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Le Cercle rouge
Le Cercle rouge
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Le Cercle rouge

Le Cercle rouge

1970
Suspense/Thriller, Crime
2h 20m
Corey is a cool, aristocratic thief, released from prison on the same day that Vogel, a murderer, escapes from the custody of the patient Mattei... (imdb)

Directed by:

Jean-Pierre Melville

Screenwriter:

Jean-Pierre Melville

Starring:

Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand, Paul Crauchet, Paul Amiot, François Périer, Jean Champion

Genres:

Suspense/Thriller, Crime

Countries:

France, Italy

Language:

French
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Le Cercle rouge

1970
Suspense/Thriller, Crime
2h 20m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 72.28% from 1175 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

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paxtonPaxton
Rated 17 Jan 2020
85
82nd
Spoiler Alert: Turns out to be a red circle.
Rated 17 Jan 2020
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 23 Apr 2011
78
88th
Of all the serious, straight-ahead heist movies that I've watched, this my second favorite (surpassed only by The Sicilian Clan). Not because it is more extravagant or less conventional in any way, but because Jean-Pierre Melville just really knew what he was doing at this stage. The cinematography is luscious, the editing rhythmic, the cast bursting with charm, the text minimalistic but excellent, and it all combines into something riveting and engrossing.
Rated 23 Apr 2011
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 15 Dec 2006
73
45th
A good French crime drama, though not very dissimilar from other French crime dramas. In particular, it seems an awful lot like Rififi. Too long and doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it's a decent movie (and it's fun to spot all the red circles).
Rated 15 Dec 2006
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 30 Jan 2011
6
55th
The plot is so contrived and relies on so many things happening in such a perfect way that I started to wonder if this film was a parody of heist films. I think Melville was more concerned with character (which are great) than actually developing a story. I need both to fully enjoy something and while this could've been something really special, it's too safe and not interesting enough story wise to really be anything meaningful. Loved all the actors but damn the script is weak.
Rated 30 Jan 2011
eveeluneveelun
Rated 11 Jun 2008
82
85th
Similar in many ways to Le Samourai, but this feels more developed and full of more perspectives, while retaining the cool style of Samourai.
Rated 11 Jun 2008
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 09 Feb 2007
5
93rd
If Le Samourai is a film of meditative stillness, Le Cercle rouge is one of fateful momentum - slow, certainly, but inexorable. Circumstance corrals these men together and hurls them toward a collective fate. It is world-weary, with a wonderful cast of stoic characters. Melville revels more in mood and theme than plot logistics, and so the actual heist arc - which recalls the ultimate heist film, Jules Dassin's Rififi - feels like a bit of an afterthought.
Rated 09 Feb 2007
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 13 Dec 2020
7
58th
One great heist sequence doesn't make a great film, let alone when it takes forever for the film to get there. I think Melville's minimalistic style became both his biggest asset and albatross, showing a director in command of a distinct visual language that loses its appeal and effectiveness once the scripts reveals its contrivances. It works until you notices it doesn't.
Rated 13 Dec 2020
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 18 Dec 2018
60
27th
Le chef de la police: "All men are guilty. They're born innocent, but it doesn't last."
Rated 18 Dec 2018
larmorlarmor
Rated 23 Sep 2018
48
38th
Another heist movie. Not much to see there. It doesn't study the characters' psychologies at all, besides the "all men are guilty, though born innocent" trope, which is the only thing that could be interesting in such a movie. There are some very silly moments (The chief of the police escorting a criminal on his own in a night train who obviously escapes and then gets 500 policemen to chase him?). So many lighting mismatches between cuts.
