Ronin is a 1998 American action thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and written by John David Zeik and David Mamet, under the pseudonym Richard Weisz. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, and Jonathan Pryce. The film is about a team of former special operatives hired to steal a mysterious, heavily guarded briefcase while navigating a maze of shifting loyalties. The film was praised for its realistic car chases in Nice and Paris.
Theatrical release poster
Ronin was the penultimate feature film of director John Frankenheimer (pictured in 1995), followed by Reindeer Games.
Facade of a Montmartre bistro in 2011. Because the building was empty, the crew constructed an interior set seen from the stairs.
The Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 was Frankenheimer's favorite Mercedes model due to its appearance and "great, big powerful engine", and he used it as the protagonist's car in Ronin's first major car chase.
John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), The Train (1964), Seconds (1966), Grand Prix (1966), French Connection II (1975), Black Sunday (1977), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), and Ronin (1998).
John Frankenheimer
Frankenheimer at Columbia Broadcasting Studios (CBS), 1952
Frankenheimer on the set of Grand Prix
Frankenheimer on the set of the television film Andersonville in 1994
