Ronin Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Ronin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 23, 2017

Robert Aldrich’s 1955 film adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly famously offered a mysterious briefcase whose contents were never officially delineated, though the entire plot hinged around it (the case) and them (the contents). At least Kiss Me Deadly took pains to hint at what was going on in the film’s cataclysmic finale, even if certain details were left to the imagination. Ronin, John Frankenheimer’s 1998 thriller that combines caper and spy elements into a largely satisfying whole, does much the same thing with its briefcase, though it’s even more discursive about what lurks inside, overtly refusing to mention the contents when one of the operatives hired to retrieve it specifically asks about them. Frankenheimer was nearing the end of his storied career when he made Ronin (Frankenheimer would die only around five years after the film’s release), but the film shows little to no signs of an aging director. Filled with some of the most bracing car chases caught on celluloid, and with a twisting narrative that sees allegiances shifting and characters turning out to be different than assumed, Ronin is probably a bit too convoluted for its own good, but it provides a solid showcase for both Frankenheimer’s staging abilities as well as the performance acumen of a large and varied international cast including Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Féodor Atkine and Jonathan Pryce. Ronin was released on Blu-ray back in 2009 by Metro Goldwyn Mayer in a bare bones edition that sported less than optimal video and no real supplements (trailers for other MGM properties were included). The fact that even MGM’s old DVD had at least some supplements (including an enjoyable commentary by Frankenheimer that Arrow has commendably ported over to this new release) is some indication of the kind of weirdly nonchalant stance MGM/UA seems to have taken at times with regard to their high definition catalog. Arrow has gone back to the drawing board, providing a new 4K scan and restoration based off the original camera negative, and with a nice assortment of supplemental features, making this new Ronin edition a decided upgrade over the old domestic Blu-ray.

My colleague Martin Liebman provides a thorough recounting of Ronin's twists and turns (not necessarily just those involving mad car chases around France) in his Ronin Blu-ray review, so I refer anyone needing a plot summary to Marty's writing.

Ronin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ronin is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the transfer:

Ronin has been exclusively restored for this release by Arrow Films. The film is presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 with 5.1 and 2.0 stereo sound.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution on a pin registered 4K Lasergraphics Director Scanner at Deluxe's EFilm facility in Burbank.

Picture grading and restoration was completed at Silver Salt restoration in London. Robert Fraisse, Ronin's Director of Photography, supervised and approved the grading.

The audio mixes were produced by MGM.

The previously released MGM Blu-ray was encoded via MPEG-2 and was a rather unimpressive viewing experience. Arrow's version is by and large a massive improvement, though there are a couple of surprises (at least they were to me) along the way. Among the unexpected aspects is a still somewhat drab palette in the opening half hour or so. Colors are rather muted and lack vibrancy, though detail levels even in these opening sequences show marked upticks from the previous Blu-ray release. Once the film segues to Nice at around the half hour mark, the palette warms considerably, with everything from flesh tones to other elements like the evocative tile roofs seen in some aerial shots much more solidly saturated and vivid looking. From that half hour mark on, the Arrow version looks at least slightly warmer to my eyes than the MGM Blu-ray, though perhaps surprisingly the difference is rather slight at times (I've attempted to recreate at least a few of the screenshots included with Marty's review so that those interested can do side by side comparisons). The biggest difference here is with regard to detail and fine detail levels, which are manifestly better across the board on this release. Grain resolution is also excellent for the most part, though just a bit of chunky yellowness creeps in at selected moments.

Ronin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As referenced above, MGM provided the audio mixes for this release, and to my ears there's no real discernable difference between this version's DTS- HD Master Audio 5.1 track and the old MGM Blu-ray's audio. I didn't have the (admittedly minor) issues Marty discussed in his review with regard to the soundstage placements in the early sections of the film, but agree wholeheartedly with Marty's comments about the rather aggressive and immersive mix that takes over once the chase heats up. The stereo mix is obviously less spacious and less impressive on the low end, but delivers all elements cleanly and clearly, with at least occasionally good spread and separation. Fidelity is excellent on both tracks, with no problems with regard to distortion, dropouts or other damage.

Ronin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Close Up (1080p; 31:27) is a new interview with cinematographer Robert Fraisse, who talks about the entire spectrum of his long and varied career.


• You Talkin' to Me? (1080p; 27:01) is a 1994 episode of a show called Cinefile profiling Robert De Niro with copious commentary from Quentin Tarantino.


• Alternate Ending (1080p; 1:49) is sourced from a video master and is windowboxed with timecode. It's easy to see why this was jettisoned, since it probably raises more questions than it answers.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:28)


• Gallery (1080p)


• Audio Commentary by Director John Frankenheimer has been ported over from old MGM DVD and is a typically informative discussion from the noted filmmaker.


• Archival Features

  Ronin: Filming in the Fast Lane (1080i; 17:45) is a fun making of piece, with some good behind the scenes footage.

  
  

  Through the Lens (1080i; 17:57) has more behind the scenes footage with a focus on Robert Fraisse.

  
  

  The Driving of Ronin (1080i; 15:29) is a fun look at some of the chase set pieces.

  
  

  Natascha McElhone: An Actor's Process (1080i; 13:57) has quite a bit of footage from the film interspersed with interview snippets with the actress.

  
  

  Composing the Ronin Score (1080i; 11:52) profiles Elia Cmíral and his contributions to the film.

  
  

  In the Cutting Room (1080i; 18:56) does similar service for editor Tony Gibbs.

  
  

  Venice Film Festival Interviews (1080i; 20:41) features Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Natascha McElhone.

As usual, Arrow has also provided a nicely appointed insert booklet with an essay, pictures and information on the transfer.

Ronin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I have a few more qualms about Ronin's wending structure and perhaps too convoluted political intrigue than Marty evidently did, hence my slightly lower score for the overall film. But even with those qualms, there's no denying the visceral impact of Frankenheimer's work here, especially with regard to some spectacular set pieces which are dramatically staged and expertly filmed. Performances by the large international cast are also top notch, and a sense of increasing doom pervades this enterprise in a very realistic way, despite the obvious florid touches of the screenplay. Arrow's restoration has rescued this commendable effort from the less than optimal previous Blu-ray release, and is itself commendable. Highly recommended.