Le Cercle Rouge (1970) 2003

As the sun rises over Marseille, Corey (no stranger to the city’s gritty underbelly) is released from prison after a stint for good behavior. In a surprising twist, his warden tips him off about a lucrative jewelry shop in Paris, ripe for the taking. Corey seizes the opportunity to reconnect with his former associate Rico, who has since abandoned ship and now resides with Rico’s ex-girlfriend. With a combination of force and persuasion, Corey extracts cash and a handgun from Rico’s safe, then heads to the local billiard hall where two of Rico’s goons are waiting in ambush.

After a tense standoff, Corey dispatches one assailant and renders the other unconscious, claiming their guns as trophies. He then purchases a sturdy American roadster and conceals both handguns in the trunk, setting his sights on Paris. The drive is punctuated by jazz tunes and radio broadcasts, which offer Corey a tantalizing glimpse into the world beyond the city’s mean streets.

Meanwhile, Vogel, another prisoner being transported to Paris for interrogation by the esteemed Commissaire Mattei, seizes the opportunity to make a break from his captors in open country. Mattei, hot on Vogel’s heels, orders a massive manhunt, deploying roadblocks and mobilizing his team of investigators.

As Corey navigates the city, he becomes aware of the scope of the police operation and, sensing danger lurking around every corner, takes a detour to a roadside grill, leaving his trunk unlocked in the process. Vogel, having managed to evade capture by crossing a nearby stream and shaking off the pursuing hounds, stows away in Corey’s car, hiding in the trunk.

Corey, anticipating Vogel’s arrival, pulls over into an open field and invites Vogel to emerge from his makeshift sanctuary. The two share a tense confrontation as Vogel brandishes one of Corey’s guns, only to realize that Corey has just been released from prison and is attempting to rescue him. With newfound understanding, the unlikely duo sets off together, with Vogel reappearing in the trunk, guns at the ready.

Their journey takes an unexpected turn when a car carrying two of Rico’s men cuts them off and forces Corey into a woods-bound detour. The pair of thugs relieve Corey of his cash and prepare to send him to an early grave when Vogel, emerging from the trunk with firearms in hand, puts paid to their plans by dispatching both assailants.

In the dimly lit flat in Paris, Corey (no surname provided) and Vogel initiate their meticulous planning for the impending heist. The duo requires a skilled marksman to silence the security system with a precision rifle shot and a reliable fence to facilitate the acquisition of the desired goods. Meanwhile, Mattei (played by an actor not specified), driven by his relentless pursuit of Rico’s killers, exerts pressure on Santi, a nightclub owner and underworld figure, in a bid to uncover Vogel’s whereabouts. However, Santi remains tight-lipped, refusing to provide any information.

Corey turns to Jansen, an aging, hard-drinking ex-policeman with exceptional marksmanship skills, to join forces with a fence. On a long, sleepless night, Corey, accompanied by Vogel and the support of Jansen, successfully pulls off the jewelry store robbery. Yet, their euphoria is short-lived as the fence, intimidated by Rico’s vengeful wrath, reneges on the deal.

Undeterred, Jansen and Vogel propose that Corey seek out a new fence through Santi’s connections. Mattei, employing cunning tactics, blackmails Santi into revealing details about an upcoming meeting at his nightclub, where Corey is scheduled to meet with the prospective fence. Under Mattei’s guise as the fence, he requests Corey to transport the stolen goods to a secluded country estate.

Corey complies, accompanied by Jansen as backup, leaving Vogel behind at their Parisian apartment, where he has been entrusted with a symbol of caution: the crimson rose received from Santi’s enigmatic flower girl. As Corey arrives at the estate and begins showcasing the jewels to Mattei, Vogel materializes unexpectedly, sensing treachery in the new fence’s intentions. With an air of urgency, Vogel urges Corey to flee with the loot. A tense standoff ensues before Vogel follows Corey out of the mansion.

Jansen, alerted by the gunfire echoing through the estate’s park, now teeming with police, arrives just in time to intervene, attempting to halt the relentless pursuit. One after another, the three men fall victim to Mattei’s officers, who ultimately recover the stolen jewels.