ThiefHott Too much of everything

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

gavin6942 A man is murdered, apparently by one of a group of soldiers just out of the army. But which one? And why? "Crossfire" received five Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Supporting Actor and Gloria Grahame for Best Supporting Actress. It was the first B movie to receive a best picture nomination. This is remarkable on two counts: one, that a B movie got nominated, but also that it was deemed worthy. While not a bad film, it certainly has many qualities we think of with "B" pictures.The really unfortunate thing is the use of anti-Semitism rather than homosexuality as in the original novel. The idea of someone hating Jews (at least to the point of murder) seems dated, whereas a homosexuality film would have been revolutionary and still impressive today (especially if the Irish Catholic speech stayed in).

Dalbert Pringle (Movie quote) - "Hate is like a loaded gun." Released in 1947 - Crossfire stars the 3 "Roberts" - That's Mitchum, Ryan & Young.Crossfire was probably the first Hollywood picture to actually explore racial bigotry - This time in the form of anti-Semitism.Crossfire also addresses post-WW2 issues of soldiers being released from military duty with no other training besides that of being servicemen.Set in Washington, DC - A kindly, soft-spoken man named Joseph Samuels is savagely beaten to death (in his own apartment) by a drunken, recently demobilized American soldier simply because he was Jewish.Due to some incriminating evidence, an innocent soldier is mistakenly blamed for the murder. When this soldier disappears, Detective Finlay, who's investigating the case, must carefully piece together all of the clues to establish the motive behind all of the apparent senselessness.In a series of well-timed flashbacks the whole truth behind the story finally unfolds, escalating to a most brilliant climax.Crossfire is an intelligent, well-crafted film with an excellent script and wonderful performances from a real top-notch cast, especially that of Robert Mitchum as Sargeant Keeley.

Matti-Man Edward Dmytryk was one of the most reliable of workman-like directors working in Hollywood from the 1940s to the 1960s. He was responsible for classics like FAREWELL MY LOVELY, THE DEVIL COMMANDS and THE CAINE MUTINY. CROSSFIRE isn't the best film on the Dmytryk CV, but even a so-so Dmytryk movie is better than most other directors' on their good days.The plot revolves around a group of men recently released from war-service in the US Army, so recently that some of them still wear their uniforms. After an afternoon's hard drinking, a man the soldiers meet in a bar is murdered. It looks like one of the soldiers, Mitch Mitchell (George Cooper), did it, but the police flounder when it comes to finding a motive. The soldier's sergeant, Keeley (Robert Mitchum) is convinced the suspect didn't do the crime and sets out to uncover the true killer himself.The always-terrific Gloria Grahame plays an embittered bar hostess who might be able to give Mitch the nearest thing to an alibi he's going to get. Not sure I like Gloria as a bleached blonde, but the look suits her character exactly.Mitchum's performance is even more laid-back than usual and you get the feeling he thinks he's slumming it in this low-budget picture. But his presence still contributes some gravitas and focus to the story.The fact is that it's not much of a mystery. You'll probably figure out who the killer is first time you lay eyes on him, but even so, I enjoyed watching the plot unfold and seeing how men who fought together show such loyalty to one another despite having little else in common. I'd quite happily sit through this again ...

moonspinner55 As an Army sergeant just released from duty, Robert Ryan creates a scary, thoroughly thought-out characterization, that of a man who has seen battle and killing but is now set free on the streets of America--with no agenda and nowhere to channel his pent-up rage. This "important picture", adapted from Richard Brooks' novel, deals with the police investigation into the beating death of a Jewish civilian, with soldiers as their suspects, yet Ryan's three-dimensional portrait of a man on the edge elevates the material beyond the crime genre. While sorting out the different scenarios which led to the innocent man's death, police captain Robert Young keeps a subdued, beleaguered head, which allows Ryan the room to go into his nervy Jekyll-and-Hyde arias. There isn't much suspense or surprise in the story, and one can't tell for sure if any was intended; Edward Dmytryk has directed the film in a brutal and straightforward fashion. The original theme of Brooks' story was homophobia but, that being deemed too controversial for 1947, it was changed to anti-Semitism; the irony, of course, was that Dmytryk caught the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee on the basis of this plot-point and was subsequently investigated (later serving jail-time for refusing to cooperate). **1/2 from ****