Ronin - so what was in the case ? [Archive]

Kryten

10-08-2003, 18:10

Originally posted by Squirrel God
At first I thought this was going to be a thread asking about inserts :| :lol:

:lol:

The case in Pulp Fisction appears to be gold, but you never actually know, same as with Ronin, you never know...

Squirrel God

10-08-2003, 18:16

Originally posted by Kryten
The case in Pulp Fisction appears to be gold, but you never actually know
We do now :)

http://www.mustardmag.org/issue1/pulpfiction.htm

:D

Actually, it was a bit more 'special' than the case in Ronin. Most tend to agree that it was ...

Marsellus's soul

http://pulp.linuxroot.org/case.shtml (contains spoilers) :)

megatron

10-08-2003, 18:18

Originally posted by Julesy
It's just a macguffin like the contents of the case in Pulp Fiction.

Is that a burger from Maccy Ds?

Ol' Blue Eyes

10-08-2003, 18:28

I always assumed in Ronin

it was a nuclear bomb.

I thought in Pulp Fiction

it was gold Marcellus wanted to use to buy back his soul from Satan or something.

Kryten

10-08-2003, 18:37

Originally posted by Squirrel God
We do now :)

http://www.mustardmag.org/issue1/pulpfiction.htm

:D

:lol:

Confucius

10-08-2003, 18:38

I always felt that the case in Ronin contained the list and identities of all irish republican terrorists, and undercover British agents who infiltrated the terrorist network.

kaine106

10-08-2003, 18:52

His soul?!?! How why what when is that possible? Its not a sci-fi film and surely something like a soul in a suitcase would make it that?

PaulBoy

10-08-2003, 18:53

Ice skates :lol:

Squirrel God

10-08-2003, 18:56

bah, double post

Squirrel God

10-08-2003, 18:56

Originally posted by kaine106
His soul?!?! How why what when is that possible? Its not a sci-fi film and surely something like a soul in a suitcase would make it that?
Read the second link I pasted.

http://pulp.linuxroot.org/case.shtml

There are lots of clues to suggest it is that ;)

Anyway,

Why can't Pulp Fiction have supernatural elements? ;)

megatron

10-08-2003, 18:59

Originally posted by kaine106
His soul?!?! How why what when is that possible? Its not a sci-fi film and surely something like a soul in a suitcase would make it that?

I think it's more to do with religion than sci-fi considering the use of Bible quotes.

caygs

10-08-2003, 19:01

One of the most frustrating movie question ever. At the end, someone says something like "what was in the case" and the answer comes back "it does not matter". Well it bloody did to me, I was screaming at the telly "WHAT WAS IN THE CASE?????"

Am I :nuts: or were other people doing this as well?

Squirrel God

10-08-2003, 19:04

Originally posted by paul_caygill
One of the most frustrating movie question ever. At the end, someone says something like "what was in the case" and the answer comes back "it does not matter". Well it bloody did to me, I was screaming at the telly "WHAT WAS IN THE CASE?????"

Am I :nuts: or were other people doing this as well?
You're :nuts:

:D

I love ambiguity in movies. It really offends me when directors constantly bang you over the head with explanations. Give the viewer space to draw their own interpretations and/or figure it out for themselves. Makes it more interesting and a more worthwhile viewing experience :)

caygs

10-08-2003, 19:06

Fair enough - I think I was a bit fixated on the case so to not be told what was in it was a bit annoying for me.

Was probably in a spoon-fed mood that day, not a reflective or "deep and meaningful" day.

BlueDwarf

10-08-2003, 19:25

If it doesn't matter what was in the case, why make a bloody film about it?

Ol' Blue Eyes

10-08-2003, 20:10

Originally posted by Confucius
I always felt that the case in Ronin contained the list and identities of all irish republican terrorists, and undercover British agents who infiltrated the terrorist network.

It had to be something the CIA were desperate to stop the IRA getting their hands on. If it was a list of IRA terrorists or British agents, they probably wouldn't have bothered and let MI6 deal with it themselves. Had to be weapons technology of some sort that the CIA were maybe concerned the IRA might share with other terrorist groups they were friendly with.

Confucius

10-08-2003, 21:05

I'm not so sure, that wouldn't explain why the terrorists, and the British Government, reached an agreement as soon as the case was in safe custody - as heard on the radio at the end of the movie. The lack of any advanced weapon system, or chemical/biological weaponry would be unlikely to bring a halt to their terrorist activities.

satin

11-08-2003, 10:31

With reference to 'what's in the case' in both PF and Ronin.

These days the film viewing public wants everything explained to them. They can't accept that, on certain occasions, they're going to have to use their imagination.

People who regularly read books on the other hand seem to have more developed imaginations which can 'fill in the blanks'.

How many people out there have read 'Dracula' and found it much better than any of the filmed versions ? That would be because while you're reading it, your mind is producing a picture of the scene for you, and it's always better than the scene that can be produced in the cinema.

In essence, it really doesn't matter what's in the case, like taratino (sp?) said 'It's whatever you want it to be'

Grandmaster

11-08-2003, 10:36

The lack of detail about what's in the case is most likely to engender discussions like this one. The more people talk about the film, the "bigger" it becomes. It's one of the oldest devices in the book, but it's still a good one.

