spoilers spoilers must something air immediate postwar years made night cities attractive settings movies gaggle nocturnal urban films made time america one notable carol reeds odd man out english picture wounded gunman staggering streets belfast america high noon properly high midnight film noirbr br crossfire really film noir trappings noir though uses aims bigotry directed edward dmytryk written john paxton adapted novel richard brooks book concerned murder homosexual movie victim changed jew though filmed like mystery little suspense film fairly obvious murderer early on makes film watchable beautiful evocation city washington dc world war ii gifted craftsmen working films time unlike many night movies crossfire set mostly indoors police stations rooming houses allnight movie theaters soldiers everywhere film itching get back civilian lives yet one senses men meet personalities shaped military experience going tough return old neighborhoods maybe even impossible seem bound one another anything anyone elsebr br yet men never truly bonded anyone military murderer monty one individual one senses never connected civilian life either lone wolf also needs people desperately alone sadistic streak mile wide always needs someone nearby butt jokes man kills harm fact stranger him monty figured mans religion enough really mean kill guy intent merely humiliate beat up quite drunk time montys fists got better him act sets story story motionbr br once movie builds head steam characters come rapidly focus montys opposite number keely another soldier who though introspective like monty somewhat detached harbors resentment toward anyone seems reasonable even amiable guy finley pipesmoking homicide detective dandyish tad effete compared men uniform proves match various mostly recalcitrant soldiers deals with actors plays roles roberts ryan mitchum young give excellent performances different key ryan monty tense paranoid always looking around someone pick on one feel anxiety becoming victim himself keely mitchum lowkey almost nonchalant never raises voice seems say offer permitted script youngs performance often criticized soft find deceptively strong nicely offbeat cuts stereotype hardboiled cop makes character finley bit prince crime detectionbr br there surprises crossfire though script times surprisingly wellwritten even brilliant character actor paul kelly gives one best short performances movies boyfriend woman soldier picks bar kelly may may husband may may live her though seems relaxed enough apartment beauty scenes nothing made clear man seems little confused role is ought be way scenes form thematic core film anomie exception detective men film drifting aimless basically lost seriously others respect crossfire is preaching near end film vagueness identity easily lost warped men drift one bar another film engage sort woozy camaraderie personalities merging kind general american male template something happens something nailed down word mentioned whether jew hillbilly things suddenly turn tense notion individuality identity outside group anyone like them becomes deeply offensive even loathsome then tempers flare whatever stirred resolved forgotten men revert loose nonpersonal group normality order restored