Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p15

25/03/2014 05:31 par tellurikwaves

Š-DR-DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES p14

25/03/2014 05:18 par tellurikwaves

A Classic
9/10
Author: Martin Bradley (MOscarbradley@aol.com) from Derry, Ireland
15 August 2006

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

The minutiae of what's involved in carrying out a robbery is what makes this one of the best of all heist movies. Then there's the robbery itself, a wordless, thirty minute nail-biter that has never been surpassed, followed by what is probably the cinema's most pronounced example of dishonor among thieves as things begin to spectacularly unravel, and we have what is unquestionably the greatest of all heist movies.

This was a tough and unsentimental film when it first appeared in 1955 and it is just as tough and unsentimental today. (It displays some of the edgy brutality of Dassin's earlier "Brute Force"). There isn't a flabby moment or duff performance in the entire film and Dassin captures the milieu of seedy clubs and Parisian back streets like no-one else and the final drive through Paris by a dying man is one of the most iconic closing sequences of any movie. A classic.

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p13

25/03/2014 04:39 par tellurikwaves

Breathtakingly brilliant! Still one of the greatest crime movies ever made.

Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia
19 March 2003

'Rififi' is so damn good it takes your breath away! Director Jules Dassin, blacklisted from Hollywood, was living almost hand to mouth in Europe and taking any job he could get, when he made this movie, a project he was initially not at all excited by. Happily he turned around an awful situation and ended up making a classic thriller which is still one of the greatest crime movies ever made. One of the most influential too, having an impact on movies like 'The Killing', 'The Anderson Tapes', 'Thief', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'The Score' and many, many others.

'Rififi' is a classic heist movie but it is much more than that, it is a superbly written and acted character study. The robbery sequence itself is regarded as one of the most impressive in film history, but it is by no means the only thing worth watching this movie for. In fact I'd go so far as to call it perfect. Every time you watch it you discover something more of interest. Jean Servais, who later appeared in the entertaining horror sexploitation movie 'The Devil's Nightmare', is absolutely wonderful as Tony, a veteran criminal talked into joining his young friend Jo (Carl Mohner) in a daring robbery.

His performance is first rate, but Mohner and the rest of the cast are equally good, including Drassin himself as Cesar, an Italian safe-cracker who inadvertently causes the gangs ultimate downfall. There's a brilliant scene between Servais and Drassin towards the end of the movie which is short but unforgettable. Look out for it. Truffaut raved about this movie calling it the best Noir he'd ever seen. I don't think he was exaggerating, it really IS that good, and personally I think it's a much better movie than Truffaut's more celebrated 'Breathless'. If you enjoy crime thrillers it doesn't get much better than this! Highly recommended!

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p12

25/03/2014 04:26 par tellurikwaves

A Magnificent Fim-Noir
10/10
Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
21 July 2007

After five years in prison, Tony le Stéphanois (Jean Servais) meets his dearest friends Jo (Carl Möhner) and the Italian Mario Ferrati (Robert Manuel) and they invite Tony to steal a couple of jewels from the show-window of the famous jewelry Mappin & Webb Ltd, but he declines. Tony finds his former girlfriend Mado (Marie Sabouret), who became the lover of the gangster owner of the night-club L' Âge d' Or Louis Grutter (Pierre Grasset), and he humiliates her, beating on her back and taking her jewels. Then he calls Jo and Mario and proposes a burglary of the safe of the jewelry. They invite the Italian specialist in safes and elegant wolf Cesar (Perlo Vita) to join their team and they plot a perfect heist.

They are successful in their plan, but the D. Juan Cesar makes things go wrong when he gives a valuable ring to his mistress."Du Rififi Chez les Hommes" is a magnificent film-noir, certainly among the best I have seen. The screenplay has credibility, supported by an awesome direction of Jules Dassin, stunning performances of the cast and great cinematography. Jean Servais has outstanding performance in the role of a criminal with principles guided by the underworld rules. The famous long silent sequence of the heist is amazing and extremely tense and certainly among the best ones of the cinema history. I am listing this great movie in my list of favorite movies ever. My vote is ten.

