Jean-Pierre Melville in 4K? That’s an inviting idea. All of Melville crime pictures are memorable, and this is one of his best-remembered, a traditional caper drama with a wordless heist scene that lasts almost half an hour. The color production stars three big French actors and one Italian. Alain Delon and Gian Maria Volonté are the career thieves, joined by the conflicted Yves Montand as an alcoholic ex-cop. Comedian Bourvil is enlisted in a surprise role as the completely serious and less-than-ethical police inspector on their trail. We have to admire producer-writer-director Melville’s skill — he achieves a high-budget sheen with a minimum of production resources.
Le cercle rouge
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 218
1970 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 140 min. / The Red Circle / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 15, 2022 / 49.95
Starring: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté, Yves Montand, Francois Périer, Ana Douking, Paul Crauchet, Paul Amiot, Pierre Collet,...
Le cercle rouge
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 218
1970 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 140 min. / The Red Circle / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date March 15, 2022 / 49.95
Starring: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté, Yves Montand, Francois Périer, Ana Douking, Paul Crauchet, Paul Amiot, Pierre Collet,...
- 3/26/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Danièle Delorme and Jean Gabin in 'Deadlier Than the Male.' Danièle Delorme movies (See previous post: “Danièle Delorme: 'Gigi' 1949 Actress Became Rare Woman Director's Muse.”) “Every actor would like to make a movie with Charles Chaplin or René Clair,” Danièle Delorme explains in the filmed interview (ca. 1960) embedded further below, adding that oftentimes it wasn't up to them to decide with whom they would get to work. Yet, although frequently beyond her control, Delorme managed to collaborate with a number of major (mostly French) filmmakers throughout her six-decade movie career. Aside from her Jacqueline Audry films discussed in the previous Danièle Delorme article, below are a few of her most notable efforts – usually playing naive-looking young women of modest means and deceptively inconspicuous sexuality, whose inner character may or may not match their external appearance. Ouvert pour cause d'inventaire (“Open for Inventory Causes,” 1946), an unreleased, no-budget comedy notable...
- 12/18/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Marie Dubois, actress in French New Wave films, dead at 77 (image: Marie Dubois in the mammoth blockbuster 'La Grande Vadrouille') Actress Marie Dubois, a popular French New Wave personality of the '60s and the leading lady in one of France's biggest box-office hits in history, died Wednesday, October 15, 2014, at a nursing home in Lescar, a suburb of the southwestern French town of Pau, not far from the Spanish border. Dubois, who had been living in the Pau area since 2010, was 77. For decades she had been battling multiple sclerosis, which later in life had her confined to a wheelchair. Born Claudine Huzé (Claudine Lucie Pauline Huzé according to some online sources) on January 12, 1937, in Paris, the blue-eyed, blonde Marie Dubois began her show business career on stage, being featured in plays such as Molière's The Misanthrope and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. François Truffaut discovery: 'Shoot the...
- 10/17/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
On May 24th, New York’s Film Forum will continue their ongoing resuscitation of the French Old Wave with a revival of a 1956 film that has been all but forgotten outside France: a film whose French title translates as The Crossing of Paris, which was originally released in the Us as Four Bags Full, but which is being re-released now with its more alliterative and far more charming UK subtitle A Pig Across Paris.
Set during the Occupation, this black-sausage comedy may not be quite as cute and animal-friendly as Clément Hurel’s brilliant poster suggests. A hilarious, nail-biting companion of sorts to Wages of Fear, which had been released three years earlier, A Pig Across Paris follows two men (Jean Gabin and comic star Bourvil) who must transport not nitroglycerine across South American mountains, but four black-market suitcases of pork across nighttime Paris, under the nose of the Nazis.
Set during the Occupation, this black-sausage comedy may not be quite as cute and animal-friendly as Clément Hurel’s brilliant poster suggests. A hilarious, nail-biting companion of sorts to Wages of Fear, which had been released three years earlier, A Pig Across Paris follows two men (Jean Gabin and comic star Bourvil) who must transport not nitroglycerine across South American mountains, but four black-market suitcases of pork across nighttime Paris, under the nose of the Nazis.
- 5/11/2013
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
Above: Gustav Mezey three-sheet poster for Le Rosier de Madame Husson (Bernard Deschamps, France, 1932).
This stunning Austrian deco poster, which I came across on a Berlin antiquarian site, stands a magnificent 9 foot tall (110" x 49" to be precise) and comes in three sections. The poster is for a 1932 French film, whose German title, Der Tugendkönig, translates as “The Virtue King.” In the Us the film was titled He (or He - the Virgin Man), but the original title is Le Rosier de Madame Husson. Based on an 1887 Maupassant novella of the same name, the story concerns the titular Mme. Husson who seeks to promote chastity in her village by crowning a rosière, or a Rose Queen: a girl of unimpeachable virtue. But when none of the young women in town are equal to the title she selects the village idiot (played in the film by Fernandel) as her rosier.
