Rififi (1955)

Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writers:

Auguste Le Breton (novel), Jules Dassin (adaptation)

Stars:

Jean Servais, Carl Möhner, Robert Manuel

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean Servais	...	Tony le Stéphanois
Carl Möhner	...	Jo le Suedois
Robert Manuel	...	Mario Ferrati
Janine Darcey	...	Louise
Pierre Grasset	...	Louis Grutter aka Louis le Tatoué
Robert Hossein	...	Remi Grutter
Marcel Lupovici	...	Pierre Grutter
Dominique Maurin	...	Tonio
Magali Noël	...	Viviane
Marie Sabouret	...	Mado les Grands Bras
Claude Sylvain	...	Ida Ferrati
Jules Dassin	...	Cesar le Milanais (as Perlo Vita)
Armandel	...	Second Gambler
Alain Bouvette	...	Footman, 'L'Age D'Or'
Alice Garan

Storyline

After five years in prison, Tony le Stéphanois meets his dearest friends Jo and the Italian Mario Ferrati 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, who became the lover of the gangster owner of the night-club L' Âge d' Or Louis Grutter, and he humiliates her, beating on her back for being unfaithful. 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 to join their team and they plot a perfect heist. They are successful in their plan, but the Don Juan Cesar makes things go wrong when he gives a valuable ring to his mistress.

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Plot Keywords:

heist | gem | burglary | power drill | security system | 

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Taglines:

30 years later, Tony le Stéphanois is always punctual.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Italian English

Release Date:

5 June 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rififi

Filming Locations:

Pont de Bir-Hakeim, Paris 15, Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,981, 23 July 2000

Gross USA:

$517,975

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$521,342

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Consortium Cinéma, Indusfilms, Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dassin claims his reasoning for the lengthy silence was realism. He explains that this also reinforces their astonishing teamwork under stress and that these men can, and carry these tasks out with no need for words. They work in a state of complete silence where any sound (like Jo bumping the piano) was their mortal enemy. Note that Cesar wears ballet slippers during the heist.

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Goofs

When they get in the car to drive to the heist, one of the guy's coats partially hangs out of the car when the door is closed. However, when they're driving there is no coat to be seen.

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Quotes

Viviane: [singing] When I'm done workin' the beat, He takes me to the movies as a treat, He don't care what flick we see, So long as it's got "rififi," In love, he can be kinda rough, He don't go for sentimental stuff, A chick, he keeps telling me, Gets her kicks on "rififi," And when he really lets himself go, I get a cuff just for show, And when I'm lying by his side, I'm nothing, I got no pride, In paradise I wanna be, I'll pay the price in "rififi"

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Alternate Versions

West German theatrical version was shortened by ca. 8 minutes (the poker scenes, the telephone scene with Jo and his wife, Mario's funeral, small dialogue scenes of Tony meeting various people, Tony finding Jo's corpse, Tony shooting an already dead gangster). This version was also broadcast on TV.

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Connections

Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992)

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Soundtracks

Le Rififi
Music by Philippe-Gérard
Lyrics by Jacques Larue
Performed by Magali Noël

User Reviews

Pure gold standard...

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.