Deliberate mistake: When Gregor is holding a long lens camera in a cafe house, he is pointing it at two men, you can see this when he looks through the lens, yet the next shot of through the lens is not from his camera but more like from a person standing right next to the two men. (00:59:40)
Ronin (1998)
1 deliberate mistake
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, Jean Reno, Stellan Skarsgard, Jonathan Pryce, Natascha McElhone, Michael Lonsdale, Katarina Witt
Continuity mistake: During the chase scene, there is a Citroen XM series II (the citroen sign in the middle, on the front) and then there's a Citroen XM series I (the citroen sign on the driver's side, on the front). It changes back and forth a couple of times. There's also a difference at the bottom of the car; the series I carries the name Citroen XM on the left side, while the series II bears a Citroen sign on the left side and the XM sign on the right.
Jean-Pierre: At the end of the day we are likely to be punished for our kindnesses.
Trivia: In many of the stunt car scenes you can see the actors apparently driving. The producers used British RHD cars and fitted phoney steering wheels on the passenger sides to make it look as if the stars were really driving.
Question: What is the most likely explanation for what was in the case?
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Answer: There's no way of knowing what was in the case. It is a plot device called a "MacGuffin," a term coined by director Alfred Hitchcock. It doesn't actually matter what the object is but is just something that drives the story. It can be any type of object or device such as a "secret formula," "enemy war plans," a "nuclear weapon," a "treasure map," and so on that the characters are either searching for or protecting. There was never any intention to reveal what it was. Its purpose is to motivate the characters' actions and tell the story. Most likely it was intended to be a McGuffin just to keep the audience guessing and thinking about the movie long after it ends.
raywest ★