Le Cercle Rouge

Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

  • 95% of critics liked it
    (58 reviews)

  • 92% of users liked it
    (6,054 ratings)

Corey (Alain Delon) is the young gun in the French underworld who has just been released from prison. Escaped convict Vogel (Gian-Maria Volonté) hides in the trunk of Corey's car. The two enlist the help of an alcoholic former cop (Yves Montand) for an elaborate jewelry-store robbery. Police… More

R, 2 hr. 15 min.
Directed By
Jean-Pierre Melville
Written By
Jean-Pierre Melville
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1970 Wide
On DVD
Dec 1, 1990
Rialto Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

    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.

  • Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

    If 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.

  • Ty Burr, Boston Globe

    The director's penultimate work.

  • Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

    A slo-mo gem of gangster cool.

  • Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

    Stylish, meticulous and moody, thanks largely to the work of cinematographer Henri Decae.

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Lewis C


    A good French heist thriller from the 70's that's a slow-burn, but delivers in spades when it comes to tension and atmosphere. A daring jewelry theft is the highlight of the movie, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

  • Tim S


    Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) is a police procedural meets heist film that seems to be almost a playbook for all films like it that came afterwards. Whether it was a consious effort on other filmmaker's parts or developed along the lines… More

  • Tsubaki S


    The jewelry store scene alone is worth the four stars.

  • Ken S


    This movie makes the Fonz look like Peter Parker. Nothing is cooler than a Melville/Delon pairing.

  • Reid V


    In my opinion, Melville's best work. How he manages to blend the grittiness of the American heist film with the sexiness of the French New Wave is beyond me. All I do know, is that it is hard not to be enthralled by this film.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

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