Rififi - Criterion Collection (1956)

A Rumble Among the Boys

This 1955 film was a sensation because of its unsentimental realism that differed from films of the 1940s. It begins with a gambling game. Tony from Stéphane is short of funds, and asks for help. They drive a 1940s Ford in Paris. Another man shows up with a plan to burglarize a jewelry store. But Tony is too old and slow to run fast. Tony visits a nightclub to find Mado, an old girl friend. The conversation reveals their character and relationship. Then Tony decides he needs to earn money and make a big score. A long distance telephone call takes scheduling. Mario drives a Buick. Conspicuous consumption? After meeting at the nightclub they contact a fence in London.

They take great care by studying the jewelry store for their big job. They create a key for a door. Cesar knows how to case the joint and they study the alarm. It's the latest technology, designed to go off if a wire is cut or there is any vibration. Tony gets an idea about using a fire extinguisher! A simple idea defeats high technology. The next night the job is on. Tony steals a car. Note how the French store has a concierge on the premises. The thieves go about breaking in through the ceiling. They open an umbrella indoors. Tony descends to silence the alarm. The safe is carefully tipped over to drill into the back and cut a hole to reach inside. Cesar takes a souvenir. Two gendarmes find the stolen car and call it in. There's always the unexpected. But their getaway succeeds and plan to fence the jewels in London (a comment on the financial center of the world).

Cesar disobeys his orders and hooks up with that nightclub singer. He gives her a clue. Pierre discovers this and decides to take over. Ida and Mario are captured and forced to talk, but they don't betray Tony. Now Tony is out for revenge on the Grutters. He finds Cesar and reminds him of the rules of the game. The Police Inspector watches over the funeral procession. The Grutters take steps to obtain the stolen loot. Tony will hunt the Grutters by contacting his fellow crooks. Someone tells Tony where they are. The tension builds. Then a messenger is sent to Remy and Tony follows him for a final showdown. I won't give away the ending on this old film, but justice is served, the guilty are punished.

Do parts of this film remind you of "The Asphalt Jungle"? Note how costs are kept down with a small cast and limited scenes. The long silence during the burglary reduces the costs of dubbing in another language. Tony was the first man into the store, but not the last man out. This resulted in the fatal flaw. But there could have been a squabble over the loot. There's more to go around when there are fewer shares. Or a gangster could have figured out that Tony was a jewel thief. In real life the Paris police would have rounded up all known jewel thieves and questioned them on their alibi. Why did the London fence carry a small fortune without guards? The biggest flaw in this film is the indoor alarm; they are placed outdoors and high off the ground. The presence of an innocent child adds irony to this story. June 16, 2008

Practical manual on how to crack a bank safe

This is a typical French movie, which means that it lives up to the expectation that all major protagonists will die as story unfolds, with all fruits of their short cinematographic existence being lost while in the process of said dying.

This is hardly surprising as French contributed a great deal to existentialism with Jean-Paul Sartre declaring that "All human actions are equivalent and all are on principle doomed to failure" back in 1940's. How true. Of course later on Sartre developed this further with "L'enfer, c'est les autres" which is often translated as "Hell is other peoples pretentious movies", which is also very true.

"Rififi" is one of the better French movies and the single reason for that is the absolutely amazing scene of a jewelry store heist. It is quite long, shot in a documentary style and completely lacks any audio accommodations. Towards the end of it one feels as being part of the crew that just pulled it off.

I don't believe the director intended to, but the movie is quite educational in potentially penitentiary aspects - I didn't expect to learn how to crack open a bank safe when I set out watching this story, but now I feel I could do that if needed, not that I ever intent to.

A minor technical point is that audio seems to be may be 1 sec or so behind, this could be a DVD transfer issue.

Rated 4/5, as a must have classic that will be watched once and promptly forgotten afterwards.





May 25, 2008

Good Suspense

Although this movie showed up on a lot of recommended lists, it still surprized me how good a movie it is. This is a movie that fits in with some of the best gangster movies of American Cinema in the 1940's and 50's. The characters are interesting in a compelling way although the main character starts off on the wrong foot for most audiences. There is a crime that is planned and executed in suspenseful and interesting detail. There are the real bad guys that are pretty unappealing (compared to our "good" bad guys with their humane and humorous qualities). Plots within the plot keeps us off balance and helps intensify the suspense. The ending may not be the one we'd like but it is an impressive ending nonetheless.

I've seen a number of highly rated movies that left me under-whelmed with appreciation. However, "Rififi" is a movie that I'm glad I had the opportunity to watch.

February 25, 2008

Much more than just a fight (4.5 stars)

"Rififi chez les hommes" (Fight among the men), which is the original title of this film, is much more than the title suggests. There is a bit of irony in it... I have not much of a preference for French movies, but this may be the best of them all. So far, I have had Godard's "Band of Outsiders" on that pedestal, but not any longer, I think.

Father of films like Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing", "Rififi" is a classic crime movie where everything is prepared for a good heist, but in the end everything is bound to fall apart. Why? "Cherchez la femme" (Seek a woman behind it), of course. Shot in 1955, the movie has a degree of brutality and nihilism in it. There is excellent cinematography and editing throughout, too, which is compounded by the wonderful performances of all actors. The "fab four" of criminals are top-notch, but even the supporting players are great, including Robert Hossein (later a star in the Angelique series), a drug-addict brother of the main character Tony's arch enemy and Magali Noel, who went on to become one of Fellini's muses, like in "Amarcord". Besides, the film possesses a sound degree of French elegance and class, as if really showing off the goods and being proud of it.
If you are after crime stories, dramas, thrillers or noir, this is for you. I'm done. January 17, 2008

c'est magnifique!

This movie is so great, and also so watchable--the best!!!
I was watching "The Big Sleep" and saw its influence on "Rififi"?
Also, the more modern "7"?
The rain, the weather, and yet the separateness, the automaton-ityesqueness of societe.
Yes, I am a dork and I know nothing!
Except this is a great movie--watch it as soon and as often as you can! January 4, 2008

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