Melville's Le Cercle Rouge is in its simplest form, a story about a trio who plan a jewel heist while a ruthless cop does anything in his power to stop them. But like Melville's masterpiece Le Samourai, there are a lot more underlying themes that make this film unique. The main character is Corey, fantastically played by Alain Delon. Fresh out of prison, he decides to delve right back into the world of crime when he "stumbles" upon escaped prisoner Vogel. The two plan a jewel heist along with the help of ex-cop Jansen, played by Yves Montand. All the while they are being pursued by a ruthless investigator who will stop at nothing to bring them down. From the very beginning, the film forces itself upon the viewer. The early scenes are tense as the plot comes into focus. The film moves at a snail's pace, which is one of things that makes it so captivating. Anyone looking for a traditional action-filled movie will be disappointed. The first half of the movie ranks up there with all of Le Samourai, however, the second half drops this movie down quite a bit. The heist scene is long and drawn out. And though it is well done, it doesn't captivate the way the rest of the movie does. It feels a bit like a Rififi clone at this point. At nearly a half hour, the heist scene is even longer than Rififi's infamous scene. Although the slow pace fits in with the first half of the movie, it didn't quite feel as interesting. The ending is a tad predictable, although that's not to say it brings the film down. The film deals with one theme in particular that echoes throughout...no one is innocent. In a way, everyone in this film is guilty of something. There are no real likable characters. Anyone who's ever seen and enjoyed a Melville film before should absolutely check it out. Despite it's few flaws, it manages to entertain thoroughly.
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