Jules Dassin

 Jules Dassin




Brute Force (1947)

The Naked City (1948)

Rififi (1955)




RANKED:


3. The Naked City (1948)


Filmed entirely in New York City, Jules Dassin's 1948 film "The Naked City" is a police procedural centering on the murder of a young model. As you navigate the specific murder case, the viewer follows along as clues and evidence lead them down a rabbit hole of local corruption. The film was a success upon its release and even garnished two Academy Award nominations in the process. 




2. Brute Force (1947)


Perhaps one of the more original 'prison break' films one could find, 1947's "Brute Force" can be said to have originated many of the tropes found in the standard 'prison break' film. Directed by Hollywood director Jules Dassin, the film stars Burt Lancaster as a determined prisoner who leads a rebellion amongst the prisoners against the tyrannical prison guards in order to somehow manage to escape. "Brute Force" often gets the 'noir' label stamped on it, as many brutal and bleak Hollywood films at the time did, but it demonstrates the blackness at the heart of the typical noir: an inescapable fatalism of a tragic anti-hero.




1. Rififi (1955)


Despite being a born-and-bred American, Jules Dassin's most lauded film in his career was a French gangster film. After being on the Hollywood blacklist, Dassin escaped persecution in France, where he would direct one of the most famous French films from the 1950s. "Rififi" takes this gangster film element that was supremely popular in France at the time and added a heist element to it, upping the suspense and thrill. The result is a celebrated film that encapsulates the greatest elements of the French gangster film while maintaining a broader audience appeal that continues to this day.

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