Rated 23 Sep 2018
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 13 Jun 2015
45
41st
If i'm going to watch what is essentially just a straight-forward heist movie, i'm at least glad that it's as spare and stylistically rigorous as this is. But i'd also be lying if i didn't also find it kind of dry and dull and basically boring a lot of the time. I think i admire Melville more than i actually enjoy him.
Rated 13 Jun 2015
lisa_iilisa-
Rated 30 Dec 2014
5
70th
just another heist film, perhaps, but a decent one if so. melville is at the height of his directorial powers here. as usual, the actual heist scene is the best part of the movie.
Rated 30 Dec 2014
henrikmHenrikM
Rated 03 Dec 2013
81
78th
Silence has never felt louder. The heist scene was simply breathtaking.
Rated 03 Dec 2013
parcalihamparcaliham
Rated 25 Feb 2011
80
64th
25 subat 11, peramuzesi & film, silahlar, hirsizlar, polisler hakkinda bir film degil. iyilik ve kotuluk hakkinda.. karakterlerine 'kimse iyi degildir' dedirtirken, film 'kimse kotu de degildir' diyor. Filmde kotu kimse yok. Hirsiz da, polis de, muhbir de kotu degil, kendine gore gerceklere sahip karakterler. yonetmen kimsenin tarafini tutmadan objektif bir sekilde hikayeyi kurmus. neticesinde basarili, titiz insaa edilmis bir film olmus.- iyi insan yoktur, kotu insan da yoktur. insan vardir.
Rated 25 Feb 2011
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 26 Jul 2010
91
91st
Oh, HELL yeah! Archetypical Melville flick, in the best possible way. Cool, completely assured and laden with low-key badassery. Takes its time to get going, because who the fuck is anyone that isn't Melville to tell Melville to speed things up? That's right: Not Melville, and they can therefore suck it. Suck it down. Right now. You. Yes, you. Do it.
Rated 26 Jul 2010
vesupriavesupria
Rated 15 Jul 2010
6
62nd
Fairly cool old French heist flick. It draws influence from a lot of films before it, but keeps its own fairly unique drab, dark atmosphere. It adds nothing else to the table, but it's well developed and keeps interest throughout. The heist scene itself was memorable, very surreal in all its silence and did not have panic and movement like we've come to suspect from Hollywood... almost perfect really.
Rated 15 Jul 2010
baljot187baljot187
Rated 11 Mar 2010
90
76th
The second Melville crime film that I've seen - I didn't like it as much as "Le Samourai" but it's still an amazing film. Alain Delon once again plays the cool cat and goes after one big heist, using a former police officer and an escaped convict as accomplices. Beautifully shot and expertly acted, it's a testament to New Wave cinema. I'm left with one thought - why can't we dress like that all the time?
Rated 11 Mar 2010
tonydaltonydal
Rated 15 Dec 2007
65
29th
Well-made and all that, but in the end sort of pointless.
Rated 15 Dec 2007
teddedonTedDedon
Rated 19 Mar 2007
93
90th
Beautifully shot and excellently crafted, Alain Delon team up for another excellent crime drama in the same vein as Le Samourai. Though it's not as stylistically impressive as that was, it's still wonderful in most ways. Like the previous film, you will be left feeling awestruck by the icy and stoic atmosphere and characters that draw you in far more than they should. Simply put, this is a phenomenal movie.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 06 Mar 2007
4
70th
Simple and elegant, like Le Samourai, but with a broader, less personal scope. I'm a sucker for Alain Delon and Jean-Pierre Melville. The actual heist sequence is stellar; reminiscent of Rififi in its total lack of dialogue, and much more technically impressive (though not as tense). Melville's typically bleak palette is at its bleakest here, casting a gray cloud over the entire film.
Rated 06 Mar 2007
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 16 Dec 2023
83
81st
This startled off a bit muddled for me, but really came together more and more as it moved along. The highlight is the heist scene, which shows just how dramatic silence can be. With a score, that's a totally different scene, and probably not nearly as thrilling. It was probably filmed in 1969 (released in '70), but feels very much like something from the heart of the 70s. Gritty and cynical, with washed out colors. Great stuff.
Rated 16 Dec 2023
radumsmnradumsmn
Rated 10 Oct 2023
82
92nd
When less is more.
Rated 10 Oct 2023
