The 1950s and 60s brought the Film Noir style to France. Up until then, the darkly lit and grim crime stories were the domain of American directors--such as Jules Dassin--the man who actually directed "Rififi". In the late 1940s and very early 50s, he made four of the best films Noir had to offer--"Night and the City", "The Naked City", "Brute Force" and "Thieves Highway". So, it seems that he was THE link between the two cinemas--bringing the best of American Noir and fusing it with French sensibilities and actors. In a sad way, it was a GOOD thing (at least for cinephiles) that the Black Lists forced Dassin to relocate to Europe to make films (for more on this, by the way, watch the interview with him that's included as an extra on the DVD).

I was surprised when I saw one reviewer referring to this film as an early example of "French New Wave". I didn't get this at all--it clearly was like Dassin's American films in most every way--except, perhaps, it tended to possibly glorify criminals in a way his earlier films had not done and the budget was lower. This film just doesn't look like that of famous New Wave directors like Truffaut or Godard--and I am happy about this, as New Wave did NOT work well with Noir (a great example is the failure of Godard's "Alphaville" as Noir--it just didn't seem at all like any Noir film unless you are taking LSD while viewing!). Perhaps it IS a lot like the French director Melville's films in many ways--and I am sure Melville was influenced strongly by Dassin.

I would say that "Rififi" is among the best Noir films ever--and probably the best Noir France has to offer--and that's saying a lot, as I often prefer the French Noir films--they are THAT good. That's because even more so than the American versions, the criminals are incredibly cold and scary. Because of this, there was a wonderful realism. Instead of the often bigger than life criminals in the American versions, the French ones were more restrained--and as a result more believable.

So what is so wonderful about this film? First, there are so many wonderful caper films (such as "Bob le Flambeur" and "Grand Slam")--yet this is THE best of them. Second, the caper itself was brilliantly handled. Having thirty minutes of dialog-free action without music really, really heightened the tension and was riveting. My deaf daughter usually hates this sort of film, but she sat transfixed as well. Third, the ending was wonderful. It was very dark and free of sentimentality and it also was tense and well-made--and it's hard to imagine anything better. Fourth, the film is just perfect--there is NOTHING I can thing of that I would change! About the only Noir films I might like better (and this is hard to say for sure) might be "The Killers"....maybe. It's also a film that cinephiles must see...period.

By the way, look closely at the Italian thief in the gang--that's Dassin himself. He did act in a few movies here and there in addition to directing--and his most famous acting role was probably in "Never on a Sunday" (in which he co-starred with his wife).

If you liked this film, some other wonderful French crime films would include "Bob le Flambeur" (which, in many ways, is a re-tooling of "Rififi"),"Le Samourai", "Un Flic" and "Le Circle Rouge" (all by Jean-Pierre Melville),"Le Balance" (sort of an early 80s reinvention of Noir) and even "Diva" (yes, it's NOT Noir but has many Noir qualities). There are many other films, but frankly my review is getting a bit long-winded and I have other things I must do!

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.

As I ignored all those victimized by the jewel thieves, I found myself wanting them to get away with it. It's a kind of viewer's Stockholm syndrome. The incredible effort and creativity needed to pull off the heist is overshadowed by the simple greed and anger of another faction. There is justice ultimately but at a great cost. Performances are quite striking and believable. The world these people live in is so dark. What are they going to do with their wealth after they get it? A remarkable noire film that has really withstood the test of time. A side note. If it had been me, I would have thrown that kid in the river when I had the chance.