Rififi (1955) User Reviews

Great heist film

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 13 March 2014]

Tony le Stéphanois gets out early after 5 years in prison. He has a plan to rob the jewelry store Mappin & Webb with his friends Jo and the Italian Mario Ferrati. He finds his old girlfriend Mado who abandoned him for the gangster Louis Grutter. He viciously beats her. For the job, he wants to hit the safe and gets Cesar the Milanese. The heist goes off perfectly but that's not the end of it.

It's a French heist film with more realism. It is well done with good intense acting. The most interesting thing is how modern the movie is. The formula is well set now, but it was probably more groundbreaking back then. These are the modern anti-hero protagonists.

Film noir meets New Wave

[DennisLittrell · 9/10 · 6 December 2006]

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)

Or vice-versa.

This is a French film noir directed by an American film maker (Jules Dassin) who had to leave the country because of being blacklisted by Hollywood thanks to HUAC. The premise of the story is rather familiar--one last jewel heist for Tony le Stephanois and his buds--and so is the ending with everybody getting... Well, no spoilers here, for sure, since this is the sort of film in which tension toward the ending is important.

Dassin filmed in realistic lighting in black and white on the streets of Paris using actors and actresses who are not glamorous. The engaging--sometimes intruding--score by Georges Auric nicely enhances the movie and will remind viewers of many a similar score from American film noirs from the forties and early fifties. Jean Servais plays the hardcore, consumptive lead in a fedora much as Humphrey Bogart might have played him. Tony's recently out of prison, past his prime, but still tough and decisive when he has to be, his mind still sharp when focused, the kind of anti-hero whose eyes water even though the tears will never fall.

Dassin plays the Italian safecracker and would-be ladies man who knows the rules but gets careless.

In film noir we are forced by the logic and focus of the film to identify with the bad guys. Often there are levels of bad guys, the "good" bad guys we are identifying with and the "bad" bad guys who are out to do in our good bad guys, and then maybe there's a really bad, bad bad guy or two. (Here we have Remi Grutter, played by Robert Hossein, a slightly sadistic druggie.) Then there are the cops who are irrelevant or nearly so. In more modern film noir the bad guys are not even "good" bad guys, and they get away with it or something close to that. In the old film noir, which evolved from the gangster films of the thirties, the usual motto, following the old Hollywood "code," was "Crime Doesn't Pay," with every criminal having to pay for his or her crime before the end of the movie.

Probably the most impressive feature of Rififi is how nicely the film moves along. The plot unfolds quickly and seamlessly much the way the great film directors always did it, directors like Stanley Kubrick, Louis Malle, and the best of Hitchcock. Some have actually compared this to Kubrick's The Killing (1956) and suggest that Kubrick stole a little. Well, directors always steal if need be, and there are some perhaps telling similarities, such as it being "one last heist" for the protagonist, and having the girl gum up the works. The similarities may go deeper because as this film was nearing its end I suddenly thought, oh, no! the suitcase in the back seat is going to fly out of the convertible, hit the ground, burst open, and all the money is going to fly into the air! Those of you who have seen The Killing may recall what happened to the money near the end of the film! Which reminds me of another film with something bad happening to the money: Oliver Stone's U Turn (1997) starring Sean Penn. There the money in his backpack gets blown to smithereens by a shotgun blast. Ha, ha, ha! Getting the dubbed version of this film would be an act of sacrilege since the dialogue (when there is some: the heist itself is done entirely without dialogue, about 30 minutes worth) is terse and easy to follow requiring only an occasional glance at the subtitles, which, by the way, are quite utilitarian and guiding as opposed to having every word spelled out.

One other thing: all the brutality is done as sex used to be done in film, that is off camera. A guy gets his throat slit. We don't see it. I kind of like this approach. We don't have to see the gore. You could almost let your kids see Rififi--almost.

Catch this one now and be on the lookout for a Hollywood reprise starring Al Pacino and directed by Harold Becker coming out next year in which you can be sure that the violent scenes will be played out in full.

You're not the only one that had an unhappy childhood, there are millions like you, and, in my eyes, *they* are the tough ones, not you!

[lastliberal · 9/10 · 26 April 2009]

I heard they were going to remake this French classic in 2007, and I see it is in development for 2011. This will be a shame, as Hollywood kicked writer/director Jules Dassin out because of the infamous blacklist. They should not have the right to remake any of his films.

I love "caper" films and "film noir," and this combines the best of both.

