Criss Cross

Wonderfully seedy tale of betrayal and obsession from superb noir-thriller stylist Siodmak. Beautifully shot (Franz Planer) and scripted (Daniel Fuchs), it bears more than a slight resemblance to the same director's The Killers. Again Lancaster is the fall guy, an armoured-car payroll guard still brooding over his ex-wife (De Carlo), who has taken up with gangster Slim Dundee (Duryea) but leads Lancaster to believe that they can make a new start with booty gained from a daring heist if he will go through with it. As always with Siodmak, the suspense is maintained throughout by taut pacing, visual precision, and excellent characterisation.