French crooks simply have more style – but otherwise, they're just as wicked and violent as any other gangster. Dassin's film is essentially divided into three parts: the preparation, the jewel robbery, and the aftermath. And it all works so well precisely because the characters were given sufficient depth in the first part, because the script and direction ensure a breathless middle section, and because the finale is truly dramatic. Absolutely great cinema, captured in beautiful and thoughtful images and brilliantly acted!

This is my all-time favorite heist movie.

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.

I can't find the movie to watch it:( Any suggestions..?

A decent noir film with plenty of suspense, Quirky characters and drama. Either way you are guaranteed plenty of entertainment. The reason I wont give it a full 5 star rating is due to the fact its only good for one viewing. Once you watched it all the way until the end its a one time only experience , at least for me. The english dubbed version looses alot of dialogue in translation. Therefore Id highly recommend the original french version with subtitles instead.All in all it was a riveting movie adventure.

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.

The Hatton Garden job done without flair. If only the French had a translation for film noir, I'd know what to describe this as. The heist is the most fun part but the story has enough legs for some subsequent twists, turns and tragedy.

The bold narrative and style are something really worth a shot. Being a neo-noir fan I think it carries most of the elements of a neo-noir classic.

A pretty impressive crime thriller for its time with the heist being so detailed you'd think the makers of the film were actual bank robbers and the movie delivers some genuine suspense nearing the climax.

America's loss was Europe's gain. With a shoestring budget and having to cast himself in a decent role, Dassin managed to craft one of the most influential films of the heist genre. Yes, some of the elements have aged poorly (particularly the sexualization of all but woman with more than five lines) and would be panned today, but I was able to look past that. Even though the protagonists are seedy people, it is impossible not to really care about their predicaments and final fates. The heist scene is brilliantly executed, and the fallout wonderfully gripping. Perhaps the likes of Mission Impossible have taken the technical aspect of heist films to new heights, but this really is one of the best films for its means that could have been made. The audience receives the groundwork for almost every heist film to come as well as a wonderful noir atmosphere simply not replicated outside of its era. What a film.

they filmed the best heist in the history with a realistic ending

Cleverly shot and led by an exceptionally capable performance from Servais, Rififi is a rather unique blending of conventional noir themes and more dynamic, engaging elements; this isn't a '40s Bogart noir where a wise-cracking private dick cruises from room to room trying to piece together a convoluted conspiracy, but a three-act narrative that sews together story elements that could have easily been jarring. An atmospheric noir opening, a clever heist flick, and finally,the undoing of a criminal conspiracy brought about by a single loose thread. The cinematography is constantly creating engaging moments, particularly César's murder and the final frenzied drive through Paris. Servais brings to life an exceptional portrait of a gangster - at once capable and intimidating but beaten down, displaying empathetic qualtiies but reinforcing that he is not at all a good person (particularly through his abuse of Mado). However, nitpicking the story a bit: what was the point of the police officers recognizing the gang's license plate outside of the jewelers during the heist? t didn't really seem to play a role in their undoing, and seems out of place, unless I missed some context. Overall still quite a take on the noir genre, refusing to lean on atmosphere alone and instead innovating. (4.5/5)

This basically felt like one long poem, in the form of an amazing heist film, and I absolutely loved it. Each character brought a unique flavor to the group and the film overall, while Dassin showed excellent touch, and at times restraint, to create an appealing blend of tension and introspection. This film should be viewed for the famous heist scene, if nothing else, and the scene somehow still exceeded the hype for me. Side note: One of my biggest movie pet peeves are during gambling scenes where inevitably money that was never on the table to start a hand ends up being tossed in along with car keys, house deeds, first born kids, etc which for anyone who has ever sat a poker table knows, isnt how it works. Good will was established quickly for me here when the opening scene featured a card game mid hand and a player was finally, and correctly, told that he could only bet what he had at the table.

'If elements of it seem overly familiar now, that's only because they were done first here'.

I don't know if it is due that most of the resources have been employed in later movies, or that characters lack any expression that you can neither feel anything, the point is that the movie does not attract me the way it should to be one of the first ones about heists.

I have a conditional love for heist movies. I can only get on board with them if the movie makes me like some of the characters. The easy way of doing this is getting me to side with the cops who are trying to figure out the crime and catch the bad guys. The more precarious balance is what Rififi manages to accomplish, where they establish crooks and somehow make me care about them. I’m not sure why I was invested in the guys involved in this robbery, but I was holding my breath a number of times because I didn’t want them to get caught. The actual scene that showed the heist was my favorite part of the film because it felt authentic, and had my heart racing with excitement. Building up to this moment was also a treat because they have a lot of little moments where we see them planning for the crime and problem-solving the obstacles they would find along the way. This section of Rififi also builds up the different characters so we could see what each person added to the team. The final act was the only aspect of Rififi that I didn’t enjoy as much. After getting me on board with these characters, the last thing I wanted was to watch as things start to fall apart for them. It’s kind of inevitable in a film like this, particularly one that feels more realistic, that it’s not going to be so easy for the crooks to live happily-ever-after, but it didn’t make it easy to swallow. I still enjoyed the tension in these scenes, and I liked how the protagonists matched wits with their opponents. The ending certainly didn’t ruin Rififi for me, but it was a downer after I had enjoyed the first two acts so much. The cast is marvelous, and they all deliver great performances. However, Jean Servais was the real star of the show. Every time he was on screen I felt like I knew what he was thinking, and I loved how he was a few steps ahead of everyone else. Rififi should be included on every list of great heist movies, and is one that I would gladly watch again. In fact, I’d probably enjoy it even more the next time because I already know how it will end.

The criminal heist movie that influenced so many. It's not perfect, but it's really a true classic.

A classic in every sense: black-&-white, French, 1950s, the first true heist film, the expertly done 30min robbery with no talking or score. Worth it just for that scene, with so much tension and excellent camerawork/editing. But it's great because you get to know the four characters first: Tony, fresh out of jail (the brains), Jo (the brawn), & his son, Mario (the ditz) & Cesar (the safe-cracker) and the set-up is done well. After the robbery, we learn that crime doesn't pay, as it all spectacularly unravels. Great score, cinematography, acting and plot - not much more you can ask for!

Rififi is pretty much a perfect film. The mostly silent centerpiece of the heist is flawless, and you will find yourself holding your breath despite yourself.

This joins the ranks of Brighton Rock as one of the few great noirs made outside America.