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p11

25/03/2014 04:17 par tellurikwaves

Pure gold standard...
8/10
Author: Oliver T. Cunningham II from DUBLIN, Ireland.
6 July 2007

This film is a work of pure class from start to finish, for a moment forget the famous 28 minute no dialog heist, forget that it's set in Paris and forget it's Noir. The film itself, the premise and the execution make this a pure gold experience.. it's sharp intelligent and thought through in great detail, just like the heist itself. It portrays real characters that are not only believable but whom you empathize with. It's a film that doesn't glamorize the notion of a robbery but shows it for what it is.. theft.

It shows that a heist is hard work and ultimately not worth doing. Now all things considered put on top of that a daring 28 minute sequence with not a word spoken and set in gorgeous Paris with truly great attention to detail and fantastic cinematography and that last scene ...when you look up and see those trees... wonderful use of raw and basic filming techniques... it is a master piece in my view and I'm glad to have seen it.

It's not just the heist scene
10/10
Author: rob-242 (rob@digitalburn.net) from Cambridge, England
9 January 2003

Rififi deservedly gets a lot of mention for the famous heist scene, and, indeed, that scene deserves all the credit it gets. It's a masterful piece of suspense, character interaction and photography. But Rififi isn't just this one scene - every scene in the film is as masterfully put together, and as a whole, the film is not only taught with suspense, plot and character, but an adroitly told moral tale that set the scene for film noire for years to come.Cinematically and technically, the heist sequence may be the most impressive scene of the film, but for me, it's the final scene that holds the most power - Tony le Stéphanois's hallucinogenic drive towards redemption.

Simply stunning.
10/10
Author: meejoir (meejoir@zombie.co.uk) from Newcastle, England
6 November 2002

I see alot of movies at the cinema (103 so far this year) and I have to say that this is by far and away the best film I have seen this year, even though it was released back in 1954!I sat in awe and watched this work of genius and felt quite ashamed that I had never even heard of it before my local art house cinema decided to show it for a week on what looked like a new print. The best part of the whole movie has to be the 28 minute break in where there is no speech and no music, merely the sound of the men carrying out the heist. Pure quality.Although really dark in places it is lightened with the dry humour Not many films score 10 out of 10 but this does and also gets a gold star for effort!! If you ever get a chance to see this movie, please do not hesitate, it's a classic.

To me, it seems a very risky idea to attempt a Hollywood-remake of Jules Dassin's 1955 classic RIFIFI. Planned for release in 2007, Al Pacino apparently is gonna play the lead, taking on the role of Tony le Stephanois. Risky business... How they're gonna pull this off?Ironically, Dassin was blacklisted in Hollywood and went on to try his luck in France and made this little masterpiece, aptly called by some "The Grandddady of all caper- and heist movies".

In my opinion, it remains a one-of-a-kind classic, beautifully filmed with one of the most memorable endings ever to be put on film. Whatever one's opinion of the film.In the last couple of years RIFIFI has become dangerously overpraised. Nevertheless, this French noir-classic shouldn't be forgotten. Go see it, before the remake is out there, in order to have some ammunition for comparing the two.

Camera Obscura --- 9/10

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p10

25/03/2014 04:14 par tellurikwaves

Film noir meets New Wave
9/10
Author: Dennis Littrell from United States
6 December 2006

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)

Or vice-versa.

This is a French film noir directed by an American film maker (Jules Dassin) who had to leave the country because of being blacklisted by Hollywood thanks to HUAC. The premise of the story is rather familiar--one last jewel heist for Tony le Stephanois and his buds--and so is the ending with everybody getting... Well, no spoilers here, for sure, since this is the sort of film in which tension toward the ending is important.

Dassin filmed in realistic lighting in black and white on the streets of Paris using actors and actresses who are not glamorous. The engaging--sometimes intruding--score by Georges Auric nicely enhances the movie and will remind viewers of many a similar score from American film noirs from the forties and early fifties. Jean Servais plays the hardcore, consumptive lead in a fedora much as Humphrey Bogart might have played him. Tony's recently out of prison, past his prime, but still tough and decisive when he has to be, his mind still sharp when focused, the kind of anti-hero whose eyes water even though the tears will never fall.Dassin plays the Italian safecracker and would-be ladies man who knows the rules but gets careless.

