Question about the movie Ronin.?

Question

I haven't seen it in awhile, but what was in the briefcase that they are all trying to get?

Thank you!

Answer 1

That's the real question isn't it? You never really know. They all say its confidential. Even at the very end once they get it, they never truly explain what's in it.

Answer 2

The briefcase is a "MacGuffin" - a term director Alfred Hitchcock and writer Angus MacPhail coined to describe a plot point that is deliberately left vague so as not to draw too much emphasis away from the real story.

If you really want to narrow down the possibilities:

1. It is worth more than $800,000 (the maximum the Irish are willing to pay the mercenaries since they cannot afford to bid for it, and about the same amount that can fit in Gregor's briefcase at the end of the film);

2. It is wanted by both the Russians AND the Irish, but neither is willing to pay for it;

3. It is small enough to fit inside an ice-skate case, but not too heavy to be man-handled by a variety of characters; and

4. It cannot be hazardous material, since Gregor was able to mail it to himself through the French postal system, who would check.

Some speculations are:

1. Important (stolen?) blueprints;

2. Printing plates for the new (at the time) Euro bills;

3. Important, probably stolen, documents.