BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Alex da Silva .a little more action please" sang Elvis Presley. Obviously, no-one had listened to this song before making this film. If only they had, we might have had a little more action. It's a very talky affair and whilst the message is strong, the overall experience is laborious. The film is way too dark – can we have some light, please? – which gives it a film-noir feel and fits with the dark subject matter. But, how about some light once in a while? We also get all the dialogue delivered by every character in a gloomy low-key manner. It reminded me of Eastenders. Who knows, the cast may well have been using this film as an audition piece for that crass soap opera? The actors are all good but the tone of the film never changes and this makes it a ploddingly dull affair and scenes drag on. Soldier Robert Ryan (Montgomery) is a great bigot, he is a scary bully and is the standout in the cast. The film almost gets interesting at the end but at the final denouement slips back into more talking and then things end very conveniently and quickly. It's a film that is way over-rated by people who think a film is good if the message is sound. They forget that the primary purpose of a film is to be entertaining. Hail the wisdom of Elvis.

Robert Levy (levybob) Crossfire, a film made in 1947, deals with Anti-Semitism. As such it is a film 'before its time'; in '47 few films dealt with the subject (note: 'Gentleman's Agreement' did, and did t better). But this film does not have the lofty aspirations of 'Agreement'; this is cinema noir plain and simple. A bad guy commits a bad act and it's up to the good guys to figure out the 'who' and the 'how'. Robert Young plays the police inspector; a pipe glued to his lower lip. Beside that, he is fine. Robert Mitchum is as close to a 'hero' as this film possesses; but heroics are not his forte. He is there to provide hope; his basic goodness a counterweight to the bad guy's bad. Robert Ryan plays the role of Robert Ryan, and plays it as well as ever. Sam Levene plays the Semite against whom atrocities are committed. Overall I enjoyed the film for what is is (a good 'B' movie); but other reviews had me thinking the film was a great one. It's not.

tomsview Many of the characters in "Crossfire" speak in a cadence that creates an almost surreal mood. Sam Levine, Paul Kelly and George Cooper all speak as though they are under the control of the same hypnotist. It could just be that the scriptwriter was unable to develop distinctly different characters, but it works well in this film, giving it a quality that has helped secure its place as a classic of film noir.The movie was based on "The Brick Foxhole", a novel by Richard Brooks. In the book the victim was black, but for various reasons, the murdered man in the film became a Jew, with anti-Semitism as the theme.Although Richard Brooks didn't write the screenplay, he later became a film director. Like John Huston with whom he worked on the script of "The Killers", he was a complete storyteller; he wrote as well as produced and directed. He made some sharp films: "Blackboard Jungle", "Elmer Gantry", "In Cold Blood" and one I like that many don't, "Lord Jim". He was also a tough dude; I once read that he sat Burt Lancaster on his backside after an argument turned physical.The story of "Crossfire", which takes place in New York just after World War Two, begins with the murder of a man, Joseph Samuels played by Sam Levene. A pipe-smoking policeman, Captain Finlay, played by Robert Young, investigates the crime. Young's performance is a precursor to the sage characters he later brought to full flower in television's "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby MD".A number of soldiers were in the murdered man's apartment just prior to his slaying. Robert Ryan gave an acclaimed performance in this film as Montgomery, one of the soldiers in question. Big, sneering and manipulative, he invests the part with a nastiness that is palpable.At first, suspicion falls on another soldier, Mitchell. As part of the investigation, Captain Finlay calls in Sergeant Keeley, Robert Mitchum's character. Keeley tries to protect Mitchell, even arranging for Mitchell's wife to come to town.During a flashback, the film follows Mitchell on the night of the murder where he encounters some unusual characters including Ginny (Gloria Graham), a depressed dancehall "hostess". Eventually, he ends up at Ginny's apartment. Here he encounters a man, listed in the end credits as "The man", played by Paul Kelly; an unusual performance, his character emerges as forlorn, slightly twisted and possibly dangerous – adding another intriguing layer to this unusual story. The film ends abruptly, and conforms to conventions of the period, which allowed no crime to go unpunished. Montgomery is revealed as the murderer and although unarmed, is shot in the back by Captain Finlay in an almost matter-of-fact manner – showing that codes of conduct can change over 60 years. The budget limitations work in the film's favour with much of the story set at night to disguise the studio sets. The end result was a shadowy, claustrophobic world that was perfect for the telling of its taut tale.

wes-connors In shadowy Washington, DC, an unidentifiable man beats another man to death, then leaves with his drunken companion. A girlfriend calls pipe-smoking police investigator Robert Young (as Finlay). He begins to question the suspects - a group of discharged military men enjoying relative peace after the end of World War II. First arriving on the scene is Robert Ryan (as "Monty" Montgomery); he expects to find a friend who was with the victim earlier. Next questioned is soldier Robert Mitchum (as Peter Keeley); he tries to steer Mr. Young away from the number one suspect - distraught George Cooper (as Arthur "Mitch" Mitchell)..."Crossfire" has outstanding direction (by Edward Dmytryk), black-and-white photography (by J. Roy Hunt) and performances. RKO and producer Adrian Scott were rewarded with five "Oscar" nominations; probably, Mr. Ryan's startlingly bigoted characterization stood the best chance of winning; he was nominated in the "Supporting Actor" category, but finished as #5 in the "New York Film Critics" contest for leading actor. "Best Picture" consideration was also noted by "Film Daily" (#7 for the year), the "National Board of Review" (#4) and "New York Film Critics" (#3) - remarkable for what was considered a "B" (minor) film...Top-billed Young has one of his best roles and Mr. Cooper's sensitive artist is an amazing film debut. Almost posing as a red herring, Mr. Mitchum is subdued. In smaller roles, browbeaten Steve Brodie (as Floyd Bowers) and "hillbilly" William Phipps (as Leroy) play extraordinarily well against Ryan. Another award nominee, "working girl" Gloria Grahame (as Virginia "Ginny" Tremaine) is great with both Cooper and her dishonorably discharged husband Paul Kelly. Also benefiting from Mr. Dmytryk and the groundbreaking "hate crime" story are victim Sam Levene (Joseph "Sammy" Samuels) and heartbroken Jacqueline White (as Mary).********* Crossfire (7/22/47) Edward Dmytryk ~ Robert Young, Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum, George Cooper