or vice versa . this be a french film noir direct by an american film maker ( jules dassin ) who have to leave the country because of be blacklist by hollywood thanks to huac . the premise of the story be rather familiar one last jewel heist for tony le stephanois and his bud and so be the end with everybody get . well and no spoiler here and for sure and since this be the sort of film in which tension toward the end be important . dassin film in realistic lighting in black and white on the street of paris use actor and actress who be not glamorous . the engage sometimes intrude score by george auric nicely enhance the movie and will remind viewer of many a similar score from american film noirs from the forty and early fifty . jean servais play the hardcore and consumptive lead in a fedora much a humphrey bogart might have play him . tony recently out of prison and past his prime and but still tough and decisive when he have to be and his mind still sharp when focus and the kind of anti hero whose eye water even though the tear will never fall . dassin play the italian safecracker and would be lady man who know the rule but get careless . in film noir we be force by the logic and focus of the film to identify with the bad guy . often there be level of bad guy and the good bad guy we be identify with and the bad bad guy who be out to do in our good bad guy and and then maybe there a really bad and bad bad guy or two . ( here we have remi grutter and play by robert hossein and a slightly sadistic druggie . ) then there be the cop who be irrelevant or nearly so . in more modern film noir the bad guy be not even good bad guy and and they get away with it or something close to that . in the old film noir and which evolve from the gangster film of the thirty and the usual motto and follow the old hollywood code and be crime doesn not pay and with every criminal have to pay for his or her crime before the end of the movie . probably the most impressive feature of rififi be how nicely the film move along . the plot unfolds quickly and seamlessly much the way the great film director always do it and director like stanley kubrick and louis malle and and the best of hitchcock . some have actually compare this to kubrick the killing ( 1956 ) and suggest that kubrick steal a little . well and director always steal if need be and and there be some perhaps telling similarity and such a it be one last heist for the protagonist and and have the girl gum up the work . the similarity may go deep because a this film be near it end i suddenly think and oh and no . the suitcase in the back seat be go to fly out of the convertible and hit the ground and burst open and and all the money be go to fly into the air . those of you who have see the killing may recall what happen to the money near the end of the film . which remind me of another film with something bad happen to the money represent oliver stone u turn ( 1997 ) star sean penn . there the money in his backpack get blow to smithereens by a shotgun blast . ha and ha and ha . get the dubbed version of this film would be an act of sacrilege since the dialogue ( when there be some represent the heist itself be do entirely without dialogue and about 30 minute worth ) be terse and easy to follow require only an occasional glance at the subtitle and which and by the way and be quite utilitarian and guide as oppose to have every word spell out . one other thing represent all the brutality be do a sex use to be do in film and that be off camera . a guy get his throat slit . we do not see it . i kind of like this approach . we do not have to see the gore . you could almost let your kid see rififi almost . catch this one now and be on the lookout for a hollywood reprise star al pacino and direct by harold becker come out next year in which you can be sure that the violent scene will be play out in full .