Ronin (1998)
Director: John Frankenheimer Cast: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgard, Skipp Suddeth, Sean Bean Screenplay: J.D. Zeik, Richard Weisz Producers: Frank Mancuso jr. Runtime: 118 min. US Distribution: MGM/United Artists Rated R: strong violence, language
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
In recent years, the kingdom of the action film has gone awry. I'll admit up front that it's a dubious category to begin with, because, if you think about it, action films are little more than stylized and widely-accepted pornography. I don't look down upon them as a whole, for there are many that are quite good. But it seems that most action films that arise these days are either big, loud, and stupid (The Avengers), small, timid, and stupid (Mercury Rising), or just plain stupid (Godzilla). Here, at last, is a film that doesn't quite fit into any of these categories.
John Frankenheimer's Ronin (which, despite what the credits say, was written mostly by David Mamet) is an action film that seems to aspire to realism and anti-silliness. It is highly stylized, with some of the best camera work and car chases I've seen this year, but it's also about characters and emotions, with Mamet's cynical edge shining through almost every moment of dialogue. The film is exciting and always enjoyable, but it's also thoughtful in a way few action films are (or even try to be). Films like this remind me that even pornography can occasionally pass for art.
However, the most interesting thing in Ronin is its complete lack of any story. It's just about a bunch of international crooks trying to get their hands on a metal case. The title of the film refers to a group of samurai who have lost their master, and roam the countryside searching for mercenary work; the characters in this film behave much the same way. The main character is Sam (Robert De Niro), an American. He's a sharp guy, and keeps most of his buddies alive (ah, I love the jingoistic themes in American action films). Among his accomplices are Vincent (Jean Reno), a French guy, Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard) a Russian guy, and Deirdre (Natascha McElhone), an Irish woman.
Deirdre, as it turns out, is the one leading the charade, and her boss, Seamus (Jonathan Pryce), is the one who wants the metal case. What's in the case? Hell if I know. The metal case is nothing more than a red herring, and because every single review I've read of Ronin mentions the fact that we don't get to find out what's in the case, the question never once surfaced in my mind as I viewed the film. To be honest, I don't care what's in the case. If you think about it, there's probably nothing in the case, for an empty prop is easier to carry around than one full of gold or drugs or whatever it could be in the context of the story.
I've read reviews that discuss Ronin as a "confusing" picture, but there's no reason to discuss it on a level of coherence or sensibility. As I said, the plot is pure McGuffin, and the only thing that will linger in the memory are the characters and the individual action scenes. Frankenheimer is an experienced, skillful director, and Ronin proves that he hasn't lost anything since he made The Manchurian Candidate nearly forty years ago. All the action sequences here -- from the roaring car chases all the way through the shootouts on claustrophobic Paris streets -- are fresh and original, and never reek of derivation or obligatory boredom. The camerawork in the quiet scenes is even more noticeably sharp; the best scene in the film has Sam, wounded with a bullet in the gut, guiding Vincent through the process of removing the slug with a scalpel and a pair of scissors. Frankenheimer's visual style is unique and convincing, so much so that every scene in the film rises far above the typical perfunctory execution of most action films.
On top of all this, Ronin has characters. Sam is an interesting one, and De Niro is terrific in the role (though he could play this guy in his sleep). What motivates him to do what he does is left largely to the imagination, but a potent romantic subplot with Deirdre is all we need for full characterization. In the female role, the wondrous McElhone (The Truman Show) is vigorous and engaging. Reno creates a pleasant, sympathetic character, while both Skarsgard and Pryce turn in memorable performances as truly chilling individuals. What makes all these people interesting, however, are the dynamics between them -- the characterization resonates beyond the action film backdrop.
I suppose that real-life action sequences rarely happen in real life. Even the ones that I'd call "realistic" are pretty scarce in the real world. I've been around twenty years, and I've never seen anything that might work as a thrilling sequence in an action film. Ronin, however, makes itself believable by making the characters shady and interesting, and by having the action take place in a different country, so the victims of American pop-culture (such as myself) can observe these things and say, "Wow, that really can happen in Europe!" Frankenheimer and Mamet have created a classic action film here, one that will be remembered because it's so much less silly than its brethren.
***1/2 out of **** (8/10, B+)
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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