Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)

Director:

Jules Dassin

Writers:

Auguste Le Breton (novel)
Jules Dassin (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

5 June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

Tagline:

["Rififi"] ...means Trouble!

Plot:

Four men plan a technically perfect crime, but the human element intervenes...

Plot Keywords:

Safe | Jewelry | Italian | Burglary | Jewel

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean Servais	...	Tony le Stéphanois
Carl Möhner	...	Jo le Suedois
Robert Manuel	...	Mario Ferrati
Janine Darcey	...	Louise le Suedois
Pierre Grasset	...	Louis Grutter aka Louis le Tatoué
Robert Hossein	...	Remi Grutter
Marcel Lupovici	...	Pierre Grutter
Dominique Maurin	...	Tonio le Suedois
Magali Noël	...	Viviane
Marie Sabouret	...	Mado les Grands Bras
Claude Sylvain	...	Ida Ferrati
Jules Dassin	...	Cesar le Milanais (as Perlo Vita)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
André Dalibert	...	Webb, le bijoutier (as Dalibert)
Armandel	...	Second gambler (uncredited)
Jacques Besnard	...	Third gambler (uncredited)
Teddy Bilis	...	Teddy Laurentin (uncredited)
Alain Bouvette	...	Footman, 'L'Age D'Or' (uncredited)
Jacques David	...	(uncredited)
Jenny Doria	...	(uncredited)
Alice Garan	...	(uncredited)
Émile Genevois	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Marcelle Hainia	...	Fredo's wife (uncredited)
René Hell	...	Un camelot (uncredited)
Marcel Lesieur	...	Fredo (uncredited)
Daniel Mendaille	...	Lookout (uncredited)
Huguette Montréal	...	(uncredited)
Gilbert Moreau	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Maryse Paillet	...	Charlie's mother (uncredited)
Lita Recio	...	(uncredited)
Marcel Rouzé	...	First gendarme (uncredited)
Roger Rudel	...	French voice of Jo le Suédois (uncredited)
Fernand Sardou	...	First gambler (uncredited)

Directed by
Jules Dassin

Writing credits
Auguste Le Breton		(novel)
Jules Dassin		(adaptation)
René Wheeler		(collaboration) and
Auguste Le Breton		(collaboration)
Auguste Le Breton		(dialogue)

Produced by
Henri Bérard	....	producer
René Bezard	....	producer
Pierre Cabaud	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Philippe Agostini		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Roger Dwyre

Production Design by
Alexandre Trauner		(as Trauner)

Set Decoration by
Auguste Capelier

Costume Design by
Rosine Delamare

Makeup Department
Anatole Paris	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean Goiran	....	unit manager
Louis Mannella	....	unit manager
René Gaston Vuattoux	....	production manager (as René G. Vuattoux)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrice Dally	....	assistant director
Bernard Delandre	....	assistant director
Jean-Jacques Vierne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Louis Charpeaux	....	property master (as Charpeaux)
Pierre Charron	....	set dresser
Roger Fresca	....	tapestry
Georges Kougoucheff	....	set dresser (as Kougoucheff)
Maurice Terrasse	....	property master

Sound Department
Charles Akerman	....	sound
Jacques Lebreton	....	sound
Jean Philippe	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Raymond Bègue	....	still photographer (as Begue)
Changlesy	....	assistant camera (as Chenglesy)
André Domage	....	assistant camera
Raymond Pierre Lemoigne	....	assistant camera (as Lemoigne)
Jean-Marie Maillols	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcelle Desvignes	....	costume execution
Henriette Ridard	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Denise de Casabianca	....	assistant editor
Nadine Trintignant	....	assistant editor (as Nadine Marquand)

Music Department
Jacques Métehen	....	conductor (as Jacques Metehen)

Other crew
Wilhelmine Berard	....	administrator
Renée Nitzschke	....	script girl

Production Companies

• Pathé Consortium Cinéma (presents) (as Pathé-Consortium Cinéma)
• Indusfilms
• Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma (as S.N.Pathé Cinéma)
• Primafilm

Distributors

• Pathé Consortium Cinéma (1955) (France) (theatrical) (as Pathé-Consortium Cinéma)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (2000) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Gaumont DVD (2009) (France) (DVD)
• C.F.R. (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• C.F.R. (1955) (France) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• Rialto Pictures (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (subtitled)
• United Motion Pictures Organization (UMPO) (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled) (as United Motion Picture Organization, Inc.)
• Arrow Films (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Éditions Gallimard  book publisher (as La Librairie Gallimard)
• Dusausoy  jewelry: Les joyaux proviennet de la collection (Paris)
• Renel  furs
• Photosonor  studio (as Photosonor ~ Courbevoie)
• Western Electric  sound recording
• S.I.M.O.  sound recording (as SIMO)
• Franay L.T.C. Saint Cloud  studio
• Lax  opticals

Also Known As:

Rififi (UK) (USA)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

France:-16 (original rating) | West Germany:18 | Finland:(Banned) (1956) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (1959) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1978) (uncut) | Australia:M | Norway:16 | France:U (re-release) | Sweden:15 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Grande Poste, Rue du Louvre, Paris 1, Paris, France

Company:

Pathé Consortium Cinéma

Trivia:

The film was made on an extremely small budget (so small that Dassin claims people do not believe him when he tells them the amount), which is why so many desperate (himself included) or inexperienced people were hired for the production. The director claims that he was so broke at the Cannes film festival in 1955 (where he won the Best Director prize for the film) that, while watching one of the producers play the casinos, he had to ask for some money to bet. He then asked on what date had they began filming Rififi? When informed of the date (the 18th), Dassin put all his money on 18 and won. He says that his family managed to live off this money for a while.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jo climbs down into Mappin & Webb, he is the fourth and final member of the gang. Yet you can see another pair of legs still in the room above.

Quotes:

Louise: You're not the only one that had an unhappy childhood, there are millions like you, and, in my eyes, *they* are the tough ones, not you!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

La chanson 'Le Rififi'

Influenced Numerous Filmmakers

Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes/Rififi(1955) can on the surface be described as a French variation on John Huston's seminal heist film, Asphalt Jungle(1950). The difference between the two films is Rififi(1955) pays a little more attention in detail to the robbery sequence. Also, the police aren't involved in the aftermath of the robbery in Rififi as much as in Asphalt Jungle. In the end Rififi(1955) is in my opinion a slightly better film than Asphalt Jungle(1950). Remarkable Noir picture that defines 1950s French Cinema.

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). Also, Quentin Tarantino whose debut feature Reservoir Dogs(1992) was inspired by this film. Other film directors influenced are John Woo, Michael Mann, Paul Schrader, Ringo Lam, etc...

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.