Tag: Jules Dassin

Rapid Response: Rififi

Jules Dassin “Rififi” is the basis for the modern heist movie and helped to inspire the French New Wave way ahead of its time.

The word rififi, in the film of the same name, refers to toughness, style and cred on the streets, and Jules Dassin’s 1955 movie has plenty of it.

“Rififi” is a stylish, sultry, sexy and shadowy noir that laid the groundwork for the modern heist film. It tells the story of the washed up crook Tony “The Stephanois,” (Jean Servais) who is just out of prison, isn’t needed anymore, isn’t trusted by his poker buddies and is ultimately a lonely, tragic film noir figure.

He joins a group of three other hoods with a goal to rob the biggest bank in Montmartre. Their initial plans are simple: smash the windows and grab the jewels in the display for a handsome haul. But Tony proposes to go for the big bucks. The thing is, he has no reason to truly do this job. He’s got no ambitions for what to do with the money, whereas his three companions all have admirable home lives. He’s cruel to his former lover Mado (Marie Sabouret), and with no cares in his life except for his godson, he can do nothing but be vicious to himself and those in his life. “A man’s gotta live,” Tony says, but his job is near suicide. Continue reading “Rapid Response: Rififi”

Rapid Response: The Naked City

“The Naked City” is an early movie by a lesser-known legend of film noir. Jules Dassin, an American director of Greek descent, is best known for his similar films “Rififi” and “Topkapi,” but those were both made after the genre’s height on the movie history timeline.

“Naked City” on the other hand was made in 1948, and like many A and B movies like it, it boasted that it was unlike any film you had ever seen before. It’s big selling point was that it was shot on location in New York, and the film practically makes the city it’s main character.

And for making such a bold claim upfront, the film rightfully won that year’s Oscar for best black and white cinematography. There is a chase that spirals through the Brooklyn Bridge at the film’s finale that must have been a groundbreaking visual for its time and still looks pretty impressive. Continue reading “Rapid Response: The Naked City”