Jules Dassin made an indelible mark on the film noir and gangster genres with The Naked City, Night and the City and Rififi, one of the first big caper films. (Dassin, an American director, was driven out of Hollywood during the McCarthy era; Night and the City was made in Britain, while Rififi became one of the most famous French gangster films ever made.) Jean-Pierre Melville was originally assigned to direct Rififi, but later reported that he was very pleased with Dassin's final product. No wonder; Rififi has some touches that out-Melville Melville, in particular, the 30-minute silent bank heist, which has the effect of drawing the audience in as accomplices to a crime enacted in fascinating, professional detail. The story involves a gangster who is sprung from jail only to find his wife living with another man. He returns to his old racket, jewel thievery. A theme of dishonor among thieves develops within the gang, one of whom, Cesar, (played by Dassin under a pseudonym) has an unforgivable, fatal attachment to les femmes. Steeped in the details of the sleazy Montmartre neighborhood, Rififi does for Paris what The Naked City did for New York.
Please note: This print of Rififi has been reconstructed from British and American cuts of the film to make it the most complete version in existence.