Review of Ronin (1998) by Harry W — 12 May 2014

As Ronin was classified as a legitimate spy thriller made in the same style as the crime thriller masterpiece The French Connection, it sounded certainly like an interesting film that was worth checking out.

Made by the same man who directed French Connection II, Ronin is set up to succeed on the surface as a John Frankenheimer film which doesn't have to lie in the shadow of its predecessor like French Connection II did.

Ronin is a bit of a trip through time. It is a return to the gritty crime thrillers of the 1960's and 1970's, but with updated technological characteristics such as superior cinematography and greater action, and it truly capitalises on that because Ronin is very great from a visual perspective. It never feels artificial because John Frankenheimer takes an approach to it which keeps the scale boosted up on the high level that it has to be on so that viewers can feel the intensity of things. But it never rushes into things. It takes the time to develop its complicated plot and explain its characters while revealing small elements about them before it really takes off, and it doesn't do it in a generic and repetitive way. Granted the film is a little slow for a while and doesn't have too many places to go, but it gives the story a good set up and prepares viewers very well for what is to come next.

Once the action makes its way into the film, Ronin seriously picks up in quality. It all changes at the car chase scene which begins just over 40 minutes into the film. This reveals precisely what Ronin is all about: awesome action. Ronin is packed to the brim with exceptional action moments which capitalise on the film's fine cinematography and skilful editing, as well as John Frankenheimer's determination to stage awesome car chase scenes. Ronin's most memorable moments are its car chases because in an age dominated by visual effects, Ronin sticks to the organic execution of action by using John Frankenheimer's trademark car chase scenes. Ronin makes use of its action well and balances it at a decent pace throughout the movement of the film, and it makes it a worthy viewing pleasure. So for what it's worth, Ronin delivers the goods and captures a lot of nice scenery in the process, incorporating that in with a terrific soundtrack. And it contains a well written script as well. Although not great when it comes to storytelling, Ronin makes up for it with realistic dialogue which gives the cast firm material to work with and interesting things to say.

The problem with Ronin is that its story isn't really about anything. It is easy to get distracted by the entertaining thrills of Ronin, but when you really think about it, it does not have a story to tell. It isn't a generic spy thriller because its story is not the same, it is simply devoted to random scenes which are somehow linked together. It's weird when you think about it because it has a loose narrative, and it ties all of its scenes together sufficiently so that it stays consistent on its path, but it really isn't telling any kind of story. Ronin feels almost like a Jim Jarmusch film if it was a big budget project with great action stunts. Although that kind of filmmaking isn't innovative for people expecting the same kind of thing they received from films like The French Connection. There are a lot of characters in Ronin, and they are more key to the film than any kind of plot which makes the experience an odd one. It isn't a boring film, but it doesn't have a story to boot. Oddly enough though, Ronin is one of the few cases where it really matters because John Frankenheimer's keen eye for action and sleight of hand manages to make the film entertaining enough to transcend the fact that it is bereft of a story.

And on top of it all, the cast makes a fine effort in Ronin.

Although his lead performance is not a character with many surprises to him, Robert De Niro is an awesome lead in Ronin. As an action hero, he kicks some major ass, but he doesn't forget to add a gritty edge to his line delivery to empower him in the lead role. He captures the rough mood of the story with edge and determination, and he gives the appropriate edge to the material that it really needs to succeed and characterises Sam with his natural charisma and ability to hold the screen without problem. Robert De Niro leads the cast of Ronin very well and acts quick with sharp line delivery and fast movements, and he finds the appropriate balance so that it feels really genuine and doesn't dissolve into artificial or melodramatic territory along the way.

Jean Reno is a talented actor I have admired ever since seeing his lead role in the provocative French film Leon: The Professional, so I was more than happy to see him in the role of Vincent in Ronin. He shares a great chemistry with Robert De Niro and manages to hold his own without problem all of the time, rendering them a great team on film. The most interesting character moments of the film are when they interact one on one and we get an understanding of just how they value each other, so the chemistry between them helps to elevate the film above being a bland character feature. Jean Reno proves to be a viable cast member in Ronin who gives a performance equal in quality to Robert De Niro's.

Sean Bean also gives a strong supporting performance, as does Jonathan Pryce and Stellan Skarsgard.

So although Ronin is completely bereft of a story and doesn't break much new ground, with its action scenes being consistently great and entertaining, there isn't really too much to complain about in the end.