Three Roberts for the price of one admission ticket: Robert Young, Robert Mitchum, and Robert Ryan. What a promotional poster! While this one is a classic because it gave the third Ryan his only Oscar nomination, it feels a little dated by today's standards. However, if you loved Gentlemen's Agreement, the film that won Best Picture of 1947, you'll probably love watching Crossfire.
The opening scene of Crossfire shows a man being murdered. He's struggling with his attacker and they crash into a lamp; the scene goes dark and the audience doesn't get to see what happens next. The little sliver of light in the other room shows one man dead and the other man's bottom half walking out of the apartment. The rest of the movie follows Detective Robert Young trying to figure out the murder, with flashbacks from Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, George Cooper, and Gloria Grahame.
If you're not familiar with these actors, you might be held in suspense a little longer than I was. I'm extremely familiar with them, and at the risk of sounding indecent, I immediately recognized the bottom half of the murderer in the opening scene.
Although Robert Mitchum got second billing, he wasn't really given anything to do, and although Robert Ryan got an Oscar nod, he doesn't really do anything different than he does in all his other typical movies. Robert Young comes across as an idiot until the very end, when he comes up with a goosebump-raising plan that almost makes the rest of the plot worthwhile. I really liked the twist at the end, but the rest of the movie was a bit boring, since it's no longer 1947.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When George Cooper says, "Things went a little blurry," the flashback is smudged and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
The opening scene of Crossfire shows a man being murdered. He's struggling with his attacker and they crash into a lamp; the scene goes dark and the audience doesn't get to see what happens next. The little sliver of light in the other room shows one man dead and the other man's bottom half walking out of the apartment. The rest of the movie follows Detective Robert Young trying to figure out the murder, with flashbacks from Robert Mitchum, Robert Ryan, George Cooper, and Gloria Grahame.
If you're not familiar with these actors, you might be held in suspense a little longer than I was. I'm extremely familiar with them, and at the risk of sounding indecent, I immediately recognized the bottom half of the murderer in the opening scene.
Although Robert Mitchum got second billing, he wasn't really given anything to do, and although Robert Ryan got an Oscar nod, he doesn't really do anything different than he does in all his other typical movies. Robert Young comes across as an idiot until the very end, when he comes up with a goosebump-raising plan that almost makes the rest of the plot worthwhile. I really liked the twist at the end, but the rest of the movie was a bit boring, since it's no longer 1947.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. When George Cooper says, "Things went a little blurry," the flashback is smudged and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"