Tony (Jean Servais) gets out after doing a nickle, and after he beats up his old girlfriend (Marie Sabouret), he plans a big score with his friends Mario (Robert Manuel) and Jo (Carl Möhner), What makes this a great caper flick is the attention to detail in planning the robbery. You see that reflected in the George Clooney Vegas capers. Nothing is left to chance.

The caper goes off great but Grutter (Marcel Lupovici) sends his sons, Robert Hossein and Pierre Grasset after Tony and the gang. After blowing it with Mario, they kidnap Jo's son. Lots of bullets fly before it is over.

A great film by a great director. The standard by which other caper films are measured.

Influenced Numerous Filmmakers

[eibon09 · 10/10 · 9 October 2001]

Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes/Rififi(1955) can on the surface be described as a French variation on John Huston's seminal heist film, Asphalt Jungle(1950). The difference between the two films is Rififi(1955) pays a little more attention in detail to the robbery sequence. Also, the police aren't involved in the aftermath of the robbery in Rififi as much as in Asphalt Jungle. In the end Rififi(1955) is in my opinion a slightly better film than Asphalt Jungle(1950). Remarkable Noir picture that defines 1950s French Cinema.

Spartacus(1960) may have been the one which broke down the infamous blacklist, but in my opinion Rififi(1955) was the film that began to break apart the unbreakable Hollywood blacklist. First film in five years for Jules Dassin who was victimized by the McCarthy communist hunt of the late 40s to early 50s. He got some sort of retribution when Rififi(1955) became a success around France and Europe. Thus defying the poisonious Hollywood blacklist in a major way that probably inspired others to do the same. Rififi(1955) is the most important film of Dassin's career because it not only restored his name, but also gave him a second chance at making films.

Jules Dassin gave the filmworld and its ever growing audiences a masterpiece of influential proportions. His handling of the material is exceptional and direction of the actors is flawless. Builds up tense situations with precise craftsmanship. Dassin came full circle in the Film Noir genre by directing his best and last Noir, Rififi(1955). Marked the end of Dassin's period in filmmaking when he was involved in doing Noir pictures.

Rififi(1955) is the number one film in an arsenal of thirty plus films for director, Jules Dassin. A masterpiece in acting, cinematography, directing, editing, and writing. Not a film to leave your seat for one minute because there is always something memorable going on. As brilliant as anything by Jean Pierre Melville who was a master of this type of film. Masterpieces such as Rififi(1955) are relatively small compared to the probably billions of films made in motion picture history.

The one fascinating aspect of Rififi is the precise planning and careful execution of a robbery that takes up a bulk of the 118 minute duration. The main characters plan and execute the jewel heist in the same way a film director prepares for the pre-productions, production, and post-production of a film. Shows how difficult a Jewel heist like in Rififi(1955) is in committing and why very few would do something like it. The fact that the scene hardly contains a mess up like in other heist films turns this scene into something even greater. Close as one can get to having a perfect sequence in a motion picture.

Lack of unnatural sound in the landmark thrity minute heist sequence puts it in a realm of absolute realism. Any dialogue or/and music would ruin any suspense and tension the director is trying to create. The use of natural sound makes the heist sequence a rewarding film viewing experience. Now Filmmakers and producers would use dialogue and music in a scene like this because of a lack of confidence of a mainstream filmgoer's patience. Sustains a level of consistency that never once lets down.

Maintaining a high level of suspense is what makes the heist sequence tick to perfection. The director achieves suspense in the heist sequence that's rarely equaled in most robbery scenes from heist films. Jean Servais and the rest of the main actors contribute to the suspense with some low key acting. Getting suspense put in a scene is a task few are capable of doing. The robbery sequence of Rififi(1955) reaches a Hitchcockian level of suspense and tension.

Many filmmakers from the years following Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes(1955) have been influenced if not inspired by it. One filmmaker influenced was Jean Pierre Melville(original choice for director of Rififi)who used variations of the heist sequence in Le Doulos(1961), and Le Cercle Rouge(1970). Another filmmaker influenced was Stanley Kubrick who made a similarly themed film in The Killing(1956). Also, Quentin Tarantino whose debut feature Reservoir Dogs(1992) was inspired by this film. Other film directors influenced are John Woo, Michael Mann, Paul Schrader, Ringo Lam, etc...

Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes(1955) is comparable to Bob le Flambeur(1955) in many ways. One, Jules Dassin and Jean Pierre Melville directed groundbreaking films in Rififi(1955) and Bob le Flambeur(1955). Two, each film involves an aging criminal who plans and carries out a daring heist. Three, Bob le Flambeur and Rififi finishes in fatalistic fashion. Four, each film shares many motifs and situations that classify the two as film greats.

Part of Rififi's charm are the colorful characters that surround the story such as Tony le Stephanois, Jo le Suedois, Mario Farrati, and Cesar le Milanais. Most of the violence is implicit yet effectively brutal. The main characters led by Tony le Stephanois abide by a strong outdated code of honor that is remindful of Sam Peckinpah and John Woo. Jean Servais becomes the role of Tony le Stephanois with his cynical outlook and tired looks. Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes/Rififi(1955) became a favorite of mine the moment I saw it on the big screen from beginning to end.

A Magnificent Fim-Noir

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 21 July 2007]

After five years in prison, Tony le Stéphanois (Jean Servais) meets his dearest friends Jo (Carl Möhner) and the Italian Mario Ferrati (Robert Manuel) and they invite Tony to steal a couple of jewels from the show-window of the famous jewelry Mappin & Webb Ltd, but he declines. Tony finds his former girlfriend Mado (Marie Sabouret), who became the lover of the gangster owner of the night-club L' Âge d' Or Louis Grutter (Pierre Grasset), and he humiliates her, beating on her back and taking her jewels. Then he calls Jo and Mario and proposes a burglary of the safe of the jewelry. They invite the Italian specialist in safes and elegant wolf Cesar (Perlo Vita) to join their team and they plot a perfect heist. They are successful in their plan, but the D. Juan Cesar makes things go wrong when he gives a valuable ring to his mistress.

"Du Rififi Chez les Hommes" is a magnificent film-noir, certainly among the best I have seen. The screenplay has credibility, supported by an awesome direction of Jules Dassin, stunning performances of the cast and great cinematography. Jean Servais has outstanding performance in the role of a criminal with principles guided by the underworld rules. The famous long silent sequence of the heist is amazing and extremely tense and certainly among the best ones of the cinema history. I am listing this great movie in my list of favorite movies ever. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Rififi"

The Perfect Heist Film

[ILiveInFear · 10/10 · 7 November 2007]

There are not many films which I would describe as perfect, but Rififi definitely fits the bill. No other heist film has come close to it, before or after. The plot is simple, but engrosses you. It never ceases to amaze me how absolutely gripping the film is every time you view it. You care for all the characters, even though they are bank robbers, because they are presented as human beings with all their problems and flaws. It's hard to imagine any other actor besides Jean Servais in the role of Tony le Stéphanois. When the members of the crew are each talking about what they are going to do with their money and finally get to Tony, his answer and the expression on his face says it all. While the 30 minute heist sequence is the most famous part of the movie(and rightfully so)the film actually gets better afterward.The director Jules Dassin knew what he was doing when he decided to not have any music during the heist scene or the final shootout, but instead inserted a great climactic score during Tony's final ride towards his destiny. To think that if Dassin, an American Director, had not been blacklisted in Hollywood and forced to work in France, this masterpiece of cinema would never have been made the way it was. It certainly wouldn't have been as good if it was made as an American film during that time. It was absolutely horrible what Dassin had to go through, but he did achieve his greatest work because of it, to the benefit of all of us. I'm just cringing at the thought of the upcoming Al Pacino remake. Most heist films since Rififi have already borrowed from it in some way or another. There's no reason to remake this masterpiece other than money. Leave the classics alone!

WOW! WOW! WOW!

[sumdenguy · 26 May 2003]

RIFIFI

This was a fantastic film by Jules Dassin. Great characters, heist, villains and photography. This was the complete opposite of Kubrick's The Killing. With very little expository dialogue in the script, so much of the movie was told through actions and glances and was left up to the viewer to decipher, whereas The Killing had a narrator helping the audience feel stupid. What I really liked was the main character---he was such a bad-ass that he had a `The' before his name...Le Stephanois.

The passage of time has been very good to Rififi and I think today's audiences will be surprised at how many of today's directors have borrowed form Rififi. Paul Thomas Anderson's HARD EIGHT comes to mind, as the character Sydney is very similar to Le Stephanois. Also recently, Steven Soderbergh's THE LIMEY comes to mind as being influenced by the characters in Dassin's masterpiece. The story is classic film noir: Bad guys pull off heist, get duped at the end. I think today's audiences will like the story. The only thing that doesn't quite hold up is the scene with the woman singing Rififi in the nightclub. It's quaint to watch, but there aren't many(if any) clubs left like this today. Other than that, it holds up excellently.

