On Dangerous Ground

The lonely and tough Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan) is an efficient detective that frequently uses excessive violence to resolve his cases and even his partners do not approve his behavior. While chasing two cop killers, he blows the bladder of... Full review

I liked this better than I thought I would. I read a number of reviews (here, but mostly elsewhere) before seeing it, so I knew the two main things to expect: a hard- hitting film noir in the first half... Full review

"On Dangerous Ground", Nicholas Ray's short, yet powerful drama of one cop's journey from destruction to redemption, took nearly two years to reach the screen upon completion, was panned by critics and ignored by audiences when released, and still generates... Full review

Ignored at the time of it's release and still criminally underrated, On Dangerous Ground is a masterpiece from director Nicholas Ray, and maybe his best film {yes, better than Rebel Without A Cause}, a powerful yet poignant study of loneliness,... Full review

The first half is noir. Ryan is an embittered cop with violent tendencies, even exceeding those of his comrades. A bit too much of the old ultra violence and he's sent "upstate to Siberia" for a rest, seconded to a... Full review

'On Dangerous Ground' is a very original and striking movie, one of the most interesting to come out of 1950s Hollywood. The movie is in two halves. The first is urban and sees Robert Ryan play Jim Wilson a brutal... Full review

The Nicholas Ray-A.I. Bezzerides On Dangerous Ground is a modestly budgeted film that tries to be different, and succeeds. Tough, brutal city cop Robert Ryan is sent upstate to help solve a murder case, and also to be got rid... Full review

The musical score is worthy of Hitchcock's Finest thrillers and is part of what raises this "On Dangerous Ground" to the level of classic film noir. In fact, one might say that it stands on its own as one of... Full review

While I find much in Mr. Crawford's comments to commend, I can also understand director Ray's misgivings about "On Dangerous Ground." It is IN the film-noir genre but not really OF it. The scenes in the city ring starkly true... Full review

I consider this short, unpretentious film to be a minor masterpiece. The movement from the familiar cityscape of the film noir to the white of the snowy countryside, from the damned, despairing world of the detective to the redeemed world... Full review

Also, if you haven't seen it "On Dangerous Ground" by Nicholas Ray has another great performance by Robert Ryan -- as a cop. It doesn't have much to do with the main plot but it adds a nice touch of sleaze to the goings-on. music wise. ... Full Review

A veritable Derek and the Dominoes of noir luminaries--director Nicholas Ray ( In a Lonely Place ), screenwriter A.I. Bezzerides ( Kiss Me Deadly ), and hard-boiled perennials Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino--utilize the minimal two-act structure of On Dangerous Ground to flip the usually pessimistic genre on its head, coming to the contextually shocking conclusion that loves does conquