a recent re issue of the french crime film ( original title du rififi chez les hommes ) and with it famous 20 minute silent jewel heist sequence and now come in the u in a gorgeous new print from the criterion collection with improved subtitle and some extra . jules dassin be an american ( born julius dassin in middletown connecticut ) who be force to make film in europe because he be blacklist . rififi be well publicize in the u and do well in art house . later dassin become a lot more famous in the u for never on sunday ( 1960 ) star his wife and the greek actress and political activist melina mercouri . ( greece be again glamorized and popularize for american and others with anthony quinn in mihalis kakogiannis 1964 zorba the greek and which be even a big hit in cairo . ) the new rififi dvd include a recent interview with dassin . i do not previously realize that one of the main robber and cesar the milanese and be play by dassin and who step in when the original actor become unavailable . he one of the most memorable character and a dandified italian safe cracker who speak no french . although this classic have all the trapping of french film noir the black and white twilight world of well lit apartment and shiny black car and men in suit and the nightclub scene and include a dramatically film and lit title song perform at the club and the stony face and the gauloises in hand or mouth i do not think it a atmospheric or have quite as distinctive a style a melville film do . but there the mesmerizing robbery and which still hold up today a a tour de force . it go like clockwork and with a fine sense of craft and teamwork among the robber . some nosy cop be efficiently dealt with . thing quickly go wrong after they go home and distribute the loot when one of the player get sloppy and give a dame a ring with a million dollar bangle in it . have there ever be a heist film whose perps live happily ever after . it the wordless heist sequence that guarantee this a special place and and dassin and an american director who have an unusually varied and exotic career and deserve full credit for that . he take a novel so conventional he be go to reject it and and add some key element that make it special . in the event and he couldn not pass on do the adaptation represent he need the money too much . jean servais and who play the lead character tony le stephanois and be an actor rather down on his luck . his grim face be perfect for the role . he be later to play the lead in dassin he who must die ( 1957 ) and which use french actor in greece for a political tale . topkapi be a somewhat disappointing 1964 caper film ( it pal compare to rififi ) that also get u distribution . it do have a good setting and but it waste and go all bland and bright and prettify . of dassin post hollywood oeuvre and never on sunday and with it catchy theme song and charismatic heroine and be the popular choice ( and win best film at cannes 1960 ) while he who must die the political choice while rififi the genre choice . an odd piece be his phaedra with mercouri and tony perkins ( 1962 ) . purist of tough guy hollywood genre work would eschew these and favor dassin early film and which include a prison drama and brute force ( 1947 ) while a cop flick and the naked city ( 1948 ) while and two hard core noirs and thief highway ( 1949 ) and and night and the city ( 1950 ) . personally i tend to like french noir and american neo noir spinoffs well than the original american noir source material hence my endure fascination with rififi . but dassin be rather unique in have not only make hollywood noir but then go over to paris and produce a memorable example of it fifty french derivative .