Au revoir, Jules

I was staggered last night by news of the death of JULES DASSIN at age 96.
Dassin made the archetype of the modern crime film, "The Naked City," then fled to Europe after being blacklisted in Hollywood.
It was in Europe that he made what many consider his masterpiece, the heist film "RIFIFI" with Jean Servais.
I watched "Rififi" again last night, for the sixth or seventh time. It really does come the closest to being the "perfect film," in my opinion.
Servais leads a small group of thieves who descend from the ceiling into a jewelry store for a stunning heist.
Their plans begin to unravel, thanks to a thoughtless act of kindness by the group's Italian safe cracker, played by Dassin (pictured) under the pseudonym Perlo Vita.
I usually watch the film gleefully riveted by Dassin's prodigious cinematic abilities.
Last night, I watched with some sadness over the loss of a filmmaker whose greatest glories were dimmed by the House Un-American Activities Committee.