Alternate Best Actor 1955: Jean Servais in Rififi

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Jean Servais did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Tony "le Stéphanois" in Rififi. 

Rififi is an excellent heist film about 4 men devising the perfect crime...but complications ensue. 

In the world of the French gangsters of the 50's and 60's, you frankly see much timidness in their American counterparts when compared directly, as typically the "heroes" themselves aren't exactly savory figures, though often compelling despite that fact. We have such an example here in Jean Servais as expert jewel thief Tony who is just out of prison, and obviously gets quickly offered a job by a friend/associate to rebound from his luck. Technically a brutal gangster as we see relatively early on where his initial motivation, that also compounds later complications, is his frustration with his old girlfriend shacking up with a local gangster to which he reacts rather mercilessly to. Nonetheless Servais remains this compelling figure in what really is within a performance that would be more common, this as the tightly wound turn. Servais has a tremendous presence here alone and with that he conveys that sort of professionalism of the character of Tony. When he speaks towards his wisdom, such as not bringing a gun on a job, or how to approach the job of cracking the pivotal safe, Servais has this calm and conviction of a man who knows exactly to which he speaks. There's a tremendous incisiveness of just his eyes even, as we see when the men are prepping the job Servais shows a man constantly calculating and finding ways in which to successfully crack this difficult job. 

The job itself is depicted in a great detail in a music and wordless sequence that is downright brilliant. An essential facet to this in Servais's performance where we see the true strength of his work which is in as this strict internalized, yet still human character, that frankly would be a better represented type after this film with this character somewhat pioneering in a certain sense. This as Servais contains so much within his performance in the sequence. This is not just the professionalism where his eyes kind of denote each choice and movement, but also creating the tension. Every reaction of his, and his growing sense of concern and the quietest anxiety show the stress of the situation even within a man as calm as Tony technically is in this situation. Each step of the process is amplified by Servais's performance as he brings you so subtly into Tony's mind in the heist and brings you right along as they go about carefully removing their treasure. There is no second of the sequence that Servais's performance takes for granted by showing the steps of the process we are in. This even in an expected events of coming across a policemen investigating the getaway vehicle. Servais's tells us every decision Tony makes to deal with the new event through solely is silent reactions that show the man take the moment to calculate and bluntly react to what needs to be done. 

Of course as much as the men seem to get away with one part, due to the greed and cowardice of one of the members, the group of four quickly find themselves the target of the gangster boyfriend of Tony's old flame. The gangsters who want the prizes for themselves and don't mind letting the blood for all involved. Here is where Servais's performance shows really what can be so striking about a quiet turn like this, this being when the emotions start to come out it really is impactful in such remarkable way. That is the case here as Servais does many things, and in each instance so palatable reveals the nature of the man in this situation. This as we see genuine heartbreak as glint, yet still so potent, in his eyes as he goes about seeing the harm done to some of his men, while also equally showing the brutality of the man that is ready to be unleashed against his enemies or his former allies who have betrayed. Servais's work though properly differentiates between the two this as the latter Servais portrays the violence as this blunt sort of duty, there is a sharpness of anger, but the emotion is more disappointment than hate. We see something else entirely as Tony's closest partner's son is kidnap by the gangsters to get the cash. Servais is amazing throughout the film's final sequence as we see the very real concern the man does have for the child and his partner. It is just the greater intensity that has this emotionalism that almost leaks out in his performance, but when it does it is volcanic even in its brevity. When he kills the men responsible for the harm of those he loves, the professional demeanor fades just a bit as we see genuine hate for these men, and there is such a power to these momentary revelations. This in showing as much as he seems the cold professional there are things Tony cares about. This is summed up in the final sequence of the film, which I have to imagine heavily influenced the final drive of Jake Gyllenhaal in Prisoners, where a wounded Tony needs to get the kidnapped boy back to safety. Servais is outstanding  in capturing the fading state of the injured man, but also that tension in himself as he tries to keep himself together long enough to get back. Servais is absolutely gripping in the sequence as he brings us into the man for every second of the desperate drive. This is not a performance that stops ever to develop itself, Servais must move with the near constant progression of the film, and this challenge is wholly meant. This as Servais is more than part of the action, he amplifies all of it, by through creating this compelling portrait of thief who has more than just money on the line by the end of it.

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