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Rififi

Released Jun 5, 1956 2h 0m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller List
93% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Out of prison after a five-year stretch, jewel thief Tony (Jean Servais) turns down a quick job his friend Jo (Carl Mohner) offers him, until he discovers that his old girlfriend Mado (Marie Sabouret) has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter (Marcel Lupovici) during Tony's absence. Expanding a minor smash-and-grab into a full-scale jewel heist, Tony and his crew appear to get away clean, but their actions after the job is completed threaten the lives of everyone involved.
Rififi

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Rififi depicts the perfect heist in more ways than one, telling its story so effectively that it essentially provided the template for an entire genre to follow.

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Critics Reviews

View All (55) Critics Reviews
John Wilcox Sight & Sound A pity that the film degenerates through attempting too much; for in the first half, when Dassin is working within his limitations, he creates an admirably incisive and entertaining piece of melodrama. Mar 18, 2020 Full Review Alan Scherstuhl Village Voice Viewers become something like collaborators, invested in working out what, say, that umbrella is going to be used for - and then pleased to discover whether we've gotten it right or not. Sep 1, 2015 Full Review Chris Cabin Slant Magazine Jules Dassin doesn't waste much time in expressing exactly what he thinks of the criminals and gangster culture that rule his underworld. Rated: 4/4 Aug 28, 2015 Full Review Raquel Stecher The Movie Palace Podcast A fantastic heist film... unrelenting brutality mixed with moments of humor and warmth. May 16, 2024 Full Review Victor Pineyro Seventh Art Studio The guide for heist movies was created in 1955 with this film. A masterpiece that everyone has been trying to copy over the years. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 10/10 Jan 7, 2023 Full Review Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies Episode 23: Vox Lux / The Guilty / Shoplifters / The Mule / Rififi Rated: 90/100 Sep 5, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (540) audience reviews
Dana T This is my all-time favorite heist movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/17/24 Full Review Alec B 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. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/24 Full Review isaac m Rififi is a unique movie that highlights a few ex cons doing a diamond heist for financial reasons. I love the performances, the direction, the writing and the plot twists. I also enjoyed the 30 minute silent scene. Overall, Rififi defines the combination of noir and crime movies to another level. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Frederick B I can't find the movie to watch it:( Any suggestions..? Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 04/21/22 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member As one of the great works of noir, Rififi reaches stunning heights of suspense and innovation, surprising us with a wholly original plot structure that confounds all traditional expectations. From the outset, we know that we are in rough company as our grizzled protagonist introduces us to the sultry world of gambling, night clubs and underworld scheming. While we might feel tempted to regard the famously meticulous heist sequence as the film's climax, we will find that many gripping surprises still await us as we follow the key players through the logic and the consequences of their ambitious crime. The film's ingenuity rests in the way that new and unforeseeable sources of tension lurch forward just as we're catching our breath, creating a hectic and disorienting sense of where we stand in relation to the story's unfolding. At every level, the mood of pure classic noir lights our way through an unpredictable labyrinth of crime, passion and betrayal that we're happy get lost in again and again. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Rififi

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Out of prison after a five-year stretch, jewel thief Tony (Jean Servais) turns down a quick job his friend Jo (Carl Mohner) offers him, until he discovers that his old girlfriend Mado (Marie Sabouret) has become the lover of local gangster Pierre Grutter (Marcel Lupovici) during Tony's absence. Expanding a minor smash-and-grab into a full-scale jewel heist, Tony and his crew appear to get away clean, but their actions after the job is completed threaten the lives of everyone involved.
Director
Jules Dassin
Producer
René Bezard, Henri Bérard, Pierre Cabaud, René Gaston Vuattoux
Screenwriter
Auguste Le Breton, Jules Dassin, René Wheeler, Auguste Le Breton
Distributor
UMPO, Criterion Collection, Rialto Pictures
Production Co
Prima Film, Indusfilms, Société Nouvelle Prodis
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 5, 1956, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 21, 2000
Release Date (DVD)
Apr 24, 2001
Box Office (Gross USA)
$57.2K
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
Mono