I feel like I should have intervened. I really wish I’d stopped it. Criss Cross was directed by Robert Siodmak and adapted by Daniel Fuchs from a novel by Don Tracy. The cast includes Burt Lancaster, Yvonne de Carlo, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Miklós Rózsa composed the music, and Franz Planer was in charge of cinematography. Steve Thompson (Lancaster) and his former love Anna (de Carlo) begin to reconnect, which causes concern for those close to Steve. She's currently unhappily married to mobster Slim Dundee (Duryea), and they plan to leave together, but it seems Slim suspects something is going on. When they are caught by Slim, Steve quickly invents a story claiming that they were plotting an armored-truck robbery and invites Dundee to join in. Although Slim finds the idea improbable, Steve’s position with the armored-truck company makes involvement possible. This attempt to deflect suspicion from the lovers proves to be only the beginning of their troubles, as nothing is straightforward. Criss Cross has become a favorite among many film noir enthusiasts, frequently cited as one of the best films of the 1940s. However, things could have turned out very differently because the film’s original producer, Mark Hellinger, unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Under Hellinger's direction, the movie was intended to center around a racetrack heist, but his death put the project on hold and it was later sold to Universal along with Lancaster and Siodmak. While Lancaster wasn't pleased with the revised plot, he already had an established working relationship with Siodmak from their collaboration on The Killers, another celebrated film noir classic. For Criss Cross, Siodmak, Fuchs, and producer Michael Kraike combined Tracy’s novel with elements of The Killers (an Ernest Hemingway short story). Ava Gardner wasn't available to repeat her role as a femme fatale from The Killers, while Shelley Winters was considered but ultimately not chosen for the part that went to de Carlo, who had previously worked with Lancaster on the tough prison movie Brute Force (1947). This connection between the three main characters is further cemented by Duryea, who and de Carlo appeared in Black Bart & River Lady in 1948. It all works out well, figuratively speaking, because Criss Cross is a remarkable film that deserves to be watched again and again. All of the classic elements of film noir are present, both technically and narratively. The movie opens with an ominous musical cue from Rózsa, which leads us into a dramatic aerial view of nighttime Los Angeles. From there we descend towards a parking lot and witness an illicit romance between Steve & Anna. At the end of the film we will again be witnesses to their coupling, but this time it’s framed by moments of sheer brilliance. Obsession, betrayal, and inescapable fate permeate the story from the moment we learn about Steve, Anna, and Slim's history. As the story unfolds in flashback, there’s a constant feeling of impending doom, which is enhanced by Planer’s lighting and Siodmak’s camera work and framing of the characters. Even the action-packed robbery sequence has a gloomy feel, serving as a prelude to the present, where a hospital and a mirror return us to an atmosphere of unease. And then there's the finale, one of the most bleak, and therefore essential, endings in film noir history. The acting is superb; Lancaster portrays an obsessed loser exceptionally well, thanks in part to Siodmak’s direction. Duryea excels at playing a villain with oily charm and a sly menace, while de Carlo looks lovely and offers a blend of sweetness and toughness – a different kind of femme fatale, earning her place as an actress. Stephen McNally is effective in his supporting role, and Alan Napier provides good value as the mastermind behind the robbery. Also look out for Tony Curtis, who makes a cameo appearance dancing seductively with de Carlo at the Round-Up Bar. It’s regrettable to report that Bunker Hill, a favorite location for noir directors, was demolished in the 1960s; many of the film's scenes were shot on location in Los Angeles, mostly at night, showcasing areas like Angels Flight and Union Station. It is clearly related to The Killers, but even standing alone it’s an essential film noir experience for those with a taste for that style. 9/10

Source on TMDB