crossfire remain one of the best hollywood message movie because and unlike the admirably intentioned gentleman agreement and which it beat to theatre by a few month and it choose to send it message via the form an excellent noir thriller rather than have an outrage star constantly say it because i be jewish and isn not it . it much easy to get the message that hate be like a loaded gun across when the dead body be actual rather than metaphorical . somewhat shamefully and the brief featurette on the warner dvd doesn not mention that novelist richard brook disown the film over the shift from a homophobic murder to an anti semitic one and but it interest to note that while the victim be kill primarily because he be jewish and there little doubt in sam levene performance that the character be in fact also gay not a mincing caricature and but there definitely a two lose soul aspect to his scene with george cooper confuse soldier . there not much of a mystery to who the murderer be represent even though the killing be carry out in classic noir shadow and the body language of the killer be instantly recognisable and but then the film have it character drift to the same conclusion before the halfway point represent the tension come from prove it and save the fall guy . there an element of ealing film to the gang of soldier team together to get their buddy out of a fix ( you could almost see that aspect a a blueprint for hue and cry ) and but the atmosphere be pure rko noir . set over one long swelter night and the film have a great look fill with deep dark black and shadow bear a much out of economy a style ( it cut back on lighting time and allow director edward dmytryk more time to work with the actor ) and the excellent cast make the most of the fine script represent a lay back but quietly charismatic robert mitchum and robert young maigret like detective and gloria grahame tramp and the perpetually creepy paul kelly a her compulsive liar admirer and a guy who try on story the way other people try on tie . but the lasting impression be of robert ryan excellent performance a a guy who could do with a good leave alone a he do his best to help the wrongly accuse man all the way to death row . a big surprise hit in 1946 and a a reward and dmytryk and producer adrian scott find themselves investigate by the huac and which itself have a notable tendency to target jew . so much for crusade .