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Rififi

 Rififi
type
TVTItem
 Rififi
label
Rififi
 Rififi
page
Rififi
 Rififi
comment
Rififi (French: Du Rififi Chez les Hommes, meaning "Trouble Among the Men") is a 1955 French Caper crime drama adaptation of Auguste Le Breton's novel of the same name, directed by American filmmaker Jules Dassin.Tony (Jean Servais) is a down-on-his-luck con who has just gotten out of jail after serving a five-year sentence for jewel robbery. He took the rap and didn't betray his old partner, Jo. Jo approaches Tony with a plan he's cooked up with his friend Mario, to commit a smash-and-grab robbery of the jewels on display at a Paris jewelry store. They recruit César, a safe cracker (played by director Jules Dassin), and pull off a daring and intricate heist that yields them jewelry worth 240 million francs. However, César's lack of caution after the robbery leads to disaster.Compare 1970 film Le Cercle rouge, also in French, also being about The Caper to rob a jewelry store, also featuring an extended robbery sequence with no dialogue.
 Rififi
fetched
2023-05-23T07:58:31Z
 Rififi
parsed
2023-05-23T07:58:31Z
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processingComment
Dropped link to Fanservice: Not a Feature - IGNORE
 Rififi
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Rififi / int_1237828f
type
Anyone Can Die
 Rififi / int_1237828f
comment
Anyone Can Die: Most of the male cast does.
 Rififi / int_1237828f
featureApplicability
1.0
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_1237828f
 Rififi / int_128e9efd
type
Honor Among Thieves
 Rififi / int_128e9efd
comment
Honor Among Thieves: César spills the beans to Grutter, but only at the point of a gun. The other three are friends and stick together.
 Rififi / int_128e9efd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_128e9efd
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1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_128e9efd
 Rififi / int_14ed6ab7
type
Does This Remind You of Anything?
 Rififi / int_14ed6ab7
comment
Does This Remind You of Anything?: In French crime films of The '50s, it is common for the protagonist to have spent four or five years in prison. There is a critical consensus that this is a reference to the German occupation of France in World War II.
 Rififi / int_14ed6ab7
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1.0
 Rififi / int_14ed6ab7
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_14ed6ab7
 Rififi / int_1616e13
type
Ripped from the Headlines
 Rififi / int_1616e13
comment
Ripped from the Headlines: Many details about the robbery are based on an actual burglary case from 1899 in Marseille. The real life gang actually did break into a travel agency's office, then dug through the floor into a jewel shop directly below, and even used an umbrella to catch their debris.
 Rififi / int_1616e13
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1.0
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_1616e13
 Rififi / int_18d15922
type
Title Drop
 Rififi / int_18d15922
comment
Title Drop: It's the title of the theme song, sung by Viviane.
 Rififi / int_18d15922
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1.0
 Rififi / int_18d15922
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_18d15922
 Rififi / int_19da8a03
type
Incurable Cough of Death
 Rififi / int_19da8a03
comment
Incurable Cough of Death: As a sign of Tony's poor health condition after going through jail. It doesn't actually lead to his death, but it's implied that Tony has a Your Days Are Numbered feeling and wants to pull One Last Job for that reason.
 Rififi / int_19da8a03
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1.0
 Rififi / int_19da8a03
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_19da8a03
 Rififi / int_1b65eaf3
type
The Caper
 Rififi / int_1b65eaf3
comment
The Caper: Breaking into a jewelry store and stealing the diamonds therein.
 Rififi / int_1b65eaf3
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1.0
 Rififi / int_1b65eaf3
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_1b65eaf3
 Rififi / int_1c445e86
type
Poor Communication Kills
 Rififi / int_1c445e86
comment
Poor Communication Kills: Jo falls victim to this trope. Tony misses to communicate to him that he is about to get to the hide-out where Jo's son was held captive. Jo then decides to quit the waiting game and go through with the Hostage for MacGuffin transfer which eventually cost his life while his son was already saved by Tony.
 Rififi / int_1c445e86
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1.0
 Rififi / int_1c445e86
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_1c445e86
 Rififi / int_21e5b9c7
type
Failed a Spot Check
 Rififi / int_21e5b9c7
comment
Failed a Spot Check: Grutter takes the Idiot Ball when he missed to check on Tony after giving him a gut shot.
 Rififi / int_21e5b9c7
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1.0
 Rififi / int_21e5b9c7
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_21e5b9c7
 Rififi / int_226875bb
type
Caper Crew
 Rififi / int_226875bb
comment
Caper Crew: The Mastermind / The Driver: Tony. The Partner in Crime: Mario. The Burglar: César. The Muscle: Jo.
