"Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes" is the prototypical film noir, a stylish classic of the genre that remains as relevant and enjoyable today as it was in the 1950s. All the traditional elements of a film noir are here, from cynical gangsters dressed impeccably in suits and hats to dark betrayals and sexy femme fatales. Directed by Jules Dessin in 1954, "Rififi" was released in America a year later and scandalized international audiences through then-shocking depictions of gun violence, drug use and sexuality.
Despite the controversy, "Rififi" still managed to attract a wide audience, and even won Jules Dessin the best director prize at Cannes. The classic film continues to influence moviemakers and films today, from the jewel heist in Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" to the noir elements of "Road to Perdition."
Taking place in a shadowy Paris of mobsters and hoods, "Rififi" is a classic gangster tale of high crimes and low blows. Tony le Stephanois (Jean Servais) has just finished a five-year prison term and is ready to settle down and start a new life. His old buddies Mario (Robert Manuel) and Joe le Suedois (Carl Mohner), however, are planning to rob a Parisian department store for 240 million francs worth of jewels, and want Tony to join in on this last big heist. Tony refuses at first, but after finding out his ex-lover Mado (Marie Sabouret) has been sleeping with another man, he changes his mind. The robbers enlist the help of Cesar le Milanese, an Italian safebreaker played by the director himself, and proceed to plan out a means of making off with the jewels.
What follows is a meticulously plotted robbery that marks "Rififi" as one of the most famous heist movies of all time. The film builds to a celebrated 30-minute sequence that depicts the burglary with such accuracy and precision that the movie was banned in several countries for fear that it would be imitated by real thieves. The completely silent sequence, lacking both music and dialogue, draws attention to the precise motions of the heist, such that the scene's dramatic weight is conveyed only by the actors' facial expressions and actions. It's a spectacular sequence that with a remote interest in heist films should see.
The remainder of the film chronicles the aftermath of the jewel heist, and as always happens in these kinds of movies, everything goes horribly wrong. The final stretch of the movie is both shockingly violent and sorrowful, with an abrupt and tragic ending that will leave the audience dazed and a bit bewildered.
While "Rififi" is a dark and grim film, it's not completely cheerless. Jean Servais manages a wonderfully nuanced performance as the gangster Tony, who is certainly serious but also has a wicked deadpan sarcasm. A bit of levity is also introduced by the ebullient Manuel, who steals many scenes with his over-the-top antics.
As a heist film made in 1954, "Rififi" still packs quite a punch with its stylish cinematography, 50s gangster slang, violent shootouts and the sexy cabaret dance number of the title song. If however, the idea of a subtitled 50-year old French black and white film noir from the 1950's doesn't intrigue you, you might not enjoy this film. But true cinemaphiles and "L.A. Confidential" fans alike will appreciate the brilliant directing and gangster panache of this film noir classic.
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