MovieChat Forums > Le cercle rouge (1970) Discussion > All men are guilty? *Spoilers*

All men are guilty? Spoilers

posted 15 years ago by Hypatia42
3 replies | jump to latest

I'm having a little trouble deciding whether the way I view the film is a consequence of my perspective or if I'm detecting a subtext put there by Melville. I'd appreciate others' views.

The chief of police assures Mattei that "all men are guilty," even cops. He famously expounds, "they are born innocent, but it doesn't last."

I cannot figure out what sense of guilt he means.

In my view, the three criminals are the most loyal, consistent characters in the film. They do not betray one another, they do not unnecessarily kill or endanger others (Jansen does not kill Mattei when he escapes, which would have been 'easier' and no one kills the guard during the robbery (both of which shocked me)). The cops, on the other hand, endanger the life of a 16 year old in order to put pressure on his father.

In the eyes of the French criminal code, 'all men' of the film do transgress it when it is in their interest, when the price is right (to profit from robbery, to defend oneself, to secure a confession, etc.). Yet, not all men transgress their own personal 'code.'

Is this a moral I am meant to see in the film, or am I seeing shapes in clouds?

[–] Cold_Sweat 15 years ago

I am not sure myself as the character is not very developed. But when Mattei asks his supervisor if he was kidding, his supervisor responds:

"It's his doctrine: crime lurks within us. We have to flush it out."

So it could be close to a Christian 'morality', even though there is no reference to religion in the film. Every man cannot keep its purity for very long and soon wants what the other possesses, the deadly sins, etc.

I think this is this sense of guilt the chief of police is talking about, not guilt as in a criminal code. But I definitely believe the character was meant to be caricatural by Melville.

[–] BanduDandu 14 years ago

"In my view, the three criminals are the most loyal, consistent characters in the film"

Loyal only to themselves for their own self interest. That is not exactly a noble trait.
At the end of the day, they are criminals, who rob another man's livelihood, and endanger the life of the guard in the process. They are most certainly guilty.

The film does attempt to sympathise with criminals by the way so if you found yourself rooting for the criminals and hating the cops, thats how the film was intended. Its called glorification of crime which cinema does so well.

[–] www.wedd 14 years ago

I would agree with the OP. The three criminals are the most honourable men in the film. For me, one of the most beautiful things about Le Cercle Rouge is that, unlike most crime films, none of the gang betray one another, they each remain completely loyal to the others right to the bitter end.