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 22 Jul 2023
93
88th
More about mood and style than plot – fascinating how Melville infuses his gritty and grimy crime story with stylistically glamorous touches; these guys may be shabby, but the costumes and rundown locations have their own calculated beauty, combined with the flat, impassive, yet somehow lively performances from the starring trio. A compelling criminal story shifts gears into a heist movie, without losing a breath – though the finale feels a little too arbitrarily nihilistic in a very 70s way.
Rated 22 Jul 2023
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 11 Nov 2022
94
95th
It's a complete and compelling heist film preceded by an entire complete and compelling gangster film, and the two halves mesh together in a way that elevates them both. A great companion piece to Le Samurai and would make a perfect conclusion to a triple feature with the former and Rififi. Masterful filmmaking from Melville and everyone involved. The stylized editing and minimalist sound design are major standouts as well.
Rated 11 Nov 2022
xophorosxophoros
Rated 25 Mar 2022
2
11th
Plotted by the most dour 8 year old imaginable.
Rated 25 Mar 2022
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 26 Feb 2022
80
78th
Stylish heist film that also has a procedural secondary story at the same time. Although I'm a fan of the long (and Rififi-quiet) heist sequence, it takes so long that apparently there was only room for about two minutes of baffling "ending," which is a letdown for this otherwise high-quality piece.
Rated 26 Feb 2022
n1k0o8N1k0o8
Rated 30 Sep 2021
70
49th
Nice to see Bourvil in a serious Movie but the film has not aged well.
Rated 30 Sep 2021
doyler29doyler29
Rated 20 Sep 2021
100
96th
This crime thriller is amazingly spare even by Melville's standards. He seems dedicated to using only the minimum amount of dialogue necessary to tell his story, and it results in a wonderfully cool and tense film.
Rated 20 Sep 2021
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 02 Mar 2021
85
90th
The overwhelming vibe I get from this is Melville sitting down and deciding to make the greatest, most unimpeachable heist film he could possibly make. Master at the height of his powers and all that.
Rated 02 Mar 2021
lintonmyroxylintonmyroxy
Rated 18 Dec 2020
87
71st
Bad ending. It feels so inevitable but not in that good fatalistic way. It's just like "of course that happens"
Rated 18 Dec 2020
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 24 Jun 2020
80
69th
Pretty great for the most part, kinda just fades away in the third act. Terrible ending.
Rated 24 Jun 2020
mikeparasolmikeparasol
Rated 26 May 2020
67
33rd
The slow pace works for the methodically followed heist scene, but otherwise makes this film tough going, with occasional moments of greatness throughout.
Rated 26 May 2020
djrossdjross
Rated 02 May 2020
65
71st
Pretty well done heist movie that works hard to present a world and situations in an original way, even if the overall thrust of the narrative is quite conventional.
Rated 02 May 2020
oskarhuoskarhu
Rated 06 Sep 2017
84
91st
Cold and soulless thieves inevitably driving themselves into their downfall. Excellent structure of a story that is both straightforward and detailed.
Rated 06 Sep 2017
moncliviemonclivie
Rated 07 May 2017
82
79th
Could be better than any classic noir, but it's ruined by usual unsatisfying pointless Hays style ending.
Rated 07 May 2017
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 08 Apr 2017
90
95th
böylesi sakin ve lüzumsuzca geveze olmayan filmler incelediği suç mefhumuna dair olduğu kadar zamanlara dair de çok şey söylüyor. yalnız afişteki gruplandırmada sanki bir problem var.
Rated 08 Apr 2017
neonmanNeonman
Rated 19 Aug 2016
73
46th
reminiscent of Rififi (but in colour), even down to the the heist scene with its very sparse sound design. Felt very direct, though its languid pacing helps with establishing curiosity surrounding how the characters cross paths. Enjoyable and engrossing enough, but is there any more to it?
Rated 19 Aug 2016
kasperlKasperL
Rated 08 Aug 2016
80
86th
Will make you want to rush out and buy a fedora hat and a trench coat. Melville's characters are cool to the bone, and If one has the patience for long stretches - incredibly stylish stretches, mind you - with little to no dialogue, this classic heist film is a real treat.
