Ronin (1998)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

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

Release Date:

25 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Your ally could become your enemy

Plot:

A freelancing former US intelligence agent tries to track down a mysterious package that is wanted by both the Irish and the Russians.

Plot Keywords:

Case | Suitcase | Russian | Irish | Ex KGB

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Sam
Jean Reno	...	Vincent
Natascha McElhone	...	Deirdre
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Gregor
Sean Bean	...	Spence
Skipp Sudduth	...	Larry
Michael Lonsdale	...	Jean-Pierre
Jan Triska	...	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

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and some language.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | French | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:R (certificate #35655) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Brazil:12 | Brazil:14 (DVD re-rating) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Ireland:15 | Italy:T | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Iceland:16 | Denmark:15

Filming Locations:

Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Company:

FGM Entertainment

Trivia:

During one of the car chase sequences where Gregor (Stellan Skarsgård) is dictating directions to Sam (Robert De Niro) from a computer terminal, Avid film editing software - the software used to edit the film - is visible on the screen.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The coordinates given of Nice area Lat 51 deg 52' 23" Lg 13 deg 5' 18", which is actually south of Berlin. Nice is at 43 deg 35" N 7 deg 15" E.

Quotes:

Sam: What's in the case?
Deirdre: That isn't necessary.
Sam: Is it heavy, is it explosive, is it chained to some unlucky bloke's wrist? Are we gonna have to chop it off?
Deirdre: All right. But I am not under any obligation to let you know...
Sam: If not, the price has gotta go up. I'll get you the case, but the price has gotta go up. If it's gonna be a amateur night, I want a hundred thousand dollars. I want it upfront. I want it in a bank account. I want another $100,000 when you get the case.
Deirdre: [after a phone conversation with someone] You'll get your money when we get the case.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy (2001)

Soundtrack:

Time To Say Goodbye (Con te partirò)

A film that lives up to its high expectations

"Ronin" is one of those rare action films like "The French Connection" and "To Live and Die in L.A." that will keep a viewer watching from beginning to end. The performances in this movie are nothing short of superb and terrific. All of the key characters deserve a lot of credit, ranging from De Niro, Reno, McElhrone, Pryce, Skarsgard, and especially, Michael Lonsdale, who fills in the missing link with such detail and looks like he made the little samurai action figures with extreme care. The best scene of the film isn't the shootouts or car chases, it's the conservation that Sam (De Niro) and Jean-Pierre (Lonsdale) have over the Ronin myth. I'll have to admit that "Ronin" is the first film that I have seen was made by the crafty veteran director John Frankenheimer ("Grand Prix", "The Manchurian Candidate"). If you haven't seen "Ronin", go to a video store and rent the movie now.