Le Cercle Rouge (1970)

I bought Melville's film Bob Le Flambeur as a blind-buy when I was first getting into Criterion, and cinema in general. First time I saw it, being weaned on modern American gangster films, I wasn't too impressed. It was decent, but didn't scream 'genius' to me. A while later, I put it in again, after seeing a bit more of film in general, and immediately realized how great it was. Sometimes you just need time and experience to truly appreciate something. Despite the fact that he's held in such high regard, there's very little Melville out on disc, at least here in the USA. Criterion released Melville's Le Cercle Rouge last year in a great double-disc set, which is another good step in the right direction.

In Le Cercle Rouge, Alain Delon plays Corey, a master thief serving time in prison. As he's being released, a guard tips him off as to a good opportunity, and Corey decides to follow it, instead of going down the straight and narrow. He meets up with Vogel, who's just escaped from Police custody and the two decide to collaborate towards a common goal, based on what the guard told Corey. The two hook up with ex-cop Jansen, unaware of Mattei, the officer who Vogel escaped from, who is hot on their tail.

Le Cercle Rouge is a great piece of filmmaking. It's a great exploration of crime, from both sides of the law, and the extents to which both sides will go to. Melville's characters are often in control of the situation. They're the very definition of calm, cool, and collected. The film is very accessable, and can be enjoyed on many different levels. It's exuberant and fun, simply a blast.

Fate and destiny play a large part in Le Cercle Rouge. You get the feeling that very early on, the characters are simply following a preset path along to their eventual destiny. Of course, I think the title itself ties into this idea. Le Cercle Rouge, or The Red Circle, is one of blood, a trail of it, signifying the circle of life itself. Not in the Lion King way, however, but simply a path that we all follow that begins with birth and ends with death. At least, that's what I got out of it.

The film is so elegantly executed, it's hard not to fall under its spell. Like I said, it works on many levels, so it's not just your standard 'epic ganster film'. There's a high level of professionalism in the film, on both sides of the camera. It's interesting that Melville is considered one of the truly great filmmakers, yet he made almost gangster movies almost exclusively, a genre generally considered to be low-brow and preachy.