Ronin

"Ronin" is a parable about the role of intelligence operatives in the post-Cold War era. It is also a film about chasing a mysterious silver suitcase. Well, we all know that normally, in films, low intelligence drives out high, and the parable part of the movie is pretty much discarded about halfway through the movie. The frustrating part of this transition is that either part, by itself, would have made a great movie, but the incredibly absorbing chasing-the-suitcase part tends to drown out and trivialize the parable aspect of the movie. On the other hand, one is always wondering during the chasing-the-suitcase part where exactly the parable part went, anyway. In other words, this film has a message, but the message suffers some damage during delivery.

Perhaps some of the delivery damage is due to the excruciatingly tense car chases that populate the last part of the film. These have been cited by people who should know more about this than me as some of the best car chases in years, and I must say they are mighty fine car chases. I happen to have recently viewed my all-time favorite car chase in the fine film "The French Connection," but these come damn close to matching that one, and there are three of them, including one hallucinatorily long one (you keep wondering "Why aren't they dead yet?") driving the wrong way down the famous tunnel in France where the Princess Di'ed, among other stupid tricks. (Natasha McElhone and Robert DeNiro actually did a good bit of the driving in this scene themselves, which is enough to shield them from any critisicm I might have.) The number of innocent civilians needlessly endangered by these former intelligence operatives just keeps rising and rising, until the French finally get their middle fingers in the air, and the audience wonders why not sooner.

Oh yes: this movie is set in France, which means we get to watch Robert De Niro talk francais, which he does two whole lines of before someone realized that this was really really unintentionally amusing to watch and had him talk ‘Merican for the rest of the movie. It also means there is more of an excuse to assemble an international cast, including Jean "The Manly Frenchman" Reno, Stellan Skarsgard (who looks like a psychopathic insurance premium adjuster more than anything else), and the previously mentioned Miss McElhone, who, when she is not kicking ass or driving unsafely, spends her time scowling, or finding reasons to. This is a truly exceptional cast, and one that can hold its own in both the parable section and the chasing-the-suitcase section, which is one reason the movie still works at all.

Particular mention should be made of Monsieur Reno, who kicks total ass, possibly more than De Niro, although for language reasons the film has to follow Mr. De Niro. Certainly Reno's English is better than De Niro's French. I would also like to note that nowhere in the film does anyone say anything about McElhone like "Say, a woman's leading this operation! What's up with that?", which is refreshing (and leaves McElhone free to scowl attractively and drive more).

The film is admirably directed, too, with ingenious camera angles, a taut atmosphere and pace that makes no concessions to an audience that isn't paying attention. Since it was directed by John Frankenheimer, who did "The Manchurian Candidate" among other films, quality direction is to be expected. Which is not to say it shouldn't be celebrated; if "Mercury Rising" had been half as well directed as "Ronin," "MR" would have been twice as good as it was.

The political angle also comes along with Frankenheimer, I suppose. Basically, for the portion of the film where you can discern it, the message is that intelligence assets with no one to report to, like the ex-CIA De Niro, ex-Sinn Fein McElhone, or ex-KGB Skarsgard, are utterly superfluous and will spend their time looking for a purpose they cannot find without masters (thus the title). Reno's affil is undisclosed, but he and De Niro both retreat to ask for help from former colleagues, help that is necessary to their survival: returning to what one knows when one is confronted by bewildering freedom.

This is an interesting thesis, but one which gets buried under an avalanche of exemplary shootouts in photogenic French tourist spots (Paris, Nice, Arles, and Paris again) and high-tension confrontation between disowned assets with no loyalties beyond themselves, but who all know each other. The end of the film tries to resurrect the message, but doesn't really do it.

The upshot is that the message is cheated and the action, as truly exceptional as it is (I can't amplify that statement enough), seems like it belongs to some other movie. I can't imagine living without having seen that car chase through the tunnel and everything else now that I've seen it. I can, however, imagine it being used to better effect in some other movie.

Attractive Man Count: If I were female, I would just melt for Jean Reno. I'm not so sure I'm not doing that anyway. 1.

Attractive Woman Count: McElhone is a 1.

Overall Grade: B. "Ronin" serves two masters and is faithful to neither.

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