Tony is a master thief fresh out of jail who refuses a life of crime, until he finds his girlfriend with a rival gangster. With little reason to keep living, Tony conjures up another job. He finds his crew of ex-cons and meticulously plans the job—one final glorious robbery of a jewellery store.

Among the most influential of heist films, Jules Dassin’s meticulous classic won the Best Director prize at Cannes. At its center is a transfixing burglary set piece without dialogue: a half-hour sequence so detailed that some countries banned the film for fear of inspiring copycat crimes.