The Crimson Circle (1960)

An early entry in Rialto's series of Krimi films derived from the works of Edgar Wallace, perhaps the main point of interest for UK viewers of The Crimson Circle (1960) lies in its portrayal of London.  Outsider's views of the UK are always fascinating, particularly when they try to recreate part of it overseas.  In the case of The Crimson Circle, Copenhagen stands in for London, which isn't quite as crazy as it sounds - with lots of establishing shots of the real London skyline and landmarks, not to mention then contemporary British built cars on the roads and road signs and adverts in English, it actually isn't that difficult to suspend disbelief and accept that the streets and buildings we see are the real thing.  After all, once you get past the instantly recognisable landmarks, the back streets and lesser thoroughfares of Northern European cities can look surprisingly similar.  The giveaway, though, is that the cars, while UK models, mainly have their steering wheels on the wrong side for British roads.  While it is true that films like this weren't really made for British audiences and would mainly be seen by people who had probably never been to London, having seen it only on TV or in films, so wouldn't notice the small details, driving on the left is one of the most characteristic (and well known) features of the UK.

Plot-wise, the film is pretty typical Edgar Wallace fare, with a shadowy criminal, (who conveniently has a distinguishing mark on his body from which he can be immediately identified), variously blackmailing and murdering prominent citizens, often using third parties to carry out his crimes.  Conveniently, he always announces his murders in advance, via a crimson circle either sent to the potential victim, or painted on trees, walls etc on their property.  Despite this, Scotland Yard, as always, is baffled, so an outside investigator is called in. Sub-plots and red herrings proliferate, with various characters turning out not to be who we thought they were, comic relief policemen bumbling around and numerous coincidences before a 'surprise' culprit is unmasked.  As always with Edgar Wallace Krimis from this period, the dramas play out in moody monochrome, with director Jurgen Roland doing a pretty good job of summoning up a suitably Gothic feel for the proceedings.  Kicking off with an intriguing opening in which a condemned man avoids execution in France when the guillotine malfunctions, the early part of the film then unfolds interestingly, setting up characters and plot, with plenty of incidents piling up in order to keep things moving, but as it reaches its middle, the film starts getting bogged down in sub-plots, slows down and loses direction - something from which it never quite recovers, despite a spirited climax and nicely framed closing shot.  While not exactly exciting, The Crimson Circle doesn't feel as plodding as some other Wallace adaptations, providing an enjoyable enough ninety minutes or so  of criminal intrigue.