Ronin (1998)

A freelancing former U.S. Intelligence Agent tries to track down a mysterious package that is wanted by the Irish and the Russians.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

J.D. Zeik (story), J.D. Zeik (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Sam
Jean Reno	...	Vincent
Natascha McElhone	...	Deirdre
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Gregor
Sean Bean	...	Spence
Skipp Sudduth	...	Larry
Michael Lonsdale	...	Jean-Pierre
Jan Tríska	...	Dapper Gent
Jonathan Pryce	...	Seamus O'Rourke
Ron Perkins	...	Man with the Newspaper
Féodor Atkine	...	Mikhi
Katarina Witt	...	Natacha Kirilova
Bernard Bloch	...	Sergi
Dominic Gugliametti	...	Clown Ice Skater
Alan Beckworth	...	Clown Ice Skater

Storyline

Ronin is the Japanese word used for Samurai without a master. In this case, the Ronin are outcast specialists of every kind, whose services are available to everyone - for money. Dierdre (undoubtedly from Ireland) hires several Ronin to form a team in order to retrieve an important suitcase from a man who is about to sell it to the Russians. After the mission has been completed successfully, the suitcase immediately gets switched by a member of the team who seems to work into his own pocket. The complex net of everyone tricking everyone begins to surface slowly, and deadly...

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Plot Keywords:

ronin | case | suitcase | ex kgb | irish | 

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Taglines:

Anyone is an enemy for a price.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK France USA

Language:

English French Russian

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ronin

Filming Locations:

Allée François Aragon, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,697,641, 27 September 1998

Gross USA:

$41,616,262

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$41,616,262

Company Credits

Production Co:

FGM Entertainment, United Artists, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

David Mamet worked on the film as a script doctor. He re-wrote a significant amount of the script, making major changes to character and dialogue from J.D. Zeik's original. There was a dispute among the studio, Director John Frankenheimer and the WGA over the credit, with MGM and the WGA insisting that Zeik be given story credit and billing over Mamet. They wouldn't back down, and so Mamet asked that his name either be removed or placed under a pseudonym. The credits of the film now read "Story by J.D. Zeik. Screenplay by J.D. Zeik and Richard Wiesz".

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Goofs

During the BMW/Peugeot chase in Paris, when the car falls of the front of the auto transport truck, you can clearly see the catapult bouncing back into its stowed position.

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Quotes

[the arms dealers want to complete the deal inside a tunnel]
Sam: You aren't going in there?
Spence: Yeah, I'm going in there. And so are you.
Sam: Why am I going in there?
Spence: Why? To protect me.
Sam: There is no protection there. If it's a come-on, we're fish in a barrel. What are you doing? Why do they want you in there? What are you, crazy?
Spence: You know, you think too hard.
Sam: Nobody ever told me that before. But I wouldn't go in there.

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Alternate Versions

The print of the opening titles, starting "In Feudal Japan..." before the film title "Ronin" appears on-screen, on all UK DVD releases from the 11th October 2004 release does not have the original large font that exists on the original theatrical print and TV broadcasts. Instead it is much smaller and does not feel correct especially when one knows the movie and is not consistent with the font titles used throughout the film and the end credits. The 2000/2001 UK DVD MGM original 1 disc release, catalogue number 15745DVD (EAN 5050070000207) does oontain the correct font. All subsequent UK media releases do not contain the correct font (including the Definitive Edition in steelbook packaging!)

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood's Hottest Car Chases (2010)

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Soundtracks

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Variation 18
Written by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Courtesy of BMG Classics/RCA Victor
(used during the solo figure-skating sequence)

User Reviews

The ultimate McGuffin

A pretty decent action outing for Robert De Niro and John Frankenheimer. Good photography of some of the seedier neighborhoods of Paris and other French cities. This film is quintessential De Niro, and he gets all the good lines. There is an interesting revelation at the end, which I will not reveal here. The case everyone is after, is a complete McGuffin, what Hitchcock called that plot device, the thing which everyone wants, and it doesn't really matter exactly what that is. I think that Frankenheimer may have been paying homage to Hitchcock on this, as what is in the case is never revealed. Apparently David Mamet was the script doctor on this film, and it ended up OK. I am of two minds on Mamet, having liked "The Untouchables" a lot, and disliked "Glengarry Glen Ross" and loathed "Oleanna". I also liked Natascha McElhone, who I had never heard of. She is a beautiful and accomplished actress. Some people complained about her brogue. OK, she's not Meryl Streep. But then again, who is? A lot of actors won't even try. I look forward to seeing more of her.

Oh, yeah, and some of the car chases were really, really cool, almost McQueenian.