This is the best heist movie I have ever seen. A true test of a classic is one that can still retain its power and freshness after years of being imitated and copied.
Tony the Stephanois (Jean Servais, LA ROUE) has just been released from prison for a robbery. His former partner Jo le Suedois (Carl Mohner, HE WHO MUST DIE) feels indebted to him for not ratting him out. Their old friend Mario Farrati (Robert Manuel, THE RAZOR’S EDGE) has a plan to rob a jewelry store and knows the perfect safe cracker Cesar le Milanais (Jules Dassin, director of the film). Tony discovers that his old flame Mado (Marie Sabouret, THE TOY WIFE) is now going with a nightclub owner named Pierre Grutter (Marcel Lupovici), who has a drug-addicted brother named Louis (Pierre Grasset).
The true joy of the film comes from the rawness of the characters and the details of the heist. Tony is a criminal. He is violent and sullen, but he lives by a strict honor code of complete loyalty. He will lay down his life for his friends and expects nothing less from them in return. His actions are intriguing and might be read as someone who feels he has nothing left to live for.
From the planning through the execution of the heist, the film deals with all the details precisely. The actual heist has no dialogue at all. It’s simple amazing. The film’s thrills not only come from the heist, but what happens afterward. No crime can go 100% perfectly. The shadowy black and white photography only adds to the nourish feel of the picture. The acting is good. Dassin and Manuel bring the right note of humor to the film. However, Servais drives the story with an iconic performance. This is a flawless piece of cinema.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