In film noir we are forced by the logic and focus of the film to identify with the bad guys. Often there are levels of bad guys, the "good" bad guys we are identifying with and the "bad" bad guys who are out to do in our good bad guys, and then maybe there's a really bad, bad bad guy or two. (Here we have Remi Grutter, played by Robert Hossein, a slightly sadistic druggie.) Then there are the cops who are irrelevant or nearly so. In more modern film noir the bad guys are not even "good" bad guys, and they get away with it or something close to that. In the old film noir, which evolved from the gangster films of the thirties, the usual motto, following the old Hollywood "code," was "Crime Doesn't Pay," with every criminal having to pay for his or her crime before the end of the movie.

Probably the most impressive feature of Rififi is how nicely the film moves along. The plot unfolds quickly and seamlessly much the way the great film directors always did it, directors like Stanley Kubrick, Louis Malle, and the best of Hitchcock. Some have actually compared this to Kubrick's The Killing (1956) and suggest that Kubrick stole a little. Well, directors always steal if need be, and there are some perhaps telling similarities, such as it being "one last heist" for the protagonist, and having the girl gum up the works. The similarities may go deeper because as this film was nearing its end I suddenly thought, oh, no! the suitcase in the back seat is going to fly out of the convertible, hit the ground, burst open, and all the money is going to fly into the air!

Those of you who have seen The Killing may recall what happened to the money near the end of the film! Which reminds me of another film with something bad happening to the money: Oliver Stone's U Turn (1997) starring Sean Penn. There the money in his backpack gets blown to smithereens by a shotgun blast. Ha, ha, ha! Getting the dubbed version of this film would be an act of sacrilege since the dialogue (when there is some: the heist itself is done entirely without dialogue, about 30 minutes worth) is terse and easy to follow requiring only an occasional glance at the subtitles, which, by the way, are quite utilitarian and guiding as opposed to having every word spelled out.

One other thing: all the brutality is done as sex used to be done in film, that is off camera. A guy gets his throat slit. We don't see it. I kind of like this approach. We don't have to see the gore. You could almost let your kids see Rififi--almost.Catch this one now and be on the lookout for a Hollywood reprise starring Al Pacino and directed by Harold Becker coming out next year in which you can be sure that the violent scenes will be played out in full.

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p9

25/03/2014 04:11 par tellurikwaves

Spartacus(1960) ??may have been the one which broke down the infamous blacklist, but in my opinion Rififi(1955) was the film that began to break apart the unbreakable Hollywood blacklist. First film in five years for Jules Dassin who was victimized by the McCarthy communist hunt of the late 40s to early 50s. He got some sort of retribution when Rififi(1955) became a success around France and Europe. Thus defying the poisonious Hollywood blacklist in a major way that probably inspired others to do the same. Rififi(1955) is the most important film of Dassin's career because it not only restored his name, but also gave him a second chance at making films.

Jules Dassin gave the filmworld and its ever growing audiences a masterpiece of influential proportions. His handling of the material is exceptional and direction of the actors is flawless. Builds up tense situations with precise craftsmanship. Dassin came full circle in the Film Noir genre by directing his best and last Noir, Rififi(1955). Marked the end of Dassin's period in filmmaking when he was involved in doing Noir pictures.

Rififi(1955) is the number one film in an arsenal of thirty plus films for director, Jules Dassin. A masterpiece in acting, cinematography, directing, editing, and writing. Not a film to leave your seat for one minute because there is always something memorable going on. As brilliant as anything by Jean Pierre Melville who was a master of this type of film. Masterpieces such as Rififi(1955) are relatively small compared to the probably billions of films made in motion picture history.

