Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 14, 2021

Denys de La Patelliere's "Rififi in Paris" a.k.a. "Du rififi à Paname" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the disc is an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by filmmaker/historian Daniel Kremer and cinematographer Aaron Hollander. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Even a huge admirer of Jean Gabin would concede that his contribution to Denys de la Patelliere’s Rififi in Paris is awfully difficult to defend. It is not because Gabin does not look great in it. He absolutely does, and Rififi in Paris can actually be given as a terrific example of a mediocre film that becomes decent because of Gabin’s presence. It is difficult to defend Gabin’s contribution because it is hard to imagine that he wasn’t fully aware of the fact that Patelliere was struggling behind the camera but did not intervene. It is just too obvious, and the struggle is unmissable right from the get-go. Whenever Gabin steps in front of the camera the film immediately perks up and acquires that cool vibe it needs to appear legit, but Patelliere consistently mismanages it. There is no doubt that this is the reason why later on two editors, Claude Durand and Vincenzo Tomassi, tried to put together a version of it that worked relatively well. Patelliere had shot a film that needed to be saved.

Gabin is Paulo the Gem, an aging crook who runs a posh nightclub somewhere in the heart of Paris while frequently smuggling gold and other valuable objects from around the world. Shortly after returning from London, Paulo the Gem convinces reporter Mike Coppolano (Claudio Brook), who desperately needs money to impress a beautiful escort girl (Mireille Darc) from another nightclub, to travel to Tokyo and close a deal on his behalf. But Cappolano turns out to be a snitch assisting agents from the U.S. Treasury Department and their French counterparts figure out how Paulo the Gem and other crooks like him operate, so after he closes the deal, he returns home and provides the authorities with plenty of valuable information. Paulo the Gem then plans an even bigger deal, but this time involving another old-timer, Walter (Gert Frobe), who has developed extensive connections in other parts of the world. Cappolano is again brought in to assist, but before they can do the deal Walter is gunned down because of a secret business relationship with high-ranking communist officials in Cuba, and in the ensuing chaos Paulo the Gem becomes a target for the mafia. A few weeks later, crime bosses from around the world summon Paulo the Gem and demand that he shares half of his profits with them, but much to their annoyance he decides to remain an independent player.

The bulk of the film is disappointingly uneven and leaves the impression that Patelliere could not quite figure out how to properly adapt the original material from Auguste Le Breton’s novel that inspired it. Brook’s character, in particular, is allowed to float around in a very odd manner, so instead of becoming a key character in the drama, he often looks like an intruder that is desperately trying to prove that he deserves to be around Gabin’s old-timer. The footage with Frobe and his assistant (Nadja Tiller) looks out of sync with the rest of the film as well. Even the international scenery is problematic because it is rushed and looks like filler footage that was added up to make the drama appear a lot more complex than it is.

Gabin shines the most when the film slows down and his old-timer behaves like he knows every play in the crook book and isn’t interested in wasting time with amateurs. His best friend is a docile bulldog that seems to understand precisely that, so the few short sequences where they appear together should have been a lot longer.

Cinematographer Walter Wottitz was brought in to work with Patelliere, but considering the quality of his contributions to the likes of The Longest Day, The Train, and Army of Shadows it is fair to say that his talent was mismanaged as well.

Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rififi in Paris arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an old master that was supplied by StudioCanal. My guess us that this master was prepared sometime during the DVD era because its density levels are rather weak, and because it is fairly nicely graded. (Most recent, or fairly recent, restorations and remasters that are being done for older color films in France usually have some very particular issues that are not present here). Predictably, delineation and depth are not optimal. Wider panoramic shots usually reveal the most obvious limitations, but even close-ups can appear somewhat flat. In darker areas, fine details and nuances do not look particularly convincing either. Various highlights can be better balanced as well, though there aren't any serious anomalies to report. Despite all of these limitations, however, the film still has an acceptable organic appearance. Yes, it does look dated, but I did not see any traces of problematic digital corrections. This is the crucial difference and ultimately what makes it easy to enjoy the film. Some minor white specks and a few blemishes can be spotted, but there are no large cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with small portions of English and German). Optional English subtitles are provided, but not for the short lines in English. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The audio is stable and clear. I think that if it is remastered it can sound slightly fuller and better rounded, but I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. In fact, I thought that it was very healthy. The English translation is good.

Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by filmmaker/historian Daniel Kremer and cinematographer Aaron Hollander.

Rififi in Paris Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The tone and tempo of Rififi in Paris are not right. It has a few sequences -- like the one where Jean Gabin's old-timer quickly deals with the cocky customers in his nightclub -- that reveal what type of a stylish gangster film it could have been, but they are not enough to save it. I would still choose to spend time with it rather than visit my local theater to see the latest superhero blockbuster, but it is simply not in the same league with the likes of Touchez Pas au Grisbi, Any Number Can Win, and even The Sicilian Clan. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an old but rather good master that was supplied by StudioCanal. RECOMMENDED, but only to hardcore fans of Jean Gabin.