Rififi

A strong and fully functional film even after more than half a century, and a classic of the noir genre. A carefully planned and executed heist, which after initial success starts to slip away from its masterminds. The key to its success was its precise script that follows, step by step, the formation of the gang, and the plan, preparation, and execution of the crime. There are long shots with minimal dialogues, and an important role is played by the exteriors of old streets in poor and bourgeois districts of Paris in the first half of the 50s, which only then began to change due to the economic miracle, and the black and white image suitable for the genre and above all carefully chosen film music. It is a masterpiece that has made its mark on film history. The film is not overly complicated and yet it is extremely strong in its story and execution. Overall impression 95%. (08/14/2008)

A classic film noir where the French show that they truly understand what this genre is about and utilize black and white in a completely unique way. At times minimalist, almost simple, but consistently atmospheric, where you feel like something has to happen, something has to go wrong, someone has to die. Visually beautiful. (11/14/2016)

The fight between the men is somewhat spoiled by two snags. The first "heist-like" half got significantly older than the second "inherit the wind". And then, to a large extent, it is a movie about those two famous silent scenes (robbery and the final ride through Paris), which unintentionally stand out and unfortunately steal the show. (07/19/2015)

So simple and so effective. A thematically unremarkable noir gangster flick, but one that knocks the socks off with a polished script with a minimum of dubious twists and a dense atmosphere that would put any film collaborating with the talents of Hitchcock and Michael Mann to shame. It’s true that we have already seen everything contained in the opening part somewhere else (and often better), but everything from the absolutely fabulous "silent" robbery to the final bloody confrontation deserves the main prize of my experiential associations in the field of raw and smart crime classics. The screenwriter had his golden moment, the director could cut diamonds into the shapes of firearms with his precision, women look good, bad guys go up against even worse guys, and there's still someone to root for and worry about. I expected a lot, I got a lot, I wish it was like that every time. (02/10/2016)