Rififi 9/10

Rififi (NR) 1955
Reviewer’s Tilt (9)
Foreign-118min
Special DVD Features worth a look- Interview with Jules Dassin

Pay particular attention to the 9 Reviewer’s Tilt on this one. If you do not like black and white, foreign, noir, or bank robbery films, you will not like Rififi. Actually, I take that back, this movie is so good, even if you hate all of those genres, you might like it despite yourself. Blacklisted director Jules Dassin moved to France to make this criminal masterpiece. Filled with ex-cons, hardened criminals, tough guys, sultry prostitutes, smoky songstresses, weasely jewel thieves and strong women, Rififi stands as the definitive film noir. All every-guy-has-a-job-to-do heist pictures, from Kubrick’s The Killing, to last year’s Ocean’s Eleven, take a page out of Rififi’s playbook. Quentin Tarantino is such a fan of this picture, he even borrowed some of its atmosphere for Reservoir Dogs. Despite their ubiquity in other films, however, Rififi’s low-tech, well-orchestrated scenes maintain their freshness and honesty. Their realism makes you forget you have seen it all before, and makes you realize this is where the scenes were born, and why they never quite fit in any other picture.

The action revolves around a meticulously planned jewel robbery. Aging ex-con Tony le Stephanois (Jean Servais) yearns to celebrate his recent parole with one last big heist. After smacking his girlfriend around, he enlists friends and fellow criminals Jo (Carl Möhner) and Mario (Robert Manuel) to assist with the thievery. Cesar le Milanais, a skillful Italian safecracker (Director Jules Dassin) rounds out the team. While the story does involve gambling, kidnapping, beatings and killings, its crown jewel is the heist itself. Devoid of dialogue and high tech gimmicks the robbery itself relies on masterful acting, direction and cinematography to engross the viewer. Although the story becomes a little melodramatic near its conclusion, Rififi stands leagues above its imitators, stunning audiences with its no-holds-barred tough guy tale.

Format: Black & White, Full Screen, Closed captioned.
Sound: French (Dolby Digital Mono)
Extras: Interview with Jules Dassin, production stills, design drawings, trailer