Rififi

Released Jun 5, 1956

2h 0m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

93%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

95%

Audience Score

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.

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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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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

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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

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Jules Dassin

Director

Jean Servais

Tony le Stéphanois

Carl Mohner

Jo le Suedois

Robert Manuel

Mario Farrati

Magali Noël

Viviane

Janine Darcey

Louise

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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
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: French (Canada)
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