Review of Rififi

Introduction

Jules Dassin`s "Rififi" (aka "Du Rififi chez les Hommes") is easily *the* classic of French film noir. It contains a wordless 30 minute heist sequence that has so influenced film makers that they are still homage-ing it off to this day. Without "Rififi" there would be no "Ocean`s Eleven", no "The Score" and probably no "Mission Impossible" (the tv series, not the films.)

Dassin was Connecticut born but had been blacklisted under the House of Un-American Activities Committee. Unable to find work in the US, he was having difficulties gaining employment in Europe thanks to the activities of various US Ambassadors. Then he met up with Henri Berard, who had optioned Auguste Le Breton`s best-seller "Du Rififi chez les hommes". Developing the screenplay in under a week alongside screenwriter Rene Wheeler, Dassin made numerous changes to the original storyline. At the heart of the thriller was the jewel heist itself, destined to become a classic. When Le Breton read the script, he threatened Dassin with a hand gun but when the director could not keep a straight face, he relented.

Rififi was a huge hit in its native France and won Dassin the Best Director award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Greatly admired by legendary French filmmaker Francois Truffaut, Truffaut`s review of the film coined the phrase film noir - so now you know who to blame.

Rififi did excellent business in the UK, released on the ABC circuit in a double bill with "The Quatermass Xperiment", but I`m not saying which film may have carried the other...

Video

The movie is presented in its original aspect ratio of 4:3. Photographed in contrasty but sharp monochrome, it stands up well alongside films of the same age, although there is some wear and tear. I would point out that there is some instability in the image when navigating, which seems to be typical of Arrow releases. This is most noticeable at 2x forward when the picture tends to pixellate. This should not be a problem in normal use, but some fussy players may act up.

Audio

A simple DD2.0 mono transfer from the original. The sound is harsh and tinny (as is perfectly normal for the era). Only the original French language soundtrack is provided and subtitles are burnt-in.

Features

As mentioned, the subtitles on this release are burnt-in. This means they are on screen and stable at all times. Also on the disc is an interview with Jules Dassin, a Q&A session at the NFT with the director, production stills and the original 1955 English Language trailer. Included in the box is an eminently informative 8-page booklet on the making of the film.

Conclusion

Two hours of unrelenting grittiness that on its release got an `X` certificate from the British Board of Film Censors. The heist is light work compared with some subsequent clammy-hand sequences, but you can appreciate it was ground-breaking here. I`d class this as one for cineastes or anybody doing a film appreciation course, but if you`re expecting the spectacular you might be disappointed.