Set in 1950’s France, Tony de Stephanois (Jean Servais) is an ex-con invited to join in a planned jewellery store smash and grab robbery with two other seasoned crims, Jo and Mario (Carl Mohner and Robert Manuel respectively). Tony is uninterested initially, but changes his mind after an encounter in a local nightclub with old flame, Mado (Marie Sabouret). What really changes his mind about the job is not spelled out in words, but it’s safe to assume that it’s for the money, not the thrill. That is to say, it?s ultimately for the woman, as Mado quickly becomes accustomed to the high life by shacking up with a wealthy underworld nightclub owner (Robert Hossein) during Tony’s imprisonment, and he feels betrayed by her. As a result, he sadistically lashes out at her perceived faithlessness, decides to do the job and boldly ups the ante, suggesting a plan to crack the store’s safe. from here it gets interesting in true film-noir style, so don’t expect a happy ending.

I always get a certain ‘vibe’ from a European film that sets it apart from its American brothers, and it is shown here in some notable scenes. Unafraid to break with convention, director Jules Dassin creates a 30 minute sequence that is devoid of speech, using this to build tension much the same way as Hitchcock. In fact, Dassin worked for Hitchcock in 1940’s Hollywood, so the comparison is inevitable. Also very ‘european’ for want of a better term is the episode between Mado and Tony where he punishes her. It is brief but highly suggestive of what he REALLY wants to do to her. You won’t find shades of Bogie and Bacall in this scene! Expect lots of shooting, the typical car chase (inventively conceived and executed at least) and some appealing streetscapes that only Paris could deliver. It’s amazing what can be achieved on a low budget when you have imagination. On that note, watch for the umbrella scene; I wasn’t going to mention it, but what the hell, it’s a nice touch.

The film is certainly male dominated - it is essentially about a heist - and if you’re looking for a traditional femme fatale character you will not find one here, the women in this film are not centre stage. Not that this detracts, just be aware that there are no big name stars to showcase.

It’s a gritty, no nonsense drama. I find it hard to rate actors performances when they are not speaking English, and especially when I’m reading subtitles at the same time, so I can’t say much on this. I’m sure the director had that one in hand; that’s what takes are for, anyway.

Some closing trivia courtesy of the special features: Rififi is a French slang term for ‘trouble’, and it is an apt description once the action hots up. Also, the film’s director actually played the character of Cesare under the stage name Perlo Vita.

THE EXTRAS

It’s always a pleasant surprise to find a DVD which offers interesting extras on a film that is almost 50 years old.

Apart from the standard scene selection, under special features there is a 30 minute interview with director Jules Dassin (in English!) which is divided into 4 separate sections. ‘Baseball’ is a brief anecdote of Dassin’s experience of skewed Hollywood film industry values. Meant to amuse.

On a more serious note, ‘The Blacklist’ outlines Dassin’s unpleasant experiences during the hysteria of the notorious McCarthy era. A Communist ‘witch hunt’ swept through the Hollywood film colony and drove him, and many others, to Europe in search of work. Interesting, but then I’ve always had a thing for the social history of cinema. ‘Where’s my Book?’ deals with Dassin’s encounter with the writer of the novel on which Rififi is based.

The last section is entitled ‘Making Rififi’. It is the longest of the 4 sections, and provides lots of information about the film. I watched the special features before watching the feature, and I’m glad I did. Knowing that the budget was miniscule, the director broke and that the actors were either unknown or not in demand so would take little pay was a revelation. It makes the achievements of the film more remarkable - Jules Dassin received Best Director, 1955 at Cannes Film Festival for his efforts.

There is also a trailer, and a seven page Dassin bio and filmography which shows that he’s sure been around.

Production Notes is three pages of info on the production itself and a rather poetic 12 page review by Jamie Hook which is taken from a weekly Seattle publication called ‘The Stranger’.

A photo montage of over 60 auto run photos is also included, as well as three trailers for other DVD’s from Madman Productions.

CONCLUSION

This is a quality DVD in its class. The feature itself is a clever and suspenseful trip into European film noir territory, defying it’s low budget origins. The extras add value and dimension to the film. Subtitles are always annoying at the best of times, but they are a necessary evil, and it is definitely worth the ride. Especially for anyone interested in classic French cinema.