218 Le cercle rouge

[Martha]

Le cercle rouge



Alain Delon plays a master thief, fresh out of prison, who crosses paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volontè) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). The unlikely trio plot a heist, against impossible odds, until a relentless inspector and their own pasts seal their fates. With its honorable antiheroes, coolly atmospheric cinematography, and breathtaking set pieces, Le cercle rouge is the quintessential film by Jean-Pierre Melville—the master of ambiguous, introspective crime cinema.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• New 4K restoration from STUDIOCANAL of the uncut version of the film, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Segments from a 1971 episode of Cinéastes de notre temps featuring director Jean-Pierre Melville
• Interviews with assistant director Bernard Stora and Rui Nogueira, author of Melville on Melville
• On-set and archival footage, featuring interviews with Melville and actors Alain Delon, Yves Montand, and André Bourvil
• Trailer
• New English subtitle translation
• PLUS: Essays by film critics Michael Sragow and Chris Fujiwara, excerpts from Melville on Melville, a 2000 interview with composer Eric Demarsan, and an appreciation by filmmaker John Woo

Criterionforum.org user rating averages

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[Gordon]

I'm surprised that there are no messages on this brilliant film. I thought that there were many Melville/Delon fans here, no?

Anyway, I am a HUGE Melville and Delon admirer and this is a wonderful, addictive film. It has been called (as many of Mellville's films are) a "lesson in Cinema", which is, I think, refering to the fact that his films are, most certainly, "pure" Cinema and aren't simply "good" or "great" films, although Melville's films can be appeciated on that and many other levels. The plot is incredibly simple, yet the level of suspense and intrigue generated through the characters alone and not through action (just like Le Samoura�) is masterful.

By this stage in his career, Melville had pretty much perfected a beautiful style of fluid, tight pacing in his films and for this reason alone, I love Le Cercle Rouge, but it offers so much more.

[godardslave]

Gordon [and anyone else], what Melville film would you recommend as his best film, and why?

I want to buy one as a sampler so i figured i might as well start with the best.

[Gordon]

Le Samourai is one of the reasons I love Cinema. Unfortunately, it indeed seems to be owned by New Yorker (or does it?!) but the OOP French disc can still be ordered cheaply and simply thur Amazon.fr's Marketplace (They won't all ship internationally, but click on them all and just delete any sellers that won't ship to your address)

The high-bitrate, sharp, super-clean transfer is excellent, as are the ENGLISH subtitles. It will more than tide you over until we see a Criterion edition!

In the meantime, get Le Cercle Rouge and Bob le Flambeur. Both are excellent, although I prefer the BFI transfer for the former and Ginette Vincendeau's commentary is excellent.

[solaris72]

John Woo to Redo French Boo Movies

Woo's next pic will be Paramount's remake of another Melville classic, 1970's "The Red Circle."

[jbeall]

Just watched this film, and I certainly enjoyed it. Alain Delon has a magnetic screen presence, and exudes cool.

I was wondering if there were holdups in filming that necessitated reshoots. Either that or the weather on the road from Marseille to Paris is pretty unpredictable.

I remember back in 1996 when Mission: Impossible came out, and reading a review that marveled at de Palma's decision not to use music when Tom Cruise and Jean Reno break into the CIA (?) headquarters. But I've just discovered that both Rififi and Le Cercle Rouge had done it loooong before.

Anyway, a really good heist movie. I prefer Army of Shadows and Le Samourai, but this wasn't too shabby.

[Narshty]

I was wondering if there were holdups in filming that necessitated reshoots. Either that or the weather on the road from Marseille to Paris is pretty unpredictable.

European weather can (and often tends to) change drastically from one hour to the next. I've sat through rain, bright sunshine and cloudy skies in the last eight hours.

[Adam]

How do people like this DVD set?

[GringoTex]

How do people like this DVD set?

It all depends if you like your pool table felt green or blue.

[arsonfilms]

Color timing aside, I love the film, and recommend the DVD highly for the sheer joy of multiple viewings. The silent jewel heist is one of my all time favorite suspense scenes, and one of the peaks in Montand's career. Delon is at his most badass in the film (a feat in and of itself), and I feel its a great starting point for Melville. I assume you're unfamiliar with Melville, because if you weren't, you'd have bought this already because he's AWESOME.

[Matt]

Apart from the film, which is magnificent, the extras on the set are a good introduction to Melville and his filmmaking. Despite Le cercle rouge being a late, lesser-known Melville film, this set is probably the best point of entry for the Melville newcomer.