The one fascinating aspect of Rififi is the precise planning and careful execution of a robbery that takes up a bulk of the 118 minute duration. The main characters plan and execute the jewel heist in the same way a film director prepares for the pre-productions, production, and post-production of a film. Shows how difficult a Jewel heist like in Rififi(1955) is in committing and why very few would do something like it. The fact that the scene hardly contains a mess up like in other heist films turns this scene into something even greater. Close as one can get to having a perfect sequence in a motion picture.

Lack of unnatural sound in the landmark thrity minute heist sequence puts it in a realm of absolute realism. Any dialogue or/and music would ruin any suspense and tension the director is trying to create. The use of natural sound makes the heist sequence a rewarding film viewing experience. Now Filmmakers and producers would use dialogue and music in a scene like this because of a lack of confidence of a mainstream filmgoer's patience. Sustains a level of consistency that never once lets down.

Maintaining a high level of suspense is what makes the heist sequence tick to perfection. The director achieves suspense in the heist sequence that's rarely equaled in most robbery scenes from heist films. Jean Servais and the rest of the main actors contribute to the suspense with some low key acting. Getting suspense put in a scene is a task few are capable of doing. The robbery sequence of Rififi(1955) reaches a Hitchcockian level of suspense and tension.

Many filmmakers from the years following Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes(1955) have been influenced if not inspired by it. One filmmaker influenced was Jean Pierre Melville(original choice for director of Rififi)who used variations of the heist sequence in Le Doulos(1961), and Le Cercle Rouge(1970). Another filmmaker influenced was Stanley Kubrick who made a similarly themed film in The Killing(1956).

Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes(1955) is comparable to Bob le Flambeur(1955) in many ways. One, Jules Dassin and Jean Pierre Melville directed groundbreaking films in Rififi(1955) and Bob le Flambeur(1955). Two, each film involves an aging criminal who plans and carries out a daring heist. Three, Bob le Flambeur and Rififi finishes in fatalistic fashion. Four, each film shares many motifs and situations that classify the two as film greats.

Part of Rififi's charm are the colorful characters that surround the story such as Tony le Stephanois, Jo le Suedois, Mario Farrati, and Cesar le Milanais. Most of the violence is implicit yet effectively brutal. The main characters led by Tony le Stephanois abide by a strong outdated code of honor that is remindful of Sam Peckinpah and John Woo. Jean Servais becomes the role of Tony le Stephanois with his cynical outlook and tired looks. Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes/Rififi(1955) became a favorite of mine the moment I saw it on the big screen from beginning to end.

Š-DR- DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES de Jules Dassin (1955) p8

25/03/2014 03:57 par tellurikwaves

the absolute best

Author: loydmooney from san francisco
14 December 2004

If any film approaches perfection, this is the one. Pound for pound and scene for scene it is the best. The only others even close are the Maltese Falcon and Asphalt Jungle, but this is the baby that beats even them. For sheer black and white beauty it is the equal of Asphalt, and just never lets up. Its ending is one of the best of all time, easily the equal of Citizen Kane. And making it even more amazing it that it was cobbled together in desperation: and made for practically nothing. In short, a bloody miracle.

It builds beautifully. Everything in it works, even down to the great music of George Auric. Shot in early winter or late spring, it is authentic down to the white gangster breaths on the air. Paris never looked more dangerously beautiful.Of all the films I have ever seen, it is the only one I would give a nine and a half to. And since most of it works very well without comment, probably it is best to just say, watch it and behold.

Š-DR-DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES p7

25/03/2014 03:52 par tellurikwaves

1955. Accusé de sympathies communistes par McCarthy et ses sbires, Jules Dassin trouve refuge en Europe, où les instigateurs de la Liste Noire s’acharnent à le poursuivre, menaçant tout producteur s’aventurant à produire un de ses films d’être interdit de distribution sur le territoire américain. Du Rififi chez les hommes marque pourtant son retour aux affaires, grâce au courage de producteurs français qui lui donnèrent une seconde chance en lui offrant ce projet sur un plateau.

