentary by the director. A short making of documentary. Stills and explanations of the drawings in the film (that might be on the standard I can't remember). And some miscellaneous trailers I didn't bother to look at.
Hope this review helps in your thinking about the Blu-ray for The Ninth Gate. Be safe out there.
Description of The Ninth Gate [Blu-ray]
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