I can't say that Cercle Rouge is an overlooked masterpiece, but it's an amazing antidote to the current style of filmmaking in which silence and causal relationships are routinely disregarded.
Comment
08/15/03
Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
96
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:56
Fresh:54
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.3/10
Consensus: Melville is at the top of his game, giving us his next-to-last entry into the world of deception, crime, and extreme suspense that made him a maestro of the French heist genre.
Theatrical Release:Jan 10, 2003 Limited
Synopsis: Jean-Pierre Melville's hugely influential film remains a cornerstone of the crime genre. Recently released from prison, thief Corey (Alain Delon) finds himself caught up in a dangerous triangle... [More]
Starring: Alain Delon, Gian Maria Volonte, Yves Montand
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville
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Reviews for Le Cercle Rouge
Top CriticIf you ever wanted to know how to look good wearing a trenchcoat, lighting a cigarette, handling a revolver, drinking a whiskey or overpowering an armed guard, Jean-Pierre Melville's 1970 gangster drama is your guide.
07/24/03
The dialogue is spare, spans of silence run for minutes, the tense atmosphere is punctuated by unexpected eruptions of violence, and the film does not end happily for anyone.
07/20/03
There’s cool, there’s very cool, and then there’s a Jean-Pierre Melville heist film.
07/17/03
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07/16/03
Jean-Pierre Melville's terrifically enjoyable noir classic looks even cooler with this reissue.
07/08/03
The director's penultimate work.
06/27/03
Features enough tight choreography to make the "daring rescue" of PFC Jessica Lynch look spontaneous.
06/20/03
Crime cinema has never been so meticulously and coolly executed...
06/19/03
A slo-mo gem of gangster cool.
06/19/03
One can still savour Melville's leisurely storytelling, the skilfully pared-down visual style, and the calmly understated central performances.
06/17/03
[Melville] turns pedestrian scenes into heightened moments of tension.
06/13/03
There are moments that are brilliant, but I wouldn't put this film in the list of film noir classics.
06/13/03
Stylish, meticulous and moody, thanks largely to the work of cinematographer Henri Decae.
06/12/03
Top CriticLike escargot -- decidedly French and slow-moving, but exquisite when it's wonderfully prepared.
06/05/03
A moody, deliberately paced meditation on destiny (and style) enlivened by stunning bits of business.
06/05/03
Top CriticThere is one cool, understated scene after another.
05/23/03
Top CriticAnother exercise in stoicism and crime from legendary French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville.
05/23/03
A classic of the clenched-fist, dark-skied, doom-laden world of noir.
05/22/03
Top CriticIt is supposed to be a classic film noir, but I kept feeling like the director was playing one giant trick on us to see how slow he could make it without putting everyone to sleep.
05/03/03
Latest News for Le Cercle Rouge
April 15, 2008:
Neeson, Bloom, Chow Yun Fat in Heist Caper? 
According to at least one news site, Orlando Bloom, Chow Yun Fat, and Liam Neeson are starring in a remake of the 1970 French film The Red Circle for director Johnny To. More...
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