CLASSIC CINEMA
Le Cercle Rouge PG
France | 1970 140 minutes
DIRECTED BY
Jean-Pierre Melville
STARRING
Alain Delon | Yves Montand | Gian-Maria Volonte
16 September 2026 WEDNESDAY 19:30
AUDITORIUM
Tickets £10.25|£6.25 (under 26)
inclusive of fees
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 adds only the minimum of flavouring in terms of incidental music and indeed dialogue, relying on the pacing of the scenes to build tension, leading to the heist itself (almost silent), followed by the inevitable downward spiral towards the expected destination. Always better to travel than arrive in these films, but the journey is as engrossing as it is imaginative.
We showed another heist movie a little while back. This was Rififi (1955) made in France by the American director Jules Dassin, who was, at the time, prevented from working in Hollywood by the House Un-American Activities Committee. There are similarities and differences when compared with Le Cercle Rouge. In the earlier film the target was a bank; in the later film it’s a jeweller’s showroom. Fifteen years later, the security system is rather more high-tech. But in both the heist is meticulous, presented in real-time and completely without dialogue. In 1955, it took 32 minutes; in 1970, 27 minutes. So, if you enjoyed Rififi, you’ll no doubt enjoy Le Cercle Rouge. If you missed that film, make sure you don’t miss seeing this Melville film, including Delon at the top of his game.