Rififi

After being blacklisted in Hollywood, Jules Dassin went to Paris to make one of the defining film noirs of the last century, an extraordinary heist movie so intelligently and stylishly rendered that it has had untold influence upon the crime genre. Just out of jail, Tony Stephanois (Jean Servais) is convinced, with the aid of a small crew, to undertake one last job. That job is not an easy one as Tony's crew is intent on robbing the Mappin and Webb jewellery shop in a suitably audacious fashion.

While the 20 minute plus heist sequence is, quite rightly, regarded as the centrepiece of the movie (remarkably, there's no dialogue or soundtrack music, just the men executing their crime), even without it, Rififi would still be an extraordinary piece of work. Beautifully shot (the cinematography by Philippe Agostini is simply gorgeous), superbly acted and deftly directed, Rififi crackles with ingenuity and tension. Way ahead of its time, the film also courted controversy for the amoral nature of the characters - one of them is a heroin addict and the vengeance that Stephanois exacts on his duplicitous mistress (and her dubious reaction to it) is chilling.