 Rififi / int_226875bb
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1.0
 Rififi / int_226875bb
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_226875bb
 Rififi / int_319e4a2f
type
Even Evil Has Standards
 Rififi / int_319e4a2f
comment
Even Evil Has Standards: Tony may be a career criminal, but he Wouldn't Hurt a Child. He goes out of his way to be nice to his godson Tonio, and is willing (albeit slightly reluctant) to risk the loot he's stolen to save him. Everyone Has Standards: Mado, when Tony asks her for information on Grutter's whereabouts after the heist, has no problems saying he and his friends can die for all she cares, even when Tony tells her about Mario and Ida's deaths. She decides to help him anyway upon learning Grutter kidnapped and plans to kill Tonio, a young boy; but makes it clear she's doing it for the kid's sake, not Tony's.
 Rififi / int_319e4a2f
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1.0
 Rififi / int_319e4a2f
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_319e4a2f
 Rififi / int_42bc6d2b
type
Hostage for MacGuffin
 Rififi / int_42bc6d2b
comment
Hostage for MacGuffin: The kid for the money.
 Rififi / int_42bc6d2b
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1.0
 Rififi / int_42bc6d2b
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_42bc6d2b
 Rififi / int_44f5d199
type
Pretty in Mink
 Rififi / int_44f5d199
comment
Pretty in Mink: Mado wear a glamorous fur coat.
 Rififi / int_44f5d199
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_44f5d199
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_44f5d199
 Rififi / int_479d4e5a
type
Would Hurt a Child
 Rififi / int_479d4e5a
comment
Would Hurt a Child: Tony suspects the Grutters will eventually have Tonio killed since he's a potential witness, so he decides to jump into action.
 Rififi / int_479d4e5a
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1.0
 Rififi / int_479d4e5a
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_479d4e5a
 Rififi / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 Rififi / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: Almost the entire cast ends up dead, and nobody gets the money either.
 Rififi / int_4e3d253b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_4e3d253b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_4e3d253b
 Rififi / int_547196be
type
Broad Strokes
 Rififi / int_547196be
comment
Broad Strokes: Jules Dassin has admitted that he hated the original novel, so he had few qualms about making big, sweeping changes to bring the story to the screen. The novel was more focused on the conflict with the rival gangsters (with racist overtones to the conflict, since said rivals were Arabs and North Africans), and the robbery was a minor subplot that only took 10 pages. That robbery was the only part that grabbed Dassin, so he expanded it until the planning and execution took up 45 minutes of screen time. Everything besides the robbery, Dassin trimmed down significantly, completely cutting several scenes with disturbing content like necrophilia. And he Race Lifted the rival gangsters to make them French instead.
 Rififi / int_547196be
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1.0
 Rififi / int_547196be
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_547196be
 Rififi / int_550754dc
type
Improbable Infant Survival
 Rififi / int_550754dc
comment
Improbable Infant Survival: Tonio turns out to be the only surviving major male character.
 Rififi / int_550754dc
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1.0
 Rififi / int_550754dc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_550754dc
 Rififi / int_59f8264
type
StageName
 Rififi / int_59f8264
comment
Stage Name: Director Jules Dassin plays the role of César, but is listed in the credits as Perlo Vita for that part.
 Rififi / int_59f8264
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_59f8264
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_59f8264
 Rififi / int_5f173ee4
type
I Kiss Your Hand
 Rififi / int_5f173ee4
comment
I Kiss Your Hand: Gentleman César does this to Viviane when they first meet.
 Rififi / int_5f173ee4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_5f173ee4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_5f173ee4
 Rififi / int_61356a74
type
Almost Dead Guy
 Rififi / int_61356a74
comment
Almost Dead Guy: One of the baddies lives long enough to tell Grutter that Tony came around to seize the kid, then he dies.
 Rififi / int_61356a74
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_61356a74
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 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_61356a74
 Rififi / int_663f35c0
type
Only One Name
 Rififi / int_663f35c0
comment
Only One Name: Three of the four thief protagonists are just known by their first name and where they're from: Tony the Stéphanois, Jo the Suédenois, and César the Milanais. The only one of the bunch with a first and last name is Mario Ferrati.