Rated 08 Aug 2016
aron_ericsonAron Ericson
Rated 06 Aug 2016
79
85th
As fate would have it, I saw "Rififi" the day before I saw this and I thought "Rififi" won the battle of the heist scenes (I knew they were both French heist film, I didn't know the heist scenes had such a similar style). Still very good, of course. Also there are some amazing character moments (Jansen, in particular). Great clothes, too (Jansen, in particular).
Rated 06 Aug 2016
dougiedDougieD
Rated 08 Jun 2015
85
68th
Entertaining slow burn of a cops versus robbers movie. Requires some suspension of disbelief for some of the things that happen, but it has a sense of coolness oozing from every scene.
Rated 08 Jun 2015
salomaordsalomaord
Rated 02 Jan 2015
50
0th
Jean-Pierre Melville #1
Rated 02 Jan 2015
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 15 Apr 2014
90
80th
Viewed April 14, 2014. The best Melville movie I have seen so far. A tense and tight-lipped heist movie, rather complicated but Melville's direction is so assured that every movement is smooth and stunning. It improves upon Rififi in every single way.
Rated 15 Apr 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 19 Sep 2013
90
99th
90.000
Rated 19 Sep 2013
damildamil
Rated 22 Aug 2013
75
81st
It was pretty good. Very French, and very similar to the director's other film, Le Samourai (1967). The pacing was quite slow, but it didn't feel long. I enjoyed how they let the scenes really breathe. There were some really nice camera movements. There were also kind of dated film techniques, however. The heist scene was cool, though not as good as the one in Rififi (1955).
Rated 22 Aug 2013
thehynesthehynes
Rated 10 Apr 2013
40
12th
Silly plot,plodding pace,boring
Rated 10 Apr 2013
henrikHenrik
Rated 14 Jan 2013
90
96th
So simple yet so complex. So cool. So Melville. With an assured, methodological closeness he follows these doomed, disillusioned men, who even seem to have an intimate knowledge of their on downfall themselves and therefore stare it right in its face. The almost silent heist is rightly considered a masterpiece.
Rated 14 Jan 2013
mrcarmadyMrCarmady
Rated 10 Sep 2012
88
70th
As cool as they come, European noir at its best.
Rated 10 Sep 2012
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 09 Sep 2012
70
69th
Melville's usual brand of stark cinematography, deliberate pacing and world-weary characters. Delon and Volanté are great in their scenes together (homoerotic subtext alert) and the cat-and-mouse game with the police inspector was cool, but the film begins to lose a bit of steam during the actual heist. I was more interested in the characters than the logistics of the robbery.
Rated 09 Sep 2012
pigletPiglet
Rated 06 Jun 2012
78
87th
An unfulfilling ending "spoils" an otherwise excellent movie.
Rated 06 Jun 2012
tinysausagetinysausage
Rated 03 May 2012
71
47th
Cool (in both senses of the word) heist flick.
Rated 03 May 2012
kercKerc
Rated 08 Apr 2012
27
89th
Combines the icy macho aesthetic of Le Samouraï with the masculine codes of honor from Second Breath. There's no room for women in this picture: Delon doesn't need to open the bedroom door to know his woman's been cheating on him while he was in prison. When the master thief and the escaped convict meet face-to-face, it's done as a standoff of looks and stares. Here, Melville has the cops both lose their suspect and horrendously botch an interrogation, yet the circle inevitably closes in.
Rated 08 Apr 2012
natebarriosnatebarrios
Rated 15 Feb 2012
80
87th
So dope. Meticulous as fuck. And that heist is tha shit. Damn.
Rated 15 Feb 2012
glmglm
Rated 10 Jan 2012
92
96th
92.000
Rated 10 Jan 2012
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
59
18th
#813
Rated 02 Dec 2011
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 21 Oct 2011
87
56th
Melville's tropes keep you interested in what could be for the most part a pretty pedestrian heist movie.
Rated 21 Oct 2011
krf7krf7
Rated 03 Jul 2011
80
63rd
There's a lot of things that happened in this movie that didn't make much sense. Especially character motivations during the entire last 10 minutes. Great directing, cinematography and acting, but I hope your suspension of disbelief is stronger than mine as far as the writing is concerned.
Rated 03 Jul 2011
catscandalCatScandal
Rated 22 Apr 2011
57
66th
