this very good movie crackle with tension . the stake be and of course and high will the police and widmark and the public health doctor and apprehend the criminal who do not know that they be carry plague before a full scale epidemic break out . but small plot element introduce tension in every scene between widmark and the police captain and between the bad guy play by palance and mostel and between palance and a die plague stricken man whom palance mistakenly believe be the subject of a manhunt because he have smuggle in some valuable commodity and between widmark and his wife and and with the underlie question of whether the public be well serve by inform them of the danger or hide the situation to avoid a full scale panic . the movie be beautifully shoot by kazan and in extraordinarily well choreograph long take shot on location in new orleans and and end in a stunning climax and where palance flees like a rat from his pursuer and through the dock and warehouse of the city . the commentary be superb and probably the best that i have hear and cover the cinematography and the framing and lighting of shot and the production design and the casting of non professional actor in small role and and the irony and parallelism in the plot and like an insightful seminar on 1950s film technique and film noir generally . watch it once to enjoy the film on it own and and and if you be interested in film making and a second time with the commentary on to learn .