Wonderful character development!

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Please don't spend money on this.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Some great actors, Robert Mitchum, Robert Young & Robert Ryan. They all do a good job with a good & different story. Not a typical "Who Dunit " Early in the movie when Mitchum is interviewed by Young in the Police Staion, FDR's picture is in the wall. The movie takes place right after WWII, when FDR had died and Truman was president.

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).

The movie dramatizes an important subject: anti-Semitism. The problem is that it does not generate the outrage and indignation that the subject warrants. This happens partly because the subject is treated in the context of a conventional Hollywood crime drama which further dilutes and distracts attention away from the theme. Furthermore, the principal character, an Army veteran just discharged from the service, is not a completely unsympathetic character; he has legitimate issues too which could be distorting his thoughts. In short, the movie is to be commended for taking on the topic of bigotry but does not go far enough in driving home the subject. Robert Ryan is excellent as the army veteran who is an anti-Semite and the rest of cast is excellent too. Yet the movie does not leave one with a feeling of social injustice. Rather, it leaves one feeling glad that a murderer has been caught but with no resolution of the larger political and social questions which although addressed remain unanswered.

(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.