barry shear direct and luther davis write ( after a novel by wally ferrsi ) across 110th street in 1972 and the film star anthony quinn a mattelli and yaphet kotto a pope . pope and mattelli be two police detective and mattelli white and pope black and who investigate a bloody machine gun murder that take place in harlem and in a location in which there rarely be any white people do something else than business . somebody stole big amount of italian mafia money and it all end up in the bloody shoot out and and only the thief get away alive . the two lead character try to solve this thing before it be too late and since the mafia be willing to use violent way in order to get it money back . this be a premise for this classic film . i really love the atmosphere in this film since it be something that totally lack in most of today film . the setting in harlem be very ugly and dirty and gritty and therefore true to life . this film doesn not hide anything and it show the true face of life in this big city and all the disease from prostitution to murder that live inside it . this film be pretty close to don siegel masterpiece and dirty harry ( 1971 ) which also show very gritty urban set without any bit of humor or something to ease the realistic and merciless atmosphere . the photography be also very great and technically there be no worth mention flaw in this film . the action scene be excite albeit not too plenty and everything in this film be a powerful and effective a the director and screenwriter intend to . the most tragic character be quinn mattelli and who be 55 and not so willing to continue his life in police and with all this scum . kotto character be young and still willing to keep on and but at the end of the movie and he may have another thought about his life and too . the end scene be very powerful and memorable mostly because it be so tragic and sad and also intelligent and think provoke . the whole last 10 minute be very remarkable a the tension be in top and no one know how this will end and and more importantly and who will be alive at the end . bullet when fire do their job and never leave anyone alive in this violent and greedy world . the performance be totally wonderful and and i personally like quinn the most in this difficult film . he act very convincingly and have some hard scene and segment and which show his ability a an actor . the violence despite be brutal in mental way and be very strong physically and too and a the mafia torture people without remorse in order to reach it target and but also they should have finish before it become too late . violence and crime never pay and and this be again one movie to depict and tell about it . this film may not be too graphically violent by today video game and r rating standard and but compare to most of today film and violence be far strong and emotionally challenge in this honest film and which never glamorize it brutality with stupid one liner and humor effort . this be among the most realistic crime film i have ever see . the moneybag at the end leave some hope for tomorrow and even though the hope be for most of the protagonist themselves too late . across 110th street have some pretty non believable scene and segment and which be not explain too carefully and seem little unconvincing and but they be very few and be easy to forgive after all the merit and positive thing this film give . this film be as classic a dirty harry and i give this positive rating and recommend it very highly for lover of gritty gangster and crime film and which never have any stupid effort to amuse and entertain the audience with humor or other popcorn method .