The Crimson Circle

source: The Crimson Circle

Der rote Kreis

Another in the German Wallace cycle involving multiple murders and blackmail as the result of an execution that went wrong seven years earlier. Good but not great this film never really added up to much more than people moving around trying to figure out who the villain was and to stay far enough on his good side that they didn't end up dead. To be honest while it isn't a bad movie, its quite good, its very generic as these things go, blending so much into the mass of German Wallace films that I started to nod off towards the end. Its not the fault of the film entirely since I am under the weather, but at the same time I kind of allowed my self to drift because I sort of felt I knew where it was going. Worth a look on Late night TV or if you are in an undemanding mood.

THE RED CIRCLE is another early German krimi outing based on the writings of Edgar Wallace. This one's typical of its kind, involving a historical jailbreak, a kidnapping sub-plot, and a mysterious killer known only as...you guessed it, the Red Circle. It all ties together quite nicely come the end, although early on it's a little confusing with the disparate plot elements and the like; I even found my attention wandering as I threatened to nod off during these early stages. However, the second half is a lot better as the plot coalesces into consistency, some humorous character work pays off, and the climax is a satisfying one.