The Eclectic Cinema presents: Le Cercle Rouge

This is a heist movie. And very good it is, too. Such movies are inevitably formulaic, so much depends on the skill brought to the table in delivering a tried and tested recipe. In charge is the French director Jean-Pierre Melville, who has much previous experience with this particular cuisine. He uses only the best ingredients, bringing together stars that include Alain Delon and Yves Montand. He is sparing with added flavouring, so there is little incidental music, and minimal dialogue. Melville relies mostly on the pacing of the scenes to build tension, leading up to the heist itself (almost silent), followed by the inevitable downward spiral towards the expected denouement. Always better to travel than arrive in these films, and the journey here is as engrossing as it is imaginative.
Le Cercle Rouge
France | 1970 | 140 mins
DIRECTED BY
Jean-Pierre Melville
STARRING
Alain Delon | André Bourvil | Gian-Maria Volonte | Yves Montand