It was easy to root for Le Stephanois because he was such a decisive man of action. He knew what to do, how to do it, and you know he would get it done. The villain was cast perfectly. He and his junkie brother were wholly contemptible and you REALLY didn't want him to get the money from such an exhilarating heist.

The scene in the film with Le Stephanois trying desperately to make it to Joe's home is brilliantly juxtapaosed with the boy gleefully riding in the covertible as if it was a carnival ride. It was truly a creepy film moment and one of the only times where there was no sound effects and just soundtrack music playing.

Wow, this is the coolest film noir ever. The infamous hush-hush(20 min.) heist scene, and the fact that a blacklisted American makes the ULTIMATE film noir while in Paris, FRANCE...if you haven't seen it...what the HECK are you waitin' for!?!?!? HURRY!!! HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS!

RIFIFI means trouble- But "No trouble" with script, screenplay or direction

[fredberglyle · 8/10 · 16 August 2013]

Directed by an black-listed American, served as an inspiration to movies like The Killing, Reservoir dogs, Score etc. The characterization was dealt perfectly for this Noir movie with splendid photography too. Many violent scenes are executed with no/minimum gore. Over 50 years since its release and IMO one of the best heist movies. A small issue could be the predictability in the story as many of the later movies had stolen this idea . Favorite scenes in the movie includes 1) the silent robbery scene that happens in the middle of the film which is a nail-bitter. 2) The climax scene. The bottom line is that the movie team had no trouble with script, screenplay or direction and watching this was such a treat.

Pure gold standard...

[OliverT · 8/10 · 6 July 2007]

This film is a work of pure class from start to finish, for a moment forget the famous 28 minute no dialog heist, forget that it's set in Paris and forget it's Noir. The film itself, the premise and the execution make this a pure gold experience.. it's sharp intelligent and thought through in great detail, just like the heist itself. It portrays real characters that are not only believable but whom you empathize with. It's a film that doesn't glamorize the notion of a robbery but shows it for what it is.. theft. It shows that a heist is hard work and ultimately not worth doing. Now all things considered put on top of that a daring 28 minute sequence with not a word spoken and set in gorgeous Paris with truly great attention to detail and fantastic cinematography and that last scene ...when you look up and see those trees... wonderful use of raw and basic filming techniques... it is a master piece in my view and I'm glad to have seen it.

It's not just the heist scene

[rob-242 · 10/10 · 9 January 2003]

Rififi deservedly gets a lot of mention for the famous heist scene, and, indeed, that scene deserves all the credit it gets. It's a masterful piece of suspense, character interaction and photography. But Rififi isn't just this one scene - every scene in the film is as masterfully put together, and as a whole, the film is not only taught with suspense, plot and character, but an adroitly told moral tale that set the scene for film noire for years to come.

Cinematically and technically, the heist sequence may be the most impressive scene of the film, but for me, it's the final scene that holds the most power - Tony le Stéphanois's hallucinogenic drive towards redemption.

Fabulous film noir...

[poe426 · 7/10 · 19 December 2007]

You can take the crook out of the joint, but it seems exceedingly more difficult to take the joint out of the crook. We've seen this kind of character in this kind of situation before (and since): in movies like BOB LE FLAMBEUR, ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS, TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI, THE ANDERSON TAPES, etc. Too many times to mention. What helps make this one one of the more notable is (of course) the heist itself, which plays out wordlessly in real time, and the demeanor of the lead. Bogart would think twice before crossing this guy. The ironic ending is perfectly suited to this story (it almost demands it). All around, one of the better films noir.

Great heist film

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 15 April 2016]

This smart and gritty French film about a heist does not disappoint. Jean Servais plays a tough guy who has just gotten out of prison and gets an offer to knock off a high-end jewelry store. The opening scenes that establish the four thieves are memorable – Tony (Servais) running out of money while playing cards, Jo (Carl Möhner) and his young family, who will figure prominently in the film, Mario (Robert Manuel) getting bathed by his buxom wife (Claude Sylvain), and Cesar (director Jules Dassin), the expert safecracker who falls for Viviane (Magali Noel) as she sings the playful title song in a nightclub. The club is owned by Grutter, the leader of a gang, and rival for Tony's old girlfriend Mado (Marie Sabouret), and it's these two guys, Grutter and Tony, who will ultimately have to square off. I have to say the early scene in which Tony tracks Mado down and then forces her to completely strip before beating her with a belt (off-screen) is very disturbing, particularly as we're going to find ourselves rooting for him later in the film. It does establish him as a heavy though, loyal to the gang but if betrayed, merciless, which is consistent how he acts later. I can't recall Servais cracking a smile in the entire film, and he plays the role beautifully.

