Ronin

John Frankenheimer didn't have a lot of credibility in his last few years. His final film was the rather crap Reindeer Games, with Ben Affleck, and in 1996 he gave us the utterly terrible Island Of Doctor Moreau. However, he did do Ronin in 1998, which makes up for absolutely everything.It is a detachment from glossy, MTV-directed, Hollywood action movies. If you want trash, like Bad Boys 2, then this isn't for you. Ronin returns to the gritty, rustic and deadly serious actioners of the Seventies, much like Frankenheimer's own French Connection 2.The title refers to Samurai warriors in ancient Japan who were left with no cause, or purpose, if their master was killed. They'd roam the countryside, pretending to be thieves, beggars, even madmen and hiring their skills out to the highest bidder. Much like the lost, wandering freelancers that make up our cast of characters.Robert De Niro is Sam, an ex-CIA agent (or is he?), who bands together with a ragtag group of similar ex-spies for a "no questions asked" job with what appears to be the IRA. First we have Vincent (the wonderful Jean Reno), as a French agent who knows where to find just about anything you want. Spence (Sean Bean) is a gung-ho SAS dropout who is waaaaay out of his depth and ends up jeopardizing the whole mission. Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard), an ex-KGB spy who knows his gadgets and another American called Larry (who is rather disposable). All of these men are led by Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), a young Irish woman who answers to Seamus O'Rourke (Jonathan Price), an IRA boss who is in a lot of trouble with his superiors.Still with me? No? Well I'm gonna continue anyway. The group's mission is to steal a metallic briefcase from the Russian Mafia. The contents of this case are a mystery; all we know is that a lot of people are willing to pay mucho plento to get their hands on it.As if the set-up wasn't tenuous enough, there is immediately too much suspicion within the group to bear. And the already complicated plot is thrown into endless chaos as double-crosses, double-double-crosses, secrets and lies screw things up in a big, big way.It sounds tough going, but it's not really. I'll admit I didn't really like Ronin when I first saw it (or the second or third for that matter), but it's one of those movies that creeps back on you. Frankenheimer's direction is so flawless and masterful that every frame of every scene flows effortlessly The acting is so well rehearsed and the cast so well chosen that even in every gesture, idiosyncrasy and subtle glance you can read into the characters' hidden motives. It takes a good number of viewings to decipher Ronin, but when the story is this well done, who cares? Since its release there have been few action films that have come close to its intensity. Some, like Bourne Identity/Supremacy try to emulate its bleak tone, but don't match up. Supremacy has a car chase that was desperate to beat Ronin's, but is far too flashy.That's also the ace up it's sleeve. About 80 minutes into the film, the second car chase is a juggernaut of film-making. Never before and probably never again for a long, long time, has there been a car chase so completely mental. No Michael Bay 1000 cuts a second, no slow-motion, no stunts silhouetted against the sunset, just sheer, relentless adrenaline, as DeNiro and Reno tear up the streets of Paris. It's the centerpiece of the movie and a perfect example of what REAL action film-making is.Elia Cmiral's score is the other utterly perfect aspect of the movie. Simultaneously lonely, seductive and mysterious, it surely is one of the best themes ever and anyone with sense would go out and buy the soundtrack CD right away.Ronin is perfection from beginning to end, from Frankenheimer's strong, imposing direction to David Mamet's script, riddled with cryptic dialogue and double-meanings.No one can deny Ronin's importance as a real action picture. No one can watch crap like xXx, or 6 Fast 6 Furious, and claim Ronin to be a bad movie. It has enough, maybe too much, integrity and intelligence to shame anything that comes even halfway close. If you're sick of action flicks, or films in general, where the audience just sits there passively and is fed information, then Ronin is the cure.It may sound like a bizarre comparison, but it's on par with Lost Highway, as one of those movies you have to figure out in your own damn time.The Blu Ray looks merely okay with a 1080p transfer. The film was shot in Super 35 (the credits incorrectly claim anamorphic Panavision) and was intended to look drab and miserable, so it's hard to fault the transfer. The DTS HD-MA sound design is loud and aggressive. There are no extras, which is stupid considering they already existed. Even the 1999 DVD had a Frankenheimer commentary!

The DVD was exactly as advertised - good condition, reasonably priced and delivered on time. Excellent !Misty Mountain Hop Shop did a very good job !

I just watched this again because it appeared on Prime. What a great movie it is. This is a spy movie for adults, even more mature than a Bourne movie. Robert De Niro gives a wonderful, understated performance. His character is tough as nails, but also obviously vulnerable in the way only a seasoned actor can be. As you watch this, contrast it with a James Bond film. Bond inevitably smirks through every scene, De Niro in Ronin, on the other hand, looks like he's constantly nervous about his surroundings. Sure, it's not as "cool," but it sure brings you into the world of the film.I remember seeing this when it first came out in theaters and enjoying it but not being as impressed as I was with this most recent viewing. Sometimes a film grows on you over time, and that's certainly the case here. There are a couple moments that I don't like, but they are very minor. I can recall two instances where the director set up a scene by flashing to some object before the object became relevant, and in both cases the forward flashes struck me as a bit clumsy. The "wrong way" sign is the more egregious of the two accompanied as it is by a surge in the music that doesn't quite work. The "wrong way on the highway" chase scene is very good...but it's impossible to do a better chase scene like that than the one in To Live and Die in L.A. (Special Edition). But Ronin is overall a better movie than that one.The acting is top notch throughout. You expect greatness from Robert De Niro (and he delivers) and Jean Reno (who is also tremendous here). Sean Bean is perfect, and Stellan Skarsgard is a revelation. I believe this was the first time I saw him on film and he brings a tremendous presence to the screen.There will be a few scenes that stick with you after watching this. The "reflex" scene, the "ambush with a cup of coffee" scene, the "home surger" scene, and "post surgery discussion" scene where the film gets its title. That last is actually a very polite interrogation as Michael Lonsdale tries to figure out if he's about to be murdered by the man whose life he has just saved.The subtext is everything in this film. Even if you don't grab it the first time, chances are the scenes will linger with you. Maybe I thought it was a little too sure of itself on the first viewing, but with reflection I've come to realize that yes, it is that good.