Dassin rechigna d’abord à se jeter dans l’aventure, échaudé par un script qu’il détestait. Sur le fond, on ne saurait lui donner tort, tant cette histoire de cambriolage semble aux premiers abords d’une banalité consternante. Un vieux gangster à la retraite qui se lance dans son dernier coup, un gang rival de dangereux mafieux gominés, un cambrioleur italien aux doigts de fée (joué d’ailleurs par Dassin lui-même, sous le pseudo de Perlo Vita) : à la lecture du scénario, les clichés s’enfilent comme des perles.

Sans parler d’un des problèmes évidents du film aujourd’hui : une misogynie assumée (le numéro de music-hall, bien qu'entré dans les annales, est vraiment d’une rare bêtise) avec sa litanie de personnages féminins d’une pâleur et d’une vulgarité sans nom. Il faut voir la femme de Jo le Suédois lors de sa première apparition, un aspirateur à la main, son fils dans les bras, décrochant le téléphone pendant que Jo lit le journal allongé dans son sofa. Crispant.

Et pourtant…

50 ans plus tard, le film emporte tout sur son passage, même ses plus évidents défauts ; et une fois le générique de fin déroulé, hante les esprits avec une rare prégnance. Sûrement parce que l’on retrouvera plus tard de l’ADN certifié Rififi chez Melville (Le Doulos, Bob le Flambeur), Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs), John Woo, Ringo Lam, Michael Mann, David Mamet, tous ces cinéastes qui se seront frottés au film de cambriolage dans leur carrière. Avec comme phare, Du Rififi chez les hommes. Car ne nous y trompons pas : si le film est encore aujourd’hui aussi marquant, c’est surtout pour son incroyable séquence de cambriolage, référence en la matière et mètre-étalon du genre.

Véritable tour de force cinématographique, cette demi-heure tout bonnement géniale révèle un cinéaste maître de ses effets à l’extrême, jouant sur les nerfs du spectateur à la manière du meilleur Hitchcock et s’autorisant quelques effets d’une audace folle. Pendant 35 minutes éblouissantes, Dassin va ainsi supprimer tout dialogue, effacer toute trace de musique et retourner avec délectation aux sources du cinéma, quand il était encore muet et que les seules armes d’un cinéaste étaient un cadre,ses acteurs et le montage. Pari gagné : la séquence est inoubliable, inégalable et inégalée. De ces scènes qui vous donnent envie de vous plonger dans la documentation de votre lecteur DVD pour enfin apprendre à programmer une suite de chapitres à regarder en boucle.

Pour ces fabuleuses 35 minutes, il sera alors beaucoup pardonné au film : son dernier quart un peu faible au regard de cette incroyable séquence, son jeu d’acteurs inégal (malgré un immense Jean Servais, force est de reconnaître que le pauvre Carl Möhner n’est par exemple vraiment pas à la hauteur), sa post-synchronisation parfois hasardeuse ou encore les clichés du scénario. Film inégal donc, sûrement un peu étouffé par ce majestueux morceau de bravoure, et qui pourtant, cache quelques autres trésors pour qui veut bien y regarder d’un peu plus près.

Car ne s’attarder que sur cette fameuse séquence, ce serait aussi oublier l’extraordinaire travail d’Alexandre Trauner sur les décors, la très belle partition musicale de George Auric, la gouaille toute parisienne des dialogues ou encore la première apparition, assez convaincante, d’un jeune Robert Hossein. Enfin, ce serait faire injure au talent de Jules Dassin, son sens du cadre, son efficacité toute "américaine" et surtout ses petites innovations discrètes, qui mine de rien annonçaient la Nouvelle Vague avec cinq ans d’avance.

Dans une dernière séquence de toute beauté, la caméra et les ciseaux de Dassin, libres comme l’air, s’autorisent quelques embardées folles dans les rues de Paris qui n’auront rien à envier au Godard d’A Bout de Souffle… Et ce en 1955. C’est dire si malgré ses quelques défauts, Du Rififi pour les Hommes est de ces films que l’on chérit secrètement.

Š-DR-DU RIFIFI CHEZ LES HOMMES p6

25/03/2014 03:48 par tellurikwaves