The robbery itself is shown masterfully by Dassin. In the planning stages, only a couple of the ways in which the thieves will pull it off are shown, an example of which is figuring out how to use a fire extinguisher to muffle the then state-of-the-art alarm system. The execution of the crime is highly realistic, and I love how he used minimal dialog and music, so that the actions and facial expressions of the actors tell the story. If only there were more films today that took a lesson from him! We also see a flaw that will lead to problems for them, and the film is far from over after the crime – further drama and real tension await, but I won't spoil it.

If you're looking for a caper film that among a few others set the blueprint for the genre, this is it. I found out later Dassin had been blacklisted by Hollywood, and was even happier for the triumph of his fantastic direction here. The script is taut, there are no wasted scenes, and on top of it all there are great shots outdoors in Paris. Don't be frightened by the subtitles or by the fact it's black and white and was made in 1955 – it all holds up very well, and is superior to most of the action films of today.

Effective Crime Thriller.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 23 May 2012]

Jules Dassin, kicked out of the industry in America for advocating the gentle treatment of pet animals or something, went to Europe and directed some genuine thrillers like this as well as one or two examples of overreach such as "He Who Must Die." He did some successful comedies as well and died in Greece. James Joyce remarked that Ireland's greatest export was talent and, in some ways, the same could be said of Hollywood during the blacklisting period of the early 50s.

A gang of professional thieves is assembled in Paris to pull off the difficult burglary of a jewelry shop. The gang is the usual diverse group with problems at home, jealousies and intrigues in their love lives, and so forth, more or less out of "Asphalt Jungle", though without Huston's exquisite attention to personal details.

The rather low-tech but very suspenseful robbery sequence takes about twenty minutes and was wordless, which was revolutionary at the time. The gang's leader is Jean Servais, who must have the most haggard face on the screen. He looks as if somebody had just taken his lollipop away. He's not a Big Hero. He smiles only once (I counted) and he beats the woman who deserted him for another gangster while Servais was in the slams.

That other gangster, Robert Hossein, isn't in on the burglary but he finds out that Servais' band WAS involved when one of the group, played as an Italian womanizer by Dassin, hides a piece of the jewelry for his own use and gives it to a nightclub singer. Cherchez la femme. Hossein's gang finds out about the gift, recognizes it for the stolen loot it is, and beats a confession out of Dassin. Servais kills him for his betrayal. Shades of "Goodfellas." Once Hossein is onto the Servais gang everything goes to pot. There's a big reward offered for the return of the stolen jewels but Hossein is motivated by a jealous rage over Servais' woman. Other murders follow, some pretty gruesome but not shown on camera.

The climax has a dying Servais driving a convertible crazily through the city streets with an unwitting and happy child in the back seat. There's very little directorial razzle dazzle but Dassin's shots of the bare, stark overhead branches etched in black against a flat sky are almost surreal in their suggestiveness.

Very nicely done job by all concerned. Dassin would outdo himself in silent burglaries with the color-drenched gigantism of "Topkapi" a few years later. "Topkapi", though, was a thriller with an element of comedy. This story is simply tragic.

depressing

[writtenbymkm-583-902097 · 2/10 · 13 June 2017]

I'm not sure it makes sense to review a film over a hundred others have already reviewed, but I'm doing it anyway, mainly because I really disliked it and evidently that puts me in small company. I'm not anti-French films. One of my favorite films is Jacques Tati's "Mon Oncle," which I can enjoy over and over. I really like several of Francis Veber's movies. But I intensely disliked "Rififi," for several reasons. It's supposed to be a "heist" film, but except for the admittedly remarkable actual heist sequence, most of the film is about extremely obnoxious gangsters, hatred, revenge, and cruelty. Also, SPOILER ALERT HERE, I just really hate it when movies resort to "a kid in jeopardy" to drum up suspense, danger, etc. I didn't like it in "The Man Who Knew Too Much," and I didn't like it here. To me it's just a cheap shot. Finally, and I guess this is another SPOILER ALERT, the movie's ending was just way too much of a downer for a so-called heist movie, I'd even call it infinitely depressing. Having the kid wave his toy gun around in the final sequence, was that supposed to be somehow symbolic? Give me a break. So, with apologies to all those who loved this, I really hated it.

