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At 82, Robert De Niro continues to work as hard as ever. The legendary actor has been in 10 movies already in the 2020s and has two more coming before 2026 ends. I’m particularly excited about Focker-in-Law as the Focker film series has been near-perfect so far. Recently, De Niro also starred in Zero Day, a gripping political thriller miniseries that I believe should be expanded into a multi-season show.
Overall, the Hollywood legend's output is so large that some of his movies remain obscure. Among the little-known gems, the neo-noir action thriller Ronin is something that all of his fans ought to watch. Directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) and written by David Mamet (who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for the play Glengarry Glen Ross), the movie is two hours of perfection and leaves one wondering why De Niro didn’t take on more high-octane action projects.
'Ronin' Has Some of the Greatest Chase Scenes in Cinema History
In 1998's Ronin, the mind games are prolonged, and the tension is joyously unbearable. Former CIA operative Sam (Robert De Niro) is approached by a mysterious handler to join a team of mercenaries in France, unaware that this twist of professional fortune may not end well for him. The goal is to retrieve a briefcase containing an unknown item. The team secures the case, but a betrayal from within sends the plot hurtling into its true purpose. Supporting performances from Sean Bean and Jonathan Pryce make Ronin even better. Sam works hard to stop the case from falling into Russian hands.
The movie is never less than fascinating, but really delivers with its jaw-dropping chase sequences filmed in gorgeous European locations like Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice. These sequences are undoubtedly some of the best in cinema history. Unlike modern car-themed blockbusters that mostly depend on CGI and under-cranking (speeding up the scenes), Ronin goes for realism through actual stunts and daring camera placement. According to the action thriller’s DVD audio commentary, some of the chase scenes used as many as 300 stunt drivers, with Formula One legend Jean-Pierre Jarier as part of the team.
Here, De Niro makes a case for why he may be the best actor in Hollywood. I don’t mean that he’s the most talented. He lacks such qualities as the tormented humanism of Adrien Brody, the generous showmanship and poise of Leonardo DiCaprio, and the admirable daredevilry of Tom Cruise. But De Niro is brilliant at maintaining the same energy throughout all scenes, the opposite of many contemporary stars, who often appear absent-minded when subjected to brutally meaningless whirls of dialogue and movement.
'Ronin' Is Inspired by Japanese Culture from Feudal Japan
I love Ronin even more because it isn’t just a standard action movie. Director John Frankenheimer chose to be creative, which wasn’t surprising as he had returned to form in the ‘90s. After a difficult spell in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he was back to his best in the ‘90s, winning Emmys for the TV movies Against the Wall (which, to me, is one of the greatest prison movies), The Burning Season, Andersonville and George Wallace. For this action thriller, he drew inspiration from the Japanese legend of rōnin. These were samurai who roamed around working as mercenaries and assassins after their leader was killed, leaving them with no one to serve. Ronin presents former intelligence operatives as modern-day rōnin.
With the Cold War over, they roam around looking for a purpose, leading many of them to become highly-paid mercenaries. Like some post-war movies, Ronin thus feels a little controversial in its presentation of the failings of government agencies. Mainly, it's the tendency to mold individuals into super operatives only to dump them. But Frankenheimer’s creativity stretches beyond that. He makes use of the MacGuffin, a plot device popularized by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930s. Here, the MacGuffin comes in the form of a briefcase.
For a long time, the contents are unknown, also bringing to mind Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The movie was never going to win many trophies for originality, and at times its lack of subtlety is hilarious. But despite all that, it manages to hold the viewer’s attention and ultimately delivers a thorough study in the dark art of manipulation. If you’ve got a free couple of hours, use them to give Ronin a shot.