 Rififi / int_663f35c0
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1.0
 Rififi / int_663f35c0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_663f35c0
 Rififi / int_7286e96d
type
Idiot Ball
 Rififi / int_7286e96d
comment
Idiot Ball: The whole series of disasters is kicked off when César gives a ring from the heist to his girlfriend, the day after the robbery. The final tragedy ensues when Jo ignores Tony's warning to not give the ransom money to Grutter, as Grutter will simply kill him. Jo does it anyway, and Grutter does indeed kill him.
 Rififi / int_7286e96d
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1.0
 Rififi / int_7286e96d
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_7286e96d
 Rififi / int_7d89315b
type
"The Reason You Suck" Speech
 Rififi / int_7d89315b
comment
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Louise tells this to Jo when their son is kidnapped:
 Rififi / int_7d89315b
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1.0
 Rififi / int_7d89315b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_7d89315b
 Rififi / int_7e577db
type
Slashed Throat
 Rififi / int_7e577db
comment
Slashed Throat: This is how the Grutters dispose of Mario and Ida.
 Rififi / int_7e577db
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_7e577db
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_7e577db
 Rififi / int_81a1960f
type
Silence Is Golden
 Rififi / int_81a1960f
comment
Silence Is Golden: One of the more memorable uses of this trope in movie history. The entire heist sequence, which runs a full half-hour, takes place without any dialogue.
 Rififi / int_81a1960f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_81a1960f
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1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_81a1960f
 Rififi / int_8767b1f3
type
Black-and-Gray Morality
 Rififi / int_8767b1f3
comment
Black-and-Gray Morality: The baddies are downright evil, but the protagonists are criminals none the less.
 Rififi / int_8767b1f3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_8767b1f3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_8767b1f3
 Rififi / int_898ff050
type
Villain Protagonist
 Rififi / int_898ff050
comment
Villain Protagonist: The protagonists are a group of criminals.
 Rififi / int_898ff050
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_898ff050
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_898ff050
 Rififi / int_8d4928da
type
Safecracking
 Rififi / int_8d4928da
comment
Safecracking: César's role with the gang. He's brought into the caper after Tony insists on a big safe robbery instead of a simple smash-and-grab of the goods in the window. Notably, he uses the less glamorous but more realistic method of drilling through the back of the safe, rather than sussing out the combination.
 Rififi / int_8d4928da
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1.0
 Rififi / int_8d4928da
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1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_8d4928da
 Rififi / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 Rififi / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Pierre Grutter is a remorseless killer.
 Rififi / int_970c790a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_970c790a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_970c790a
 Rififi / int_9d137658
type
The Chanteuse
 Rififi / int_9d137658
comment
The Chanteuse: Viviane, César's girlfriend, who sings the title song.
 Rififi / int_9d137658
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_9d137658
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_9d137658
 Rififi / int_aba8065b
type
Fatal Flaw
 Rififi / int_aba8065b
comment
Fatal Flaw: César's love for women brings the whole caper down.
 Rififi / int_aba8065b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_aba8065b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_aba8065b
 Rififi / int_af6d65f
type
Through the Ceiling, Stealthily
 Rififi / int_af6d65f
comment
Through the Ceiling, Stealthily: An important step of the heist the whole film revolves around is to saw a hole through the ceiling of the jewelry's office (after determining that every other part of the room is full of sensors), and although sawing through something usually isn't stealthy, the lack of listeners inside the shop makes it stealthy enough for a robbery.
 Rififi / int_af6d65f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_af6d65f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_af6d65f
 Rififi / int_b4a6ae4c
type
Everyone Has Standards
 Rififi / int_b4a6ae4c
comment
Everyone Has Standards: Mado, when Tony asks her for information on Grutter's whereabouts after the heist, has no problems saying he and his friends can die for all she cares, even when Tony tells her about Mario and Ida's deaths. She decides to help him anyway upon learning Grutter kidnapped and plans to kill Tonio, a young boy; but makes it clear she's doing it for the kid's sake, not Tony's.
 Rififi / int_b4a6ae4c
featureApplicability
1.0
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featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_b4a6ae4c
 Rififi / int_b53077b3
type
Take That!
 Rififi / int_b53077b3
comment
Take That!: The whole plot point of César talking, and then getting whacked by Tony, is often interpreted by scholars as this against the "friendly witnesses" whose cooporation with the HUAC resulting in the blacklisting of such folks as... director Jules Dassin. Producer Henri Bérard suggested making the rival gangsters Americans, but Jules Dassin felt that kind of "oblique revenge" was a little too much.
 Rififi / int_b53077b3
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1.0
 Rififi / int_b53077b3
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_b53077b3
 Rififi / int_beb9a361
type
Anti-Hero
 Rififi / int_beb9a361
comment
Anti-Hero: Tony, the protagonist and "good guy", beats his ex-girlfriend with a belt and kills three people.