a little too minimalist for my tastes. there are some standout moments of suspense and some great photography, but the story was a simple point told long.
Rated 22 Apr 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 11 Apr 2011
90
85th
It's a Melville heist movie, which is kind of everything you need to know. To be completely honest, I had forgotten that this was a heist movie until like an hour and a half into it. I hate the phrase "neo-Noir," so I won't use it. But Le Cercle Rouge certainly exists outside of any recognizable genre. I didn't know what was going to happen next on a scene by scene basis, which is a huge strength of the film. Small scenes take on epic stature based solely upon the unpredictability of the world.
Rated 11 Apr 2011
prenzlauPrenzlau
Rated 06 Nov 2010
85
71st
A classical partition in the best sense of the word, a movie haunted by disillusion. Each character is assigned a single aim to achieve before completing their destiny and dying.
Rated 06 Nov 2010
leo_pardLeo Pard
Rated 10 Aug 2010
97
99th
Great movie with impressive actors, especially Alain Delon and Bourvil, in his last role (by order of release).
Rated 10 Aug 2010
judge_holdenJudge Holden
Rated 04 Jul 2010
5
69th
For the first 45 minutes, I thought this was going to be amazing. Then something strange happened: I realized I was watching just another heist movie, and not a particularly great one at that. Delon is awesome, of course (see: the pool table scene), and I loved both Le Samourai and Army of Shadows (the latter being one of my all-time favorite films), but this just didn't really work for me.
Rated 04 Jul 2010
darkmandarkman
Rated 20 Mar 2010
80
81st
More than an ordinary heist movie. Just a bit too long.
Rated 20 Mar 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
62
24th
762
Rated 15 Jan 2010
febrarofebraro
Rated 24 Dec 2009
70
33rd
Similar in style to Le Samurai, although far more unfocused and lacking any memorable characters.
Rated 24 Dec 2009
andaghandagh
Rated 12 Dec 2009
95
88th
Oozes coolness
Rated 12 Dec 2009
distilledwdistilledw
Rated 19 Nov 2009
78
69th
Very solid crime film, time devoted to the robbery scene is amazing to watch.
Rated 19 Nov 2009
barthalenBarthalen
Rated 15 Nov 2009
79
77th
Very moody and sober. The plot unfolds quite slowly, which gives the viewer more time to absorb all that priceless 70's charm. It's not spectacular or really refreshing, but definitely gets the job done (in complete silence).
Rated 15 Nov 2009
ratinenjratinenj
Rated 25 Sep 2009
90
79th
Ultra stylish crime film from French maestro Melville. This film requires great patience from viewers when these well behaving and cool criminals plan and execute a robbery. Clearly one of the influences to Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki.
Rated 25 Sep 2009
brandt64brandt64
Rated 02 Sep 2009
85
76th
I like Melville's style of directing but I wish that he'd bring some new ideas to the table. Still it's a well-made film with interestingly cold, calculated criminals, a la Le Samourai, but this one has the slight edge due to better pacing and a less cut-and-dry plot.
Rated 02 Sep 2009
monstergearMonsterGear
Rated 03 Jun 2009
84
76th
Bunch of smooth criminals in this movie.
Rated 03 Jun 2009
unclesausageunclesausage
Rated 31 May 2009
83
79th
Pinching cowboys on the rear, heck! I can make a better living than that
Rated 31 May 2009
jebJeb
Rated 04 Jan 2009
95
87th
Le Cercle Rouge in many ways is in the same vein as Jean-Pierre Melville's other film, Le Samourai, but it's more steadily paced and focused. Alain Delon is the enssential heist actor.
Rated 04 Jan 2009
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
63
26th
734
Rated 19 Dec 2008
joojooJooJoo
Rated 23 Aug 2008
4
56th
I've seen way too many heist flicks before this. Nothing feels special - especially these drab characters.
Rated 23 Aug 2008
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 19 Jul 2008
70
82nd
Good film.
Rated 19 Jul 2008
stainStain
Rated 01 Apr 2007
80
68th
Poised, assured French crime movie
Rated 01 Apr 2007
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 21 Dec 2006
92
97th
Melville, in colour! The fucking fantastic heist scene is the high point of the film, but the whole story is near perfect in execution from start to finish.
Rated 21 Dec 2006
slaapaavSlaapaav
Rated 14 Dec 2006
47
11th
Not as good as Le Samourai
Rated 14 Dec 2006

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