Review of Le Cercle Rouge (1970) by Daniel K — 23 Feb 2011

Just released from Prison master thief Corey doesnâ(TM)t waste time planning his next big heist and at the same time making an enemy out of his former mob boss Rico as he robs him. The same day Corey is released Vogel escapes from the police superintendent Mattei, soon Corey and Vogelâ(TM)s paths cross and the decided to help each other plan Coreyâ(TM)s heist, all the while they have Mattei on the heels as well as Rico and his goons around every corner.

At the beginning of the movie thereâ(TM)s a quote from Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha who after drawing a red circle said: âWhen men, even unknowingly are to meet one day, whatever may befall each, whatever their diverging paths, on the said day, they will inevitably come together in the red circleâ?

Now obviously the men inside the red circle are Corey and Vogel and the people the surround themselves with including Mattei and Rico. But what is the red circle then? The heist, the place where Corey and Vogel first meet, the club where important facts are made and decided ect. All these places are part of the red circle and it itâ(TM)s here all the menâ(TM)s relationships are established and also where their ultimate fates will be sealed. I think the title and the plot of the whole movie by this definition is very philosophical and that in itself makes Le Cercle Rouge a very special and interesting heist movie thatâ(TM)s more than just your average crime flick.

As a heist flick Jean Pierre Melville takes his time showing us in a very intense and more than 30 minutes long sequence how the heist is pulled off, and about half that time is shown them just getting into the building. This is where most heist movies today fail so badly and where Melville succeeds so greatly. A heist should not be over quickly, they shouldnâ(TM)t be pure or even pulled off perfectly. The heist in Le Cercle Rouge is pulled off to perfection in the end, but during the timeframe that it lasts the tension is high and Melville puts in plenty of moments where things indeed can go and almost does go wrong and it gives the viewer a change to think of all the things in the plan that might go wrong, also we donâ(TM)t know their plan before hand, which gives us the elements of surprise and curiosity.

The relationships between all the men in this movie is beautifully described and all wonderfully played by the actors. Itâ(TM)s a fantastic and awe inspiring movie that everyone should see and love.