 Rififi / int_beb9a361
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_beb9a361
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_beb9a361
 Rififi / int_c0c7a82e
type
Of Corsets Sexy
 Rififi / int_c0c7a82e
comment
Of Corsets Sexy: A little bit of fanservice in which Mario is introduced being given a bath by Ida, who very nearly pops out of her corset.
 Rififi / int_c0c7a82e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_c0c7a82e
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1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_c0c7a82e
 Rififi / int_c2299d6e
type
Cutting the Knot
 Rififi / int_c2299d6e
comment
Cutting the Knot: The jewel shop is protected by a state-of-the-art alarm system, which will go off if it detects vibrations in the floor or walls—or if any of its wires are cut, or its main case is pried open. Tony realizes there's no way to prevent the alarm from activating during the heist, so instead he prevents anyone from hearing the bell, by using fire extinguisher foam to muffle its sound.
 Rififi / int_c2299d6e
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1.0
 Rififi / int_c2299d6e
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1.0
 Rififi
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Rififi / int_c2299d6e
 Rififi / int_cd0637d2
type
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
 Rififi / int_cd0637d2
comment
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: The jewelry heist is big news the next morning.
 Rififi / int_cd0637d2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_cd0637d2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Rififi
hasFeature
Rififi / int_cd0637d2
 Rififi / int_d7c3ba61
type
Race Lift
 Rififi / int_d7c3ba61
comment
Race Lift: In the original novel, the rival gangsters were all dark-skinned Arabs and North Africans. Jules Dassin didn't like the racism of that premise, so he changed to rivals to white Frenchmen in his version, giving their leader the vaguely Germanic surname Grutter.
 Rififi / int_d7c3ba61
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_d7c3ba61
 Rififi / int_e431c24c
type
Not Quite Dead
 Rififi / int_e431c24c
comment
Not Quite Dead: Tony gets shot by Grutter and collapses. But shortly after, he gets back up and shoots Grutter dead, retrieving the Briefcase Full of Money from his corpse. However, he's still fatally wounded; as he drives Jo's son back home, he slowly succumbs to blood loss.
 Rififi / int_e431c24c
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1.0
 Rififi / int_e431c24c
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_e431c24c
 Rififi / int_e567510d
type
Determinator
 Rififi / int_e567510d
comment
Determinator: The dying Tony is still able to pick up his godson Tonio and drive him home.
 Rififi / int_e567510d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_e567510d
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_e567510d
 Rififi / int_e7ae07f5
type
Briefcase Full of Money
 Rififi / int_e7ae07f5
comment
Briefcase Full of Money: How their fencer pays Tony and the gang for the jewels, naturally.
 Rififi / int_e7ae07f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_e7ae07f5
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_e7ae07f5
 Rififi / int_f16da697
type
Undying Loyalty
 Rififi / int_f16da697
comment
Undying Loyalty: Between Tony and his old friends. César isn't really a part of the circle, though, and in the end he's forced to talk in order to save himself.
 Rififi / int_f16da697
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_f16da697
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_f16da697
 Rififi / int_f42f96fa
type
Would Hit a Girl
 Rififi / int_f42f96fa
comment
Would Hit a Girl: Tony whips Mado. The Grutters murder Ida along with Mario for protecting Tony.
 Rififi / int_f42f96fa
featureApplicability
1.0
 Rififi / int_f42f96fa
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_f42f96fa
 Rififi / int_fac4ff79
type
Meta Casting
 Rififi / int_fac4ff79
comment
Meta Casting: Prior to this movie, Jean Servais' acting career had slumped due to alcoholism, and he was widely considered a has-been. Thus he brought a believable note of bitterness and desperation to his portrayal of Tony, a gangster considered a has-been by his peers.
 Rififi / int_fac4ff79
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 Rififi / int_fac4ff79
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 Rififi
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Rififi / int_fac4ff79
 Rififi / int_name
type
ItemName
 Rififi / int_name
comment
 Rififi / int_name
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 Rififi / int_name
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Rififi / int_name
 Rififi / int_name
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Rififi

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Rififi
hasFeature
Caper Crew / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Digital Destruction / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Drill the Lock / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Honor Among Thieves / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Safecracking / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Silence Is Golden / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
The Caper / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
The Convenient Store Next Door / int_9750e777
 Rififi
hasFeature
Through the Ceiling, Stealthily / int_9750e777