Im tödlichen Kreis

Finally a film that will have you gripped to your seat till the end, and yet which is neither melodramatic nor manipulative. Great cinematography and music and of course, the cast, let alone a tight plot make this film a must-see. From the always reborn love triangle, the story develops with the right timing, faster than your average French film, and yet without anything of the Hollywood clichés that usually ruin everything. Signoret is lovable as the handicapped wife who nevertheless seems to always know everything. "dbdumonteil" on IMDb is right on track about the depersonalisation, thus adding another layer of interpretation to an already engrossing flick. I agree with "Olof" reviewer on Amazon that "Alain Corneau didn't exploit Stefania Sandrelli's scene stealing abilities", thou.

I am still wondering why Inspector Ménard does... what he does (can't say more), but my only hunch is that "violence redeems sins". I am open to hearing from other reviewers, as I can't make up my mind about his change of attitude. Of course, the fact that a film 25 years old can leave you thinking after it's over is yet another reason why you might enjoy this movie.

Great screenplay and some of the best actors the world has ever produced. Montand gives the concept of the 'lone wolf' police detective a whole new dimension of intensity and, most importantly, credibility.

When a typical Hollywood cop-heroe loses family, friends and pets to murder he is usually given his minute of grief. But when the sixty seconds are over, he pulls himself together, packs his gun and goes gleefully shooting up his enemies one by one.

Montand's Marc Ferrot, however, is really devastated - by his girlfriends murder, of course, but also by finding out that she had another lover.In his confusion and wrath he does not seek revenge but needs to keep going to find the real perpetrator of a crime where his fingerprints are all over the scene. Thus all his actions become unescapably logical. This is the main reason why this movie glues us to our seats but definetely not the only one.

Kenneth Fearing wrote poetry for love and pulp fiction for money. Should the plot of this sylish enterprise from Alain Corneau seem vaguely familiar it is because Fearing's novel 'The Judas Picture' had already been filmed as 'The Big Clock' and would turn up again in 'No Way Out'. Indeed Corneau's film is a nod to Hollywood as its enigmatic title refers to a firearm issued to the American police.

France produced more than its fair share of 'Policiers' in the 1970's which are basically pulp but with excellent production values and this one is no exception. Stylish cinematography and taut editing enable the film to justify its two hour length. There is no doubting its power to grip and to hold ones attention.

This is due in no small part to the protagonists being played by Yves Montand, Francois Périer, Simone Signoret and Stephania Sandrelli.

Like so many actors Montand gained depth with maturity and is utterly compelling here as a police inspector whose professional and emotional life is unravelling and who goes to the most extreme lengths to conceal his identity! Stalwart Périer is superb as a jealous, middle-aged man whose moment of madness wreaks such havoc and Sandrelli brings an added dimension to the role of unwitting femme fatale. One runs out of superlatives when speaking of Simone Signoret, an artiste of great courage who seemed totally devoid of vanity and who made the difficult transition from sex symbol to character actress. She lends an especially emotional presence here as Périer's invalid wife.

Whether the plot evolves into grotesque absurdity or surreal nightmare is of course down to the individual viewer but while watching this bizarre tale unfold I was reminded of Einstein's observation that "the Earth is the insane asylum of the Universe."

At his time, at least, Alain Corneau was guessed to fill the empty place that Jean Pierre Melville left in the French crime films genre. He was promising with this movie, and soon after with SERIE NOIRE and LE CHOIX DES ARMES. But after those, Corneau seemed to have chosen something else than crime movies. He will resume this genre with LE MOME - 1986- and LE COUSIN - 1997. His before last movie LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE remake - a real assumed tribute to Melville's cinema - will be his best work for me. Back to this one, the plot is however far fom Melville's atmosphere but strong, with a powerful Yves Montand's character. The character study is the most important element of this tremendous French crime movie. But it is strange to call this feature with the name of a weapon - but Olivier Marchal did it too with MR 73, maybe a tribute to POLICE PYTHON 357 - as if it was an action film - which is not, except of course in the last scene, the DIRTY HARRY link - because this is a pure suspense thriller with a very unusual plot. A young woman is killed by a police superintendant - her lover - who leads the investigation, and another lover of hers, also a cop, the second in charge of the investigation, who tries his best to spoil the investigation, without knowing his superintendant is the murderer.... So no one of them knows the other was the second lover of the young victim. That's absolutely unique, great!!! It could be a South Korean crime film, complex but riveting. It's surprising that this movie has not been remade since 1976.

first was Alain Corneau a fan of J P Meville?? in the film there is a scene where François Périer(the bad guy) looking at his shaving mirror, and adjusting his hat. and it reminds me of Melville's film "the samouri"

well the film is almost Yves Montand's monodrama, he walks as he walked in "the red circle",he shoots like he shot in"Z" only his old face has become older since then.. I admit he is not that type of hero----he is not looking very tough, he is no Belmondo or Ventura when he knocks down some guys in film , it's just ridiculous and unbelievable for me , oh , I shake my head and say that's not his job at all.. after all, do you believe the old ,senescent,grandpa could easily beat up a young lad who is apparently stronger and swifter than him?

Montand could have done more political thrillers , not action thriller which I think is his weakest strength

so the film fails