In the opening scene of Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate, we are thrown into a bleak and
some-what colorless world filled with books, surrounding a man, later known as Telfer,
who is fervently writing away at his desk in his personal library. The colors used in this
scene are carried throughout the remaining themes of Part I and II, mostly browns and
grays, which are earthy tones that tend to signify wealth, stability and a blend of intellect.
As the camera begins to pull away from Telfer and pan left, the eyes are drawn to a stool
that stands alone in the room and then tilts upward to the noose that hangs from the
chandelier. This opening scene sets the dramatic tone by Polanski, alluding to the viewer
that the tone of the movie, which begins with Telfer’s suicide, will likely contain a plot that
challenges our opinion of the status quo based on what is seemingly a wealthy man who is
willing to give up on his life.
Promptly after Telfer’s death, our eyes are then drawn to the mass of books along the
shelves that appear alike in form, shape and color – this allows the viewer to quickly notice
the gap on the bookshelf, with one particular book missing. You must then question what
the importance of this one book means and how does it relate to Telfer’s death?
The next scene begins with a skyline pan of New York City, eventually pulling the camera
back into an apartment window, next to an older gentleman in a wheelchair who appears to
