Surprised that I didn't have to ask for a mod to make this thread!

I blind bought the 4k blu ray on this, not usually something I like to do but its not streaming anywhere, and I did the same with Suspiria and that experiment went so well it had me confident. I didn't like this film quite as much as Suspiria, but it was very good, and I will watch it again for sure.

Two men, one recently released from prison and one recently escaped from prison, plan a jewelry store heist with the cops and the mob on their tail. Anytime one of these guys gets trapped and finds a clever way to escape is thrilling storytelling. The heist itself is also pretty darn thrilling, mostly taking place in silence as if you were there along with the robbers. Something about watching them grab those expensive jewels and shove them into bags was also satisfying in an asmr type of way, though I don't imagine they knew about that sort of thing back in 1970.

The ending ... left me a bit unsatisfied. I don't mind seeing the protaganists lose, especially when they are dangerous criminals, but it just felt like there should have been a bit more. Maybe that's just my modern take on things though. One of the heisters, or perhaps all of them, would have been sitting on a beach with a spanish rap song playing if this film was made today. There would have been a lesson about how society pushes desperate men into crime. There would have been something besides the cop (who used some rather questionable methods to catch his prey) walking off, happy with a job well done. It's not a big deal, but it could have bumped my vote up from a B+ to an A-.

I'll give Le Cercle Rouge an 8/10. The characters are good hangs, the music is great, the heist scene lives up to its reputation and there's tension throughout. It could have been a bit better I suppose, but there's enough here to make it more than worth a watch.