Circle of Deceit

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Circle of Deceit

R

1981

1h 50m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

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7 Reviews

73%

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50+ Ratings

Georg (Bruno Ganz), a German journalist, flees his unhappy marriage by throwing himself into another war zone. Arriving in bombed-out Beirut at the break of the Lebanese Civil War, Georg and photographer Hoffman (Jerzy Skolimowski) interview locals, dodge explosions and debate the war with other members of the foreign press. When Georg starts an affair with the compassionate Ariane (Hanna Schygulla), she questions his personal ethics: Is Georg a noble humanitarian or a sucker for suffering?

Kathy Horak

Associated Press

As war movies go, Circle of Deceit is a bloody success.

Oct 23, 2018

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Bruce McCabe

Boston Globe

A strong, compelling film, a devastating commentary on war and politics and a sensitive illumination of the personality and sensibility of the war correspondent who fancies himself as a spectator.

Apr 27, 2018

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Ed Gonzalez

Slant Magazine

The humanist Circle of Deceit charts the many moral quandaries encountered by a journalist when he's sent to Beirut to catalog the outbreak of the Lebanese civil war.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 30, 2003

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Rick Chatenever

Santa Cruz Sentinel

It is a rough film to sit through, but sitting through it is definitely a worthwhile and illuminating experience.

Nov 20, 2019

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Diego Galán

El Pais (Spain)

The dramatically reconstructed battles are an example of good cinema, that is, of informative seriousness and creative imagination. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 22, 2019

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David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

This politically charged 1981 drama isn't one of Schlndorff's greatest films, but its strong moral concerns and superb cast make it well worth viewing.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 31, 2003

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Audience Member

A remarkable critique of the war. The Lebanon's conflict seems completely absurd and it feels like the journalists enjoy this complexity to make more money on photographies of torture scenes. When the journalist Bruno Ganz wanders in Beyrouth streets under the blitzkrieg it feels like Germany Year 0: a ruined city with lost characters. Beutiful photography.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Trading the slow death of his marriage for the war-torn Beirut, German journalist Georg is on a news assignment with his shutterbug photographing confidant, Hoffman, and join an international coterie of competitive fellow journalists. Outside, they take their lives in their own hands, dodging both Christian and Palestinian bullets and conducting interviews that are just a shot away from execution. When he meets a beautiful German ex-pat widow, the personal crashes with the political. <i>Circle Of Deceit</i> is a compelling drama that shows what it is like for one person to survive in a war zone and seeing the evil behind it, with the acclaimed Volker Schlondorff directing the feature. I try not to fall asleep and keep on my viewing focus on the sequences of war, shootings, explosions, etc. I had no idea that filming in the war-torn Lebanon is allowed there even without security reasons for not just the filmmakers but also the photojournalists. And yes, they all looked <b>REAL</b> to me. Remembering that this was the same actor who did Hitler in <i>Downfall</i> I wanted to see a great acting performance of Bruno Ganz in another film. I can tell you that he was so impressive here.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Volker Schlöndorff

Director

Bruno Ganz

Georg Laschen

Hanna Schygulla

Ariane Nassar

Jean Carmet

Rudnik

Jerzy Skolimowski

Hoffmann

Gila von Weitershausen

Greta Laschen

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Synopsis

Georg (Bruno Ganz), a German journalist, flees his unhappy marriage by throwing himself into another war zone. Arriving in bombed-out Beirut at the break of the Lebanese Civil War, Georg and photographer Hoffman (Jerzy Skolimowski) interview locals, dodge explosions and debate the war with other members of the foreign press. When Georg starts an affair with the compassionate Ariane (Hanna Schygulla), she questions his personal ethics: Is Georg a noble humanitarian or a sucker for suffering?

Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Production Co: Artémis Productions, Argos Films, Hessischer Rundfunk, Bioskop Film
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 14, 2017
Runtime: 1h 50m