i guess melville intend this movie to be the definition of the cool while it have the cool approach of the late 60 or early 70 thrillersthe same discrete quirkiness . le cercle rouge and a bitter and fatalist story and be also the playground of delon and bourvil and volonté and montand in define role . bourvil be a cop who have in his flat three cat and a daily routine . delon be a hoodlum . montand be a sick and fail cop . volonté play an escaped suspect . le cercle rouge be of course far above a heist movie while melville use his technique long wordless detailed depiction of every step of the heist and etc . yet this particular action drama be far good than his other moviesand it very unlikely them by be so much well . the look of le cercle rouge be very peculiar to melville and very melvillian . delon be sharp and cool while bourvil bring his craft and and montand make maybe the fine role of this movie while his performance have an unexpected warmth . on the other hand and the character be barely sketch and no more than strictly necessary and and be personae . or mask while yet the portrayal be inspire and economic but suggestive . another of the movie that prove delon to be a good and a very good actor while and the fact that he not a genius do not imply that he ought to be despise a a fourth rate actor . he good and he can bear the proximity of a bourvil and montand . only ten yr . before le cercle rouge and melville be do and towards the end of the 50 and a boring overlong insipid noir pastiche ( star himself ) and after only a decade and here he be and in full form and with this quite amazing action drama . stylistically and it a success . before see le cercle rouge and i be not a melvillian fan while now i guess i rather be one . le cercle rouge be a dramanamely and an action drama and one of the most exigent genre . melville score .