Tony, recently released from prison, is talked into pulling one more heist. A team is assembled to break into the safe of a nearby jewelry store. Just like in all heist films, everyone lives happily ever after.
The actor hired to play the safecracker Caesar became unavailable, so director Jules Dassin stepped into his ballet shoes. Dassin was an American and directed The Naked City among others. Brief membership in the Communist Party got him blacklisted in Hollywood, so he moved to France and became more successful. By the mid 60s he was back working in the US.
There is a 32 minute heist sequence that is absolutely riveting. No dialog, no score, just the execution of the plan. So much is communicated by careful staging and meaningful glances. It’s brilliant.
Rififi is considered one of the great heist films. TCM’s Eddie Muller proclaimed it the best. The word rififi is loosely defined as trouble or violence. A stylish musical number titled Le Rafifi ties the title to the story. The number is quite good, actually. So is the film. AMRU 4.
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