The Best Laid Plans...

[Xstal · 9/10 · 25 December 2022]

You're back outside, after a little time confined, your close friends make you an offer you decline, but after a little contemplation, your respond with affirmation, and counter with a scheme that's more refined. The team is gathered, and the plans are put in place, no stone unturned, and nothing is misplaced, the execution is sublime, pulling off the perfect crime, just keep your heads down, you haven't left a trace. Alas distractions bring your work to the attention, of other villains, putting gains under contention, best endeavours have been flawed, a cascade of cheat and fraud, on this occasion, without salvation, and no redemption.

Great story, great performances, perfectly executed (almost).

Simply stunning.

[meejoir · 10/10 · 6 November 2002]

I see alot of movies at the cinema (103 so far this year) and I have to say that this is by far and away the best film I have seen this year, even though it was released back in 1954!

I sat in awe and watched this work of genius and felt quite ashamed that I had never even heard of it before my local art house cinema decided to show it for a week on what looked like a new print.

The best part of the whole movie has to be the 28 minute break in where there is no speech and no music, merely the sound of the men carrying out the heist. Pure quality.

Although really dark in places it is lightened with the dry humour.

Not many films score 10 out of 10 but this does and also gets a gold star for effort!!

If you ever get a chance to see this movie, please do not hesitate, it's a classic.

Breathtakingly brilliant! Still one of the greatest crime movies ever made.

[Infofreak · 19 March 2003]

'Rififi' is so damn good it takes your breath away! Director Jules Dassin, blacklisted from Hollywood, was living almost hand to mouth in Europe and taking any job he could get, when he made this movie, a project he was initially not at all excited by. Happily he turned around an awful situation and ended up making a classic thriller which is still one of the greatest crime movies ever made. One of the most influential too, having an impact on movies like 'The Killing', 'The Anderson Tapes', 'Thief', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'The Score' and many, many others. 'Rififi' is a classic heist movie but it is much more than that, it is a superbly written and acted character study. The robbery sequence itself is regarded as one of the most impressive in film history, but it is by no means the only thing worth watching this movie for. In fact I'd go so far as to call it perfect. Every time you watch it you discover something more of interest. Jean Servais, who later appeared in the entertaining horror sexploitation movie 'The Devil's Nightmare', is absolutely wonderful as Tony, a veteran criminal talked into joining his young friend Jo (Carl Mohner) in a daring robbery. His performance is first rate, but Mohner and the rest of the cast are equally good, including Drassin himself as Cesar, an Italian safe-cracker who inadvertently causes the gangs ultimate downfall. There's a brilliant scene between Servais and Drassin towards the end of the movie which is short but unforgettable. Look out for it. Truffaut raved about this movie calling it the best Noir he'd ever seen. I don't think he was exaggerating, it really IS that good, and personally I think it's a much better movie than Truffaut's more celebrated 'Breathless'. If you enjoy crime thrillers it doesn't get much better than this! Highly recommended!

Quite An Accomplishment

[Lechuguilla · 9/10 · 4 June 2014]

Four professional crooks attempt to steal a fortune in jewels from a heavily guarded jewelry store. This is quite a good film. And it's probably the best heist film I have seen. Tension and suspense are maximized during a 28-minute segment in the middle when there is no dialogue of any kind ... what an accomplishment.

The opening third of the film is almost as good, as we meet the four crooks, led by Tony (Jean Servais), a man just out of prison, but one who cares about his friends and is especially fond of kids. One by one, the other three crooks are introduced, and each contributes his expertise in the planning and preparation, leading up to the actual heist. At a chic nightclub called "The Age Of Gold", we meet Viviane (Magali Noel), a tall, stylish singer with big lips whose stage show includes the song "Rififi", a word used to describe the danger of streetwise tough guys and their risky, outlaw pursuits; how appropriate.

But Viviane's sexiness leads to a situation that causes problems for the four guys, and this plot turn occupies the final third of the film. At nearly two hours the film is a bit long. And this final section, somewhat tedious, might have benefited by a few scenes being shortened. The ending neatly wraps everything up with what is probably the only conclusion that would have been acceptable to an audience in 1955.

