Rififi (re-release)
Metascore
97 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    It becomes as savage as ''Reservoir Dogs,'' ''The Killing,'' or any of the other dozens of films over which it still casts a shadow.
  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    Among the picture's many surprises is a superb robbery scene filmed in a near-total silence that contrasts exhilaratingly with the noisy flamboyance of more recent films in this venerable genre.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    100
    One of the great crime thrillers, the benchmark all succeeding heist films have been measured against, it's no musty museum piece but a driving, compelling piece of work, redolent of the air of human frailty and fatalistic doom.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    100
    But the human elements -- jealousy, anger, weakness, fortitude, loyalty, vengeance and honor, all acted out by a resolutely realistic cast -- make the movie extraordinary.
  5. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    No matter how many heists you've seen, how many gangs you've watched fall apart or how many aging crooks you've seen walk up a mean street to a violent destiny, Rififi never loses its ruthless grace and force.
  6. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: William Arnold
    100
    The granddaddy of all caper/heist movies. The work that defined the genre for the subsequent four decades of filmmakers, none of whom was able to surpass it for style or suspense.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: J. Hoberman
    90
    A vivid exercise in hokum that more or less invented the idea of French film noir...and not just for Americans.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Jay Carr
    100
    It's terse, atmospheric, fatalistic, with vertiginous camera angles and edits offsetting its gray documentary flatness.
  9. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Chris Kaltenbach
    100
    Rififi, with its stark visuals, dark humor and constrained performances, earned Dassin the Best Director nod at the Cannes Film Festival and a secure place in film history.
  10. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Desmond Ryan
    100
    The new print does justice to Philippe Agostini's splendidly atmospheric cinematography.
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Frank Lovece
    100
    Manages to inject more than a little humor into this tension-filled genre classic.
  12. San Francisco Examiner
    Reviewed by: G. Allen Johnson
    100
    A sweaty-browed exercise in precision filmmaking, but one that doesn't cheat you with wisps of tension and the pretense of attitude.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. ryancarroll88
    8
    "Rififi" is often considered the landmark film that modernized heist movies, and it shines brilliantly as a suave, sexy crime noir (that happens to be French). There are flashes of expressionism throughout - the tantalizing 'Rififi' nightclub song sequence and the shadowy night shots, but the classic quick-slung dialogue and refined criminal setting really give the movie its stride. Of course, it would be impossible to review this movie without mentioning the heist - a complex suspense sequence that takes up a full 28 minutes of running time and has no audio other than the slightest tap of a hammer or patter of a footstep. You can hear your own heartbeat race as each new step of their setup is revealed, bringing a new fear that it won't work or they may be discovered. Even though they carry the stride of first-class cons (they break into the jewelry store wearing complete suits), the characters express both confidence and doubt in their maneuvers, making every second of the continuity exhilarating. When it is finally over, you breathe a sigh of relief for these guys. Even though the heist is the pinnacle of the film, it only takes place halfway through. The second half is a moralist plug that chronicles the downfall of the cons after their perfect crime. Though it has some great scenes and completes the circle of development of each of the characters, it feels like the movie blew off most of its steam by the end. Even though the tension has all but left, there is a strange sense of loss seeing all the characters you cheered for in the first half take their inevitable fall. It's a classic tale, but told with complexity and craft that was completely new for its time, and served as a basis for every other heist-crime movie, from "Reservoir Dogs" to "Ocean's Eleven."… Full Review »
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