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 Jean-Pierre
Melville's 1970 Le Cercle Rouge is having its uncut theatrical
U.S. premiere at Film Forum, and it's a prime example of Gallic
gangster fatalism. The cast is a rogues' gallery of greats, including
Alain Delon as a recently released convict who engineers an elaborate
jewelry-store heist, Gian Maria Volonté as an on-the-lam prisoner
who joins up, and Yves Montand as an alcoholic sharpshooter who
undergoes a graphically gothic case of the d.t.'s, complete with
skittering scorpions. André Bourvil gives a Sahara-dry performance
as the police captain heading up the manhunt. Some of Melville's
longueurs are a bit too long, but at its best, the film compares
favorably to its obvious antecedents, Rififi (which Melville
once hoped to direct) and The Asphalt Jungle.
Opens January 10
• Showtimes
& tickets (movietickets.com)
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