Rififi

Rififi Photos

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Cast & Crew

Jean Servais

Tony le Stéphanois

Carl Mohner

Jo le Suedois

Robert Manuel

Mario Farrati

Magali Noël

Viviane

Janine Darcey

Louise

Marie Sabouret

Mado

Robert Hossein

Remi Grutter

Marcel Lupovici

Pierre

Jules Dassin

Director

Auguste Le Breton

Writer

Jules Dassin

Writer

René Wheeler

Writer

Auguste Le Breton

Writer

René Bezard

Producer

Henri Bérard

Producer

Pierre Cabaud

Producer

René Gaston Vuattoux

Producer

Georges Auric

Original Music

M. Philippe-Gérard

Original Songs

Philippe Agostini

Cinematographer

Roger Dwyre

Film Editing

Auguste Capelier

Production Design

Alexandre Trauner

Production Design

Rosine Delamare

Costume Design

Anatole Paris

Makeup Artist

Wilhelmine Berard

Production Supervisor

Patrice Dally

Assistant Director

Bernard Delandre

Assistant Director

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Critic Reviews for Rififi

Audience Reviews for Rififi

• Jan 04, 2022

  Obviously much has deservedly been written about the brilliance of it's wordless heist sequence but the rest of the movie is filled with brilliant little character observations, which is why the tragic ending plays so well.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Apr 15, 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.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Oct 08, 2015

  Rififi is an entertaining but dated crime thriller. While gritty (and at times misogynistic), the film lacks in noir feeling. Recommended to anyone that enjoys a good heist film, but don't expect Rififi to be of the same caliber as The Wages of Fear.
  

  Super Reviewer
• Dec 20, 2009

  This is a (French) film noir heist thriller....could it really get any better than that? No, not really. Aside from the fact that it was difficult to read the subtitles at times (black and white film with white/gray lettering), this is a top notch film, and I can see why it is regarded as one of the best and most influential heist films. It's also one of the more artful films of its type too, mostly with how it is constructed and executed. The plot is pretty standard for this type of film: criminal gets out of jail, gets involved in a lucrative score. All seems perfect, and starts off that way, but thigns fall apart, and all hell breaks loose. Much of this film (either plot or certain elements) has turned up in places such as Heat, Mission: Impossible, and the Ocean's trilogy, among others. Sometimes it is just as homage or reference, other times it seems like theft *cue rimshot*. This is just some incredibly thrilling and well done stuff. One sequence that is often mentioned is the film's centerpiece: the heist scene. It is roughly a half hour long, and nearly silent (no talking or music, but some occasional sound). Doing things this way really adds to the atmosphere and builds up the suspense and tension to an almost unbearable level. The final portion of the film involves the fallout of the job, and, for its time, some of this must have seemed rather violent and shocking. Nowadays, not so much, but it's still pretty engaging stuff. A remake of this has been planend for quite some time, and, if it ever gets made, it could be good, but regardless, do yourself a favor and check this one out. It's truly a marvelous and masterful film.
  

  Super Reviewer