Directed by:
Jean-Pierre MelvilleScreenplay:
Jean-Pierre MelvilleCinematography:
Henri DecaëComposer:
Éric DemarsanCast:
Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté, Yves Montand, François Périer, Paul Crauchet, Yvan Chiffre, Pierre Collet, René Berthier, Yves Arcanel, Paul Amiot (more)Plots(1)
Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (André Bourvil), and fate begins to seal their destinies. (official distributor synopsis)
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Wow. Bourvil's civil acting amazed me, as did the breathtaking robbery scene filmed almost without a single word. Le Cercle Rouge is one of those films where it is clear from the start that it can't turn out well, but you still hope it will. Delon is very good, but he doesn't stand out from the strong cast of other roles (Yves Montand especially enjoyed his ex-policeman), which of course is not a bad thing.
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While there are some good performances and the script is not bad, it is the style in which the film is made that manages to captivate. A style where the play with sound and silence stands out. The absence of a soundtrack is quite noticeable, but it is only in some tense scenes that you realize how powerful an instrument silence is. The French don't just have good comedies.
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This big-budget, star-studded film was intended from the start to be a commercial hit with the purpose of bringing viewers back to French cinemas. The positive commercial and critical response confirmed for the final time Melville’s exclusive position as an auteur director who is also popular with viewers. In The Red Circle, he succeeded, in the most elegant possible way, in combining the comprehensibleness of a standard Hollywood narrative with European modernism that gives priority to the form and style of the content. ___ With the exception of indicators of impending danger in the form of red circles, the world of Melville’s protagonists is blue-grey and cold, devoid of needless objects and emotions, let alone passions. Women are merely an unpleasant reminder of the past or beautiful objects, creatures from another world. Family does not represent a relevant value. Priority is given to work and relationships based on loyalty and professionalism. The film revives the Western tradition by emphasising traditional values and male togetherness.___ Horses have been replaced by automobiles, the vast prairies of the Wild West in the post-Civil War period have been replaced by the streets of contemporary Paris. What has remained, however, is the reluctance to resolve situations with unnecessary words, the brevity of gestures, the moral adherence to principles and the unyieldingness of the adopted worldview. Though the heist takes up nearly thirty minutes of film’s runtime, the forming of bonds between the men is, in comparison with American films, more important than the subsequent execution of the deed. The saying about the other half is completely fulfilled here, as Corey could not have pulled off the heist on his own. Each of the men has a clearly defined role and task within the group. They know exactly what to do and where their place is. ___ Corey, Vogel and Jansen think through every move and every look in both the short and long term and never say anything more than is necessary. They proceed methodically step by step, they don’t act rashly and they don't make mistakes. The film’s directing is just as precise and economical. Melville expresses his solidarity with the idealised masculine protagonists by adopting their austere vocabulary. ___ Whereas the sleek, almost imperceptible transitions between compositionally similar shots do not disrupt the smooth flow of the narrative, the sharp cuts force constant caution. Where the mise-en-scène allows, Melville favours reframing or camera approaches over editing. The flawlessness of the technique is more important than the action itself and that is why the procedural shots, which only prepare us for what is to come, are so exciting. ___ Like Sergio Leone, who used much more operatic means of expression, Melville was a master at creating suspense from the fact that nothing happens and banal actions take an unnaturally long time. Instead of quickening the pace, he keeps us in anticipation by slowing it down. Precise directing is a way to bring an understanding of the characters, whose lives are also based on a minimum of sounds and on expressive, precisely calculated movements. Friendship, respect, responsibility. Image, sound, movement. Cinéma pur. 90%
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A stylish crime film from the early 70s about a generously planned jewelry heist that somewhat got out of hand for its creators. It is a luxuriously cast drama, where several of the biggest stars of French cinema come together. Surprising is the casting of Bourvil as a top-notch policeman with bulldog tenacity, because this actor is mainly known as a comedian and interpreter of simple-minded good guys. I have only two objections to this relatively realistic-looking film. The introduction of the robbers represented by Delon and Volonté can only take place in a movie, as such a coincidence in the real world is less likely than a meteorite strike. Also, Volonté's escape by a crazy jump from the train compartment window is the most ridiculous attempt at escape that a seasoned criminal could come up with. The actual heist and the complications surrounding the sale of luxury jewelry are filmed grippingly and the tension is ever present. Each of the characters is believable and charismatic in their own way. Overall impression: 80%.
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I love films that take their sweet time telling us their story, but this one takes it to absurd extremes. What’s more, the mise-en-scene is handled horribly in places; you’ll find that in the first half, when the meteorological conditions change willy-nilly depending on where the camera was placed, and no one cared. And thus within two minutes of screen time, across scenes which are linked together chronologically, there’s autumn, followed by sudden heavy snowfall and flurries everywhere, and then...dry weather again, it’s early fall, and yet only half an hour of the story has passed. It’s a joke really, but it doesn’t really surprise me in the case of Melville: I have never understood why he enjoys cult status :o).
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