Above: Roger...
This stunning Austrian deco poster, which I came across on a Berlin antiquarian site, stands a magnificent 9 foot tall (110" x 49" to be precise) and comes in three sections. The poster is for a 1932 French film, whose German title, Der Tugendkönig, translates as “The Virtue King.” In the Us the film was titled He (or He - the Virgin Man), but the original title is Le Rosier de Madame Husson. Based on an 1887 Maupassant novella of the same name, the story concerns the titular Mme. Husson who seeks to promote chastity in her village by crowning a rosière, or a Rose Queen: a girl of unimpeachable virtue. But when none of the young women in town are equal to the title she selects the village idiot (played in the film by Fernandel) as her rosier.
Above: Roger...
- 4/12/2013
- by Adrian Curry
- MUBI
One of the pleasures of digging around for movie posters is coming across great designs for films that have otherwise been forgotten, that have not become part of the pantheon—or even any of its foothills—but which nevertheless are fascinating reminders of areas of cinema history that are usually ignored. The other day I posted a lovely Russian poster on Movie Poster of the Day for an adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s White Nights that I wasn’t familiar with but which, I then discovered, was directed by a man described as “the high priest of Stalinist Cinema.” You can read more about that here.
When this terrific poster for Le passe-muraille caught my eye I knew absolutely nothing about the film, and, with the exception of English actress Joan Greenwood (Kind Hearts and Coronets), nearly every name on the poster, from star Bourvil to director Jean Boyer to author Marcel Aymé,...
When this terrific poster for Le passe-muraille caught my eye I knew absolutely nothing about the film, and, with the exception of English actress Joan Greenwood (Kind Hearts and Coronets), nearly every name on the poster, from star Bourvil to director Jean Boyer to author Marcel Aymé,...
- 3/17/2012
- MUBI
Jean-Pierre Melville (October 20, 1917 – August 2, 1973), was a French film director often looked upon as the ‘king crime-noir films’. His body of work and mise-en-scene style heavily influenced Scorsese, John Woo and Tarantino to name but a few. Under-stated and minimalist, he managed the difficult process of making an artistic film also commercially viable. Melville would control everything from set design, writing the script, and running the camera, mixing obsessive gangster pastiches with restrained, precise and sensitive symbolism.
Described as the ‘Poet of the underworld’ and the ‘garlic gangster’, he was considered to be the “father of the nouvelle vague”, a major influence on the French New Wave movement. But it was the American gangster films of the ’30s and ’40s starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart that really caught his imagination. Melville recreated the genre for a new wave audience using weapons, trench coats and fedora hats, to shape a characteristic look in his movies.
Described as the ‘Poet of the underworld’ and the ‘garlic gangster’, he was considered to be the “father of the nouvelle vague”, a major influence on the French New Wave movement. But it was the American gangster films of the ’30s and ’40s starring James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart that really caught his imagination. Melville recreated the genre for a new wave audience using weapons, trench coats and fedora hats, to shape a characteristic look in his movies.
- 3/13/2012
- by Matthew Gunn
- Obsessed with Film
AFI Fest 2011 Guest Artistic Director Pedro Almodóvar has selected the following classic thrillers to be presented at the festival: Georges Franju's Eyes Without a Face, Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle rouge, Edmund Goulding's Nightmare Alley, and Robert Siodmak's The Killers. Why this particular quartet? "Because in some way, albeit tangentially, they have a relationship with my present." Eyes Without a Face, in which a doctor uses the skin of young women to help restore the face of his disfigured daughter, certainly has some elements in common with Almodóvar's latest, The Skin I Live In. Pierre Brasseur and Alida Valli shine in this creepily poetic classic. The crime thriller Le Cercle rouge stars Alain Delon, Yves Montand, Gian Maria Volonté, and veteran Bourvil. Starring Tyrone Power as a carnival shyster, Nightmare Alley is less an outright thriller than a dark melodrama; it was also a box-office disappointment at...
- 10/25/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
The Conspirator – Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson
Rio – Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez
Scream 4 – Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Movie of the Week
Scream 4
The Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
The Plot: Ten years have passed, and Sidney (Campbell), who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited again by the Ghostface Killer.
The Buzz: Wes Craven returns to the franchise that single-handedly rejuvenated the horror industry. Lots of pretty girls run around, most of them get killed, and repeat. But it’s all good fun (somehow). I enjoyed the first two films, but thought the third was pretty blah. I think enough time has passed though to make this a potentially smart beating of a dead horse.
Every Friday we’ll have new reviews of the latest films.
Tsr’s complete Film...
The Conspirator – Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Tom Wilkinson
Rio – Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, George Lopez
Scream 4 – Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
Movie of the Week
Scream 4
The Stars: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette
The Plot: Ten years have passed, and Sidney (Campbell), who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited again by the Ghostface Killer.