The B&W lighting is terrific. With lots of wet streets and no sunshine, outdoor visuals convey a grayish tone throughout, consistent with the film's theme. Side lighting contributes a noir atmosphere in some indoor scenes. The score, especially at the beginning, suggests an element of danger and a noir atmosphere of chic sophistication. Casting and acting are fine.

"Rififi" is an example of a top-notch film made on a low budget. It's got an interesting premise, a well-written script, great visuals, and a Director that knows how to put them all together to entertain audiences; no expensive gimmicks or high-priced actors needed.

A Classic

[MOscarbradley · 9/10 · 15 August 2006]

The minutiae of what's involved in carrying out a robbery is what makes this one of the best of all heist movies. Then there's the robbery itself, a wordless, thirty minute nail-biter that has never been surpassed, followed by what is probably the cinema's most pronounced example of dishonor among thieves as things begin to spectacularly unravel, and we have what is unquestionably the greatest of all heist movies.

This was a tough and unsentimental film when it first appeared in 1955 and it is just as tough and unsentimental today. (It displays some of the edgy brutality of Dassin's earlier "Brute Force"). There isn't a flabby moment or duff performance in the entire film and Dassin captures the milieu of seedy clubs and Parisian back streets like no-one else and the final drive through Paris by a dying man is one of the most iconic closing sequences of any movie. A classic.

A Caper Film About More Than The Job

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 10 September 2013]

According to the song "Rififi" that one character sings in the film, the title means "rough and tumble". That is a good description of the underworld characters that inhabit this film. The action starts when Tony, who recently was released after five years in prison, re-establishes contact with family and friends, who quickly lure him into a jewel caper. These guys are pros and, with Tony's guidance, they meticulously plan the heist.

The execution of their plan takes place without dialogue or background music, accentuating the silence so necessary for their plan.

In most heist films, the job itself is the final, climactic part of the story. In Rififi, the real story takes place after the job. Without revealing too much, I will say that this is a film about human nature. It reminds us that individuals almost never change their natures.

Furthermore, almost all the characters in this film have their vices or weaknesses. The film talks about "the rules", the unwritten principles that guide the actions of gangsters and conmen alike (for example, not ratting on associates). Due to their weaknesses, many of the characters violate the rules and fall prey to others.

One scene to look for is when Cesar visits the jewelry store to case the security. He asks to use the phone, leaving his cash splayed over the countertop--a strategy of distraction that also is a basic con (confidence game).

This film is blessed with topflight direction, great photography, good acting and a lean, well-written script.

Classy French gangster film

[Polaris_DiB · 8/10 · 2 October 2007]

American expatriate Jules Dassin makes an award-winning French gangster film. The plot involves Tony the Stephanois, a hoodlum just out of prison, who takes his band of thieves on a $240 million jewel heist. Unfortunately, his ex-wife's relationship with a notorious gangster named Grutter, an Italian safe-cracker named Cesar with a weakness for women, and the missteps of his own friend Jo cause the successful heist to turn into a bloody race against time as Grutter holds Jo's son hostage for the cash in typical "crime never pays" tragedy fashion.

The "rififi" in the title is explained in a song to mean slang for basically violence and sex, and the full title, "Du rififi chez les hommes" means roughly "Some naughty in the house of men", which is pretty much where the fatal flaw of the characters take place. Leave it to a gangster film to place most of the emphasis on the missteps on the women, but this time Jo's wife gets the last laugh (if you could call it a laugh) when she predicts "All of you are just going to kill each other." The characters aren't the most sympathetic and the women are mostly weak, but Dassin still builds an extremely well-crafted suspense film out of them as they pull off a heist that requires the utmost quiet, hide the goods, and then attempt to survive what basically becomes a cross-country cat and mouse game. In the mix are some very amazing photography and a fine attention to detail in editing, leading to a pacing and visual experience that well overstates the otherwise generic plot. It's not only easy to see why this is held as a classic, it's also easy to see why it's among the top 250 on the IMDb: it's suspenseful, visually magnificent, full of sex and violence, and maintains that classy gangster attitude we film buffs like so much.

It's good overall, and exceptional in the middle

[refresh_daemon · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

I've watched many film noirs in my day, but this would be one of the few French noirs that I've seen. In some senses, it's like most other film noirs: you have tough guys ("rififi" meaning tough guy), capers, and things going bad. There are no femme fatals in this one though.