I think Ronin played it particularly well - De Niro reiterates the question "what's in the case?" quite a few times in the movie, and tantalising hints about the content are given, such as details of the case's weight etc in the briefing.

Taq

11-08-2003, 11:27

It was a recipe for wan tan soup.

andymc

11-08-2003, 12:07

"I don't remember"

Grandmaster

11-08-2003, 12:36

Thinking about it, it's probably just an A4 sheet of paper explaining to De Niro how to pronounce "Hereford". Or perhaps it was a consignment of Raspberry Jam for Sean Bean.

satin

11-08-2003, 13:18

Originally posted by Grandmaster
it's probably just an A4 sheet of paper explaining to De Niro how to pronounce "Hereford"

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Jimmyboy

11-08-2003, 13:36

Does anyone remember Channel 4's The Word ?.

There was an episode once where this little 2ft Brazilian man hid inside a suitcase and jumped out mid-interview scaring the crap out of everybody before bursting into this weird brakedance routine.

I reckon it's a pretty good bet he was in the case.

Guiness

12-08-2003, 10:15

Originally posted by BlueDwarf
If it doesn't matter what was in the case, why make a bloody film about it?

Because the movie is about anything but what's in the case. Unless you're high.

KRW

12-08-2003, 13:10

I was under the impression that the case in Ronin was some sort of dupe thing set up by the CIA to draw the interested parties into the open. There was nothing in the case at all, but each member of the crew had their own ideas about what was in there, or something like that. That was my interpretation. Long time since I saw it, though.

Someone I work with saw it, though, and swore blind that it contained the original copy of the peace treaty that is signed at the end of the film, mentioned on the news report. I don't think so, but then, its open to interpretation.

beecee

12-08-2003, 16:23

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ol' Blue Eyes
[B]I always assumed in Ronin

it was a nuclear bomb.

:lol:

yes, carry it in a case and go after it with guns.

:clap: ;)

caygs

12-08-2003, 16:37

Originally posted by beecee
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ol' Blue Eyes
[B]I always assumed in Ronin

it was a nuclear bomb.

:lol:

yes, carry it in a case and go after it with guns.

:clap: ;) So I take it you have never heard of the Soviet briefcase nukes that were developed in the 70s then?

andymc

13-08-2003, 11:47

IIRC At one point De Niro asks the female Irish terrorist what's in the case.
She says it's none of their concern, so De Nero asks "is it heavy, is it fragile, is it handcuffed to some guys arm..." etc. She still eludes the question so De Nero puts the price up on the job.

I also remember that there is talk of 'selling it to the Russians' - presumably the Rusky mafia fella in the Ice Rink at the end. Suggests it's not from the USSR as surely he'd be able to get something much more easily than whoever the guys in France are

I think its fair to assume it's not that heavy as the guy carries it with one arm. It also seems fair to assume that it's stolen as they're protecting it with 3 car loads of body guards not keeping it in a nice bank vault. My guess would be some form of dirty bomb (chemical or nuclear).

Jez

12-02-2006, 17:03

I thought it just had something to draw shamus out so De Niro can get him.

Am i under the assumtion that De Niro's character was still in the C.I.A hense he said that the end he came for Shamus not the case?
:?:

Blofeld

12-02-2006, 19:39

Am i under the assumtion that De Niro's character was still in the C.I.A hense he said that the end he came for Shamus not the case?
:?:

"I never left.. don't you see?"

SIMON ADEBISI

12-02-2006, 19:46

**** the suitcase, enjoy the car chase................i just made a little poem there.

hockeyshooter

12-02-2006, 19:49

Thinking about it, it's probably just an A4 sheet of paper explaining to De Niro how to pronounce "Hereford".
Or something to explain what "Ronin" was all about. If you watch his interview on the Special Edition, he admits to not knowing (or apparently caring) what the story behind the Ronin was.

Chris.

hockeyshooter

12-02-2006, 19:50

Am i under the assumtion that De Niro's character was still in the C.I.A...
Although his mate's comment "I thought you'd left" (when he's asking for directions to the post office) was a bit odd.

Chris.

homerjhandley

12-02-2006, 19:58

didnt it mention that de-niro wasnt after the case, he was after the dude carrying it and once the chap was in custody the peace thing came along.

so this shows that they knew the case (which they were not bothered about per se) had interest from the chap that was arrested/shot (been a while!) at the end. So the contents were irrelevent, the person who was after the case was the target.

zenza

03-04-2008, 22:09

Watched the other night and it wasn't bad at all. The car chase was great and Deniro was good in it.

Although I was asking the same question at the end; what was in the case?

SIMON ADEBISI

03-04-2008, 22:20

You didnt need to know. had no bearing on the story at all. Like the suitcase in Pulp Fiction.

brock_landers

04-04-2008, 00:47

Does anyone know what were in the unopened packages in Castaway?

Someone suggested a solar powered satellite phone, but I thought this would be cruelty beyond the norm..............

SIMON ADEBISI

04-04-2008, 00:50

Does anyone know what were in the unopened packages in Castaway?

Someone suggested a solar powered satellite phone, but I thought this would be cruelty beyond the norm..............

:lol: That ending would have made the film so much better.