The Buzz: Wes Craven returns to the franchise that single-handedly rejuvenated the horror industry. Lots of pretty girls run around, most of them get killed, and repeat. But it’s all good fun (somehow). I enjoyed the first two films, but thought the third was pretty blah. I think enough time has passed though to make this a potentially smart beating of a dead horse.
Every Friday we’ll have new reviews of the latest films.
Tsr’s complete Film...
- 4/12/2011
- by Aaron Ruffcorn
- The Scorecard Review
Unknown‘s director Jaume Collet-Serra locked to direct Red Circle, a remake of the 1970 Alain Delon crime thriller Le cercle rouge. Johnnie To was previously set up to direct the same.
The thriller ‘Unknown,’ starring Liam Neeson, opens this weekend, gets its international premiere in Berlin today and Deadline reported that the film’s director Jaume Collet-Serra was making a deal to direct Red Circle remake. Based on the 1970 Jean-Pierre Melville-directed ‘Le Cercle Rouge,’ the script for the remake is being written by Steven Knight (Eastern Promises).
Collet-Serra is also at the center of a Warner Bros deal for Harker, a possible franchise he will direct that relates to vampire hunter Jonathan Harker character from Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ produced by Leonardo DiCaprio among others.
The original synopsis follows pickpocket Corey (Alain Delon)just out of jail. In the place of faithful freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the world of crime,...
The thriller ‘Unknown,’ starring Liam Neeson, opens this weekend, gets its international premiere in Berlin today and Deadline reported that the film’s director Jaume Collet-Serra was making a deal to direct Red Circle remake. Based on the 1970 Jean-Pierre Melville-directed ‘Le Cercle Rouge,’ the script for the remake is being written by Steven Knight (Eastern Promises).
Collet-Serra is also at the center of a Warner Bros deal for Harker, a possible franchise he will direct that relates to vampire hunter Jonathan Harker character from Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula,’ produced by Leonardo DiCaprio among others.
The original synopsis follows pickpocket Corey (Alain Delon)just out of jail. In the place of faithful freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the world of crime,...
- 2/19/2011
- by Nikola Mraovic
- Filmofilia
Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra is making a deal to direct Red Circle , a remake of the 1970 Alain Delon crime thriller Le cercle rouge . Johnnie To was previously attached to direct the film. The original is described as follows: Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand). As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (André Bourvil), and fate begins to seal their destinies. Taking its title from Buddhist lore, Jean-Pierre Melville.s Le Cercle rouge combines honorable anti-heroes,...
- 2/18/2011
- Comingsoon.net
We have had the news that John Hillcoat is attached to direct an adaptation of 'The Revenant,' now word comes in that Hillcoat has been approached to direct a remake of Jean-Pierre Melville’s film Le Cercle Rouge (aka The Red Circle).
Le Cercle rouge is a 1970 crime film set in Paris, France. It was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starred Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté and Yves Montand. Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand).
As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (André Bourvil), and fate begins to seal their destinies.
Johnnie To was originally lined...
Le Cercle rouge is a 1970 crime film set in Paris, France. It was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starred Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté and Yves Montand. Master thief Corey (Alain Delon) is fresh out of prison. But instead of toeing the line of law-abiding freedom, he finds his steps leading back to the shadowy world of crime, crossing paths with a notorious escapee (Gian Maria Volonté) and an alcoholic ex-cop (Yves Montand).
As the unlikely trio plots a heist against impossible odds, their trail is pursued by a relentless inspector (André Bourvil), and fate begins to seal their destinies.
Johnnie To was originally lined...
- 6/2/2010
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
How about this for news.
When talking about Jean Pierre Melville’s classic film, Le Cercle Rouge, you are treading on sacred ground when it comes to yours truly. Not only is this film generally considered a classic, but as a massive film noir fan that I am, it is easily one of my all-time favorite films.
However, you also have a film that has seen its fair share of attempted remakes. The last one, directed by Johnny To and starring Orlando Bloom, fell apart, and prior to that, John Woo tried to get the film off the ground with Chow Yun-Fat, Liam Neeson, and the original’s star, and all around bad ass, Alain Delon in co-starring roles.
Now, according to Production Weekly (via The Playlist) it looks like it may be getting another shot.
The outlet is reporting that director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) has been...
When talking about Jean Pierre Melville’s classic film, Le Cercle Rouge, you are treading on sacred ground when it comes to yours truly. Not only is this film generally considered a classic, but as a massive film noir fan that I am, it is easily one of my all-time favorite films.
However, you also have a film that has seen its fair share of attempted remakes. The last one, directed by Johnny To and starring Orlando Bloom, fell apart, and prior to that, John Woo tried to get the film off the ground with Chow Yun-Fat, Liam Neeson, and the original’s star, and all around bad ass, Alain Delon in co-starring roles.
Now, according to Production Weekly (via The Playlist) it looks like it may be getting another shot.
The outlet is reporting that director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) has been...
- 6/1/2010
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
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