Runtime:
118 minutes
Directed
by: Jules Dassin
Starring:
Jean Servais, Carl Mohner, Robert Manuel, Jules Dassin, Magali Noel
From: Pathe
Here is a classic which deserves its classic reputation:
A bad habit of mine is purchasing movies on disc then waiting a long
while to see them. It even applies to classics I purchase in a blind buy
that I delay watching even if I suspect it is a motion picture I will
rate highly. That is what I did here; I've had the Criterion Blu release
for a good amount of time yet it was only last night that I finally saw
Rififi... and I realized I was a pillock, as this should have been
watched much sooner, because it is an excellent film.
This heist film has a plot which sounds simple enough: a jewel thief is released from prison after 5 years and his pals convince him to do one last big heist; the story is actually more complex than that. Tony is the man who just got out of the can and his pal Jo is the one who convinces him to perform the robbery at a high-end jewelry store. Mario and Italian safecracker Cesar (played by director Jules Dassin) are the other two. You get to see that all four have various attachments to women (for example, one has a wife & son and Cesar is a ladies man) and that does factor into the plot.
You see that they case the joint and a few minutes is shown them trying to figure out the place's nifty security alarm (by purchasing an identical alarm they can practice on) and then they attempt the robbery during the middle of the night. After that there are complications, which aren't surprising yet the movie is always engrossing. It does not take long before the heist is first proposed and the main players are all intriguing characters. The movie is well-made, the ending is utterly unforgettable and the movie really pulls no punches. Yet the true highlight is the actual heist itself; the sequence is more than a half hour and not only do you not hear a word spoken, there is no soundtrack either. It is just natural noises such as them drilling or pulling up floorboards. That was not only masterfully done, allegedly there were real life criminals that were inspired by this scheme.
Jules Dassin made several quality noirs in Hollywood, then he was banished due to the “wonderful” blacklist; he was on the shelf for a few years before going to France and he spent a lot of time working in Europe. If you enjoy heist movies from any time period, this is a must-see; heck, even if you don't I say this is so great the movie is worthy of viewing... how the robbery is done makes me give such a high rating.
This heist film has a plot which sounds simple enough: a jewel thief is released from prison after 5 years and his pals convince him to do one last big heist; the story is actually more complex than that. Tony is the man who just got out of the can and his pal Jo is the one who convinces him to perform the robbery at a high-end jewelry store. Mario and Italian safecracker Cesar (played by director Jules Dassin) are the other two. You get to see that all four have various attachments to women (for example, one has a wife & son and Cesar is a ladies man) and that does factor into the plot.
You see that they case the joint and a few minutes is shown them trying to figure out the place's nifty security alarm (by purchasing an identical alarm they can practice on) and then they attempt the robbery during the middle of the night. After that there are complications, which aren't surprising yet the movie is always engrossing. It does not take long before the heist is first proposed and the main players are all intriguing characters. The movie is well-made, the ending is utterly unforgettable and the movie really pulls no punches. Yet the true highlight is the actual heist itself; the sequence is more than a half hour and not only do you not hear a word spoken, there is no soundtrack either. It is just natural noises such as them drilling or pulling up floorboards. That was not only masterfully done, allegedly there were real life criminals that were inspired by this scheme.
Jules Dassin made several quality noirs in Hollywood, then he was banished due to the “wonderful” blacklist; he was on the shelf for a few years before going to France and he spent a lot of time working in Europe. If you enjoy heist movies from any time period, this is a must-see; heck, even if you don't I say this is so great the movie is worthy of viewing... how the robbery is done makes me give such a high rating.
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