So why does this film stand out? Why in the world would I watch this over any other of the hundreds of film noirs that were made in the world? Well, for the first half hour of the film, I couldn't figure it out either. In fact, it was kind of mundane. And then came the jewel heist. This is a stunner--for almost half an hour, there is not a word of dialogue and minimal sound effects. What's more, the tension gets thicker and thicker despite the silence.

The rest of the movie goes forward in a more typical fashion, but the caper itself is pretty impressive. The rest of the story is fine, a far as film noirs go. It doesn't help to elevate the film a lot, but the middle section makes the film worth watching.

It's good overall, and exceptional in the middle. 7/10.

Rififi.....Still a Great Movie

[werefox08 · 8/10 · 4 July 2012]

Rififi is like a French Brandy...It gets better with age. This French movie, made in 1955 remains the definitive French noir. It is great for many reasons, and todays directors could learn a lot from it. Directed by Jules Dasson (an American,who had a hard time in America during the obscene McCarthy witch--hunts), the movie was made for a small amount of money. It is essentially the first real heist movie, and still the best.The central character played by Jean Servais does a great job. Jules Dasson said he "got lucky" because of the industrious crew who worked tirelessly on the project, but to make this...you needed more than luck. Its strange how some of the old, classic black and white films films don't get dated. This is one of those.

Stylish and Thrilling

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 29 April 2005]

"Rififi" is a terrific heist movie, and one from which subsequent heist films have drawn ever since. Jules Dassin had a feel for the seedy underworld in which these thieves live---you will not find here the Hollywood glamour of "Ocean's Eleven." The robbers in "Rififi" don't rob for the thrill, and they're not playing a game. They rob to survive, to pay for their children's upbringing, to prove to themselves and others that they still have something to offer the world. The much-lauded heist scene is a nail biter, filmed in virtual silence. I did have the feeling that the plot went on a bit longer than it needed to, but the high-speed race to deliver the child to his mother that ends the film is classic.

Be warned---this movie is very bleak. But it's also very good.

Grade: A-

Great hold-up scene but not worth watching

[ostia666 · 4/10 · 28 May 2011]

Let's be realistic: this isn't as good as 'The maltese falcon' or 'Touch of Evil' (the films that meant an opening and an ending to the film noir genre according to critics, even though we all know film noirs started long before that and have never been abandoned). Rififi (slang word for a street fight) deals with a hold-up in the beginning but turns into a revenge story while approaching to its end. The 30 minutes silence sequence in which the robbery takes place is certainly a masterpiece, as a matter of fact I didn't even realise it was so long and not even that it was completely noiseless! (so absorbed was I). But it is the only really worth thing within the movie.

Some of the actors are good, especially Jean Servais (who had become a top star in the 30's but was in his low days at the time Rififi was being made) and the director, Jules Dassin, who plays César, the Italian specialist in safes. This movie tries to poorly imitate her American contemporaries but then again, fails. It is sooo folkloric the club shown in the movie is called L'âge d'or (paying homage to Luis Buñuel), a woman sings a local song which gives the movie its title (this reminds me of Jean Vigo's 'L'atalante' which the producers released under the title 'La chaland qui passe', name of a very popular song at the time). It, to sum up, is plain french fries without the main course.

The film has influenced popular culture so much that a lot of films released in Europe in the following years would be called: Rififi whatever... Even the word riffraff is said to be originated from this term. It was the film that showed that Europe could do good film noirs too, only that I can't agree. Even Truffaut said about it: the best film noir I've ever seen. Well, his words are never to be believed since he is sooo french he preferred the french dubbed version of 'Fahrenheit 451' rather than the original (no comment on that).

The female character was one of the worst I ever saw in film history, being treated like an ornament, but the main problem is the pace, most french films have always been so slow it almost makes someone doze off on the chair; besides, the plot twist (which should be one of the pros and quickly becomes a con) turns the movie into a stupid vengeance thriller in which Servais struggles to change his character into some sort of tough cowboy in lust for revenge. Pathetic. Near the end, we see an abandoned place which reminds very much of the one shown in 'The french connection', only in the latter it wasn't so pathetic. A fight of egos takes place and everyone loses, above all the movie. So don't waste your time on this, if you wanna see a hold-up you should see Kubrick's 'The Killing'. Only if the hold-up scene could be taken away from the movie, it would get a 10 rating, otherwise the entire movie is an entire mess.