[Adam]

Color timing aside, I love the film, and recommend the DVD highly for the sheer joy of multiple viewings. The silent jewel heist is one of my all time favorite suspense scenes, and one of the peaks in Montand's career. Delon is at his most badass in the film (a feat in and of itself), and I feel its a great starting point for Melville. I assume you're unfamiliar with Melville, because if you weren't, you'd have bought this already because he's AWESOME.

I know Melville, have the Criterion DVDs of Le Samourai and Bob Le Flambeur, and saw Le cercle rouge in a theatre (so know the film), so I guess I am really asking about the color timing and the quality of the extras. Thank you.

[domino harvey]

the BFI has a fantastic commentary

[MichaelB]

the BFI has a fantastic commentary

...and more accurate colour.

(Or rather, less "accurate" but closer to Melville and Henri Decaë's intentions)

[TheGodfather]

Just watched it for the first time this afternoon and really liked it. The slow pacing of the movie, the overall (and especially Delon`s) acting, the cinematography: everything was great about it.
The way the heist itself was shot was magnificent!

I`m not totally sure but I think I liked this one better than Le Samourai. Both excellent films, that`s for sure. Looking forward to the release of Le deuxieme souffle.

[psufootball07]

Supposedly they are re-making this film, and Alain Delon may have a role in it?

[Cde.]

While I love this film and would prefer it be left untouched, fortunately the remake is in the safe and assured hands of Johnnie To, a devotee of Melville and great crime director in his own right.

[chrisandy]

While I love this film and would prefer it be left untouched, fortunately the remake is in the safe and assured hands of Johnnie To, a devotee of Melville and great crime director in his own right.

If he was such a devotee of Melville, he would realize the original film is fine just the way it is and does not require a remake.

Additionally, I have a difficult time trusting a director who made those absurd casting choices (if IMDb is to be trusted). The whole thing stinks. How much longer before we get Army of Shadows and Le Samourai remade? And if a major US Studio has a hand in the production, which I suspect it will, and if Brett Ratner really is a producer, well that's all the proof you need.

[justeleblanc]

I though Forrest Whitaker did Le Samourai.

[psufootball07]

No, but he homaged it in Ghost Dog. They are also remaking one of my favorite classic crime films in Rififi. It's disappointing to think people would want to mess with the classics, whats next re-make of Casablanca and Citizen Kane?

[Via_Chicago]

No, but he homaged it in Ghost Dog. They are also remaking one of my favorite classic crime films in Rififi. It's disappointing to think people would want to mess with the classics, whats next re-make of Casablanca and Citizen Kane?

You do know that Le Cercle Rouge is Melville's own version of Rififi, right?

[swo17]

It's disappointing to think people would want to mess with the classics, whats next re-make of Casablanca and Citizen Kane?

No, just remakes of Seven Samurai, Ikiru, High and Low, Stalker, and a sequel to 8 1/2.

No, but [Forest Whitaker] homaged it in Ghost Dog.

Let's give Jim Jarmusch a little credit. Whitaker only starred in the thing.

[Awesome Welles]

No, but [Forest Whitaker] homaged it in Ghost Dog.

Let's give Jim Jarmusch a little credit. Whitaker only starred in the thing.

Ghost Dog was Jarmusch's riff on Le Samourai with a dash of Branded to Kill thrown in, I don't see any relation to Le Cercle Rouge.

[swo17]

Yes, admittedly, we are a little off topic. A few posts back, someone mentioned that Forest Whitaker had done a remake of Le Samourai.

(What is it about Le Samourai that diverts all discussion of any other Melville film back to it?)

[chrisandy]

No, but he homaged it in Ghost Dog. They are also remaking one of my favorite classic crime films in Rififi. It's disappointing to think people would want to mess with the classics, whats next re-make of Casablanca and Citizen Kane?

You do know that Le Cercle Rouge is Melville's own version of Rififi, right?

If I remember the interview correctly, Melville had planned on doing Le Cercle Rouge in the mid-late 1950's but Riffifi came out instead and blew his chances of doing it, so he turned to other projects instead.

And Jim Jarmusch has stated Ghost Dog is a blend of Branded to Kill and Le Samourai, his two favorite hitman movies. But it wasn't a direct remake of either, it wasn't Hollywood produced, and it didn't star Orlando Bloom and Chow Yun-Fat.