Review of Crossfire (1947) by Russell Wolf G — 27 May 2017

Ryan is SO good at his role--he IS the despicable soldier seen in this role--transmitting the guttural, reflexive, stereotypically ingrained Jew-hatred that existed in so many "good" Americans of the time, that the political undertones of just "WHY the USA denied entry" to Jewish refugees from Hitler's extermination program becomes clearer.

Then, as we see the varying degrees of that prejudice show up in each of the peripheral characters--as they too are forced to face their less-admirable prejudices, we can begin to see the insidious and insipid consequences of hate and prejudice in each of us--I wonder how many made the leap to looking at their anti-Black hatreds after seeing this film--after so many GIs had been exposed to the bravery and American-ness of their Black-American soldiers during the war, DESPITE the fact that the military was 100% segregated until 1948.

Perhaps President Truman's order desegregating the military in 1948 was influenced by the inner soul search occasioned by hard-hitting films like "Crossfire.".