everyone didn't die at the end (at the hands of Lucifer).

actually was the devil

the devil

the devil

the devil

breasts.

devil

Elizabeth Hurley

#1.
Towards the end of the film, Balkan solves the enigma of the Nine Gates by reuniting all of the Lucifer engravings, and reads the riddle to himself (and a watching Corso). The riddle (as far as I would make out) is `To travel in silence; by a long a secretous (confusing?) path; to brave the arrows of misfortune; and fear neither noose nor fire; to play the greatest game and win; foregoing all expense; is to make a (something?) of faith; and gain at last the key; that will unlock the ninth gate.'

If you watch the film closely, you will find that Corso does indeed, albeit unknowingly, follow the instructions in the riddle. He travels discretely; the path certainly is confusing; he had many misfortunes, but persists; when confronted with his dead friend (on the noose), and in several places fire, he is not afraid; he certainly played the game of looking for (and getting) the engravings; he spared no expense, notice the bribes and tips that he passes around; and at the Baroness's library he proclaimed his failing faith.

Perhaps Balkan had also done similar deeds, but since the last engraving was a forgery, and gave the wrong instructions, he failed to open the Gate.

Who made the forgery? Obviously the Ceniza brothers. When Corso met them, they showed ample knowledge of what was required to forge a book like the Nine Gates. Their solution was to forge only a single sheet in the book. Being specialists in antique bookbinding, they could very well have replaced the page. You can make up your own mind why they did it. Was it because they knew the power of the book and wanted to make sure that anybody who tried to open the Gate would fail, or were they agents of Lucifer who wanted to be able to choose whom (s)he allowed to access the Gate?
What was behind the Ninth Gate? What do _you_ think? Hell, heaven, ultimate power, ultimate suffering? It's whatever you think it is. You don't have to be told, just decide what it is yourself.

Why wasn't Corso arrested for murder? Who actually saw him at the murder scenes? In New York it was the taxi driver who would probably not find out about the murder anyway. In Portugal, Fargas lived by himself and probably didn't tell anyone that Corso was visiting him. In France there were two witnesses, but they only caught a glimpse of Corso fleeing the scene, and even if they did recognize him, the police still had to find him, and he skipped town pretty soon after.
All in all, I think that there are answers for just about any questions you could ask about the film. But you must, as the Ceniza brothers would say, `think!'

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#2:
Many people have expressed a lot of confusion over The Girl, but they're missing the point of the film entirely. *She* is Lucifer. First of all, as it's been noted elsewhere, she is the only character that exhibits supernatural powers in the whole movie, in spite of the fact that there's more satanists than you could throw a rock at. Throughout the film she guides and assists Johnny Depp's character Corso, showing up at the most opportune moments, giving him information he'd never be able to get otherwise (like the girl's last name, St. Martin, and the location of the last page).
But the most crucial element here, and one I haven't seen mentioned before, is that SHE is the "Ninth Gate". It's the mirror image of divine grace. Corso is chosen by Lucifer herself, tempted by her, and led to the final realization of what's been going on all this time. She tempted him and he accepted. He was already somewhat sleazy to begin with, his soul already tainted, which was symbolized by his indulgence in so many vices. This is not a guy you can count on to "do the right thing." Witness the way he bashed the satanist's head in with the butt of the gun and then didn't seem too upset about it. In fact he hardly registered it at all--The Girl was more moved by the murder than he was.
Absolutely no one could have told Corso where the last page of the gate engravings was except Lucifer. Corso was hand-picked. I mean, would you give Ultimate Power to just any bozo? Of course not. That was the whole idea behind the puzzle of the nine pages in the first place. It weeded out idiots like Boris Balkan. He thought he could get power by figuring out the puzzle but he was as ridiculous as the robed and cowled satanists that he derided at the chateau.
All in all, I think many people missed the entire point of this movie which is somewhat disheartening. When you see The Girl's picture on the last page it should all come together for you.

