The devoted followers of film noir, much like enthusiasts of any genre, are inevitably confronted with moments of profound disappointment while perusing the works of the era, even those with notables names in credits and reputations of minor classics. One such underwhelming experience, albeit relative, is the 1949 film Criss Cross, directed by the reputable Robert Siodmak.
The plot revolves around Steve Thompson, a protagonist played by Burt Lancaster. After months of wandering the country, taking on odd jobs, Steve returns to his native Los Angeles and reclaims his position as an armoured truck driver. He had left the city motivated by his desire to escape the tumultuous memories of his past, specifically his tempestuous romance and marriage to Anna (played by Yvonne De Carlo). Despite the well-meaning advice of friends and his own reservations, Steve finds himself unable to resist the allure of Anna, and their brief encounters reignite a flame that refuses to die. Anna, too, remains drawn to her handsome ex-husband, but their rekindled passion is complicated by her current relationship with Slim Dundee (played by Dan Duryea), a wealthy local gangster. When the two find themselves entangled in a compromising position at the hands of Slim and his henchmen, Steve devises a cunning plan to escape their predicament. He proposes a daring heist of an armoured truck to Slim, a proposal that sets in motion a series of double-crosses among the involved parties.
Criss Cross possesses all the proper ingredients of film noir – atmospheric black-and-white cinematography by veteran Franz Planer, suggestive music by the always reliable Miklos Rozsa, a femme fatale played by the captivating Yvonne De Carlo, and a fatalistic plot partly told through flashbacks and narration of the cynical protagonist who should have known better than to fall in love with a woman that didn't quite deserve him. The film also boasts a reunion between Burt Lancaster and Robert Siodmak, following their collaboration in The Killers, Lancaster’s screen debut three years earlier. Lancaster, quickly becoming one of the greatest Hollywood stars and most respectable screen actors of his generation, does a very good job in the role of the traditionally flawed noir protagonist. However, despite these elements, the film doesn't quite live up to the expectations set by genre classics, including The Killers.
The reason may lie in the script by Daniel Fuchs, which takes too much time in setting up the protagonist and his surroundings in the first part of the film, at the expense of the actual plot, which is put in motion only in the second half and, consequently, looks rushed and somewhat underwhelming. Although Siodmak directs the heist scene in an interesting manner, the predictably dark ending lacks the proper emotional impact the audience would have expected.
Nevertheless, Criss Cross has won over critics and film scholars over the years. In 1995, Steven Soderbergh paid homage to it with the remake titled The Underneath. While it may not be a classic in the truest sense, Criss Cross remains a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre, offering a glimpse into the darker side of Hollywood's Golden Age.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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