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#3:

The first engraving (I) seen is of a Knight on horseback riding towards the castle with the inscription 'SI.VM E.T AV.AM' which is translated be the character Boris Balkan to read 'Silence is Golden'. The significance being the number of towers within the castle de Purvert in southern France featured in the final scene of the movie. All the important engraving baring the engravers mark of "LCF" (Lucifer) as adapted from the Delamonicon

The second engraving (VI) to be seen in the movie is of the Man hung by one leg that scene Bernie Orsteen is found murdered by Corso as to being demonically crucified symbolized by the crossing of the legs.

The third engraving (III) in the film is of the Archer, which indeed does resemble the Ceniza brothers. The significance is of course the scaffolding falling like arrow from the skies.

The fourth engraving (II) in the film is of the hermit representing the character of Victor Fargess. From him Corso is given the "Key to unlocking the secret of the book. His is now able to compare the engravings and discover their deviation... Here now he has the key to enter the game represented by the labyrinth, and of course the fool represents him. This is depicted in the fifth engraving (IIII).

When Corso goes to see Barrenness Kessler, he shows her the two engravings (I & VII) key (the variations within the engravings) thus the pupil outshines the master; Kessler being the master (King) and Corso being the pupil (peasant) playing chess (VII) The sixth engraving (VIII) seen in the movie is the Franciscan monk and the knight holding a mace. This represents Corso being struck from behind while studying Barrenness Kessler's copy of the Nine Gates in her library. Note: the halo represents the "albino man" as seen at the beginning of the fight sequence along the river Seine. The Great Dane seen after the burning Barrenness Kessler’s library probably represents either Lucifer or the "The Girl" In regards to the "The Girl" represents a witch acting as a sentinel guarding the Ninth Gate. The statements make by Boris Balkan during his lecture on witchcraft. He states that: "…A witch is a person who though cognizant of the laws of God, endeavor to act through the medium of a pact with the devil…" She appears to be an oracle for her Master, as she orchestrates the course events by casting spells that determine Corso’s fate… One may assume that once entering the Ninth Gate Corso has reached the next level or another ethereal plane. And it may be consider the next level of the game.

The fifth engraving (V) (not shown in the film) is of an old bearded man sitting, and counting a sack of coins. He is in the presence of a hooded skeletal figure that holds in one hand an hourglass and in the other holds a pitchfork. This probably represents Liana Telfer/ St. Martin and Andrew Telfer. For it was Mr. Telfer whose money was used to restore his wife’s chateau and to purchase the "Nine Gates" for her. The elements of the engraving are symbolized by the hourglass being of ones time on earth and the pitchfork, the harvesting of a soul or ones fortune.

The final engraving(s) (VIIII) one is of the sentinel sitting on the back seven headed serpent, and flames rising from the castle in the background. The Ceniza brothers forged this engraving; then Corso discovered the authentic ninth engraving upon his return to their abandoned bookstore. The second ninth engraving depicts the sentinel/witch pointing the way towards an unearthly/ethereal emanating from within the castle.

The Solution to Ninth Gate Enigma: (According to Boris Balkan)

I. TO TRAVEL IN SILENCE,
IIII. BY A LONG AND CIGURITOUS ROUTE. III. TO BRAVE THE ARROWS OF MISFORTUNE, VI. AND FEAR NIETHER NOOSE NOR FIRE. VII. TO PLAY THE GREATEST OF ALL GAMES AND WIN. V. FORGOING NO EXPENSE… VIII. IS TO MOCK THE FLISITUDES OF FATE, II. AND GAIN, AT LAST THE KEY IX. THAT WILL UNLOCK THE NINTH GATE

Here is my take on the symbolic meaning of the last scene of the Ninth Gate… Dean Corso is allow to continue "The Game", and as Balkan put it " I am (now Corso) entering uncharted territory, taking road that leads to equality with God." Dean Corso is the first worthy opponent in three and a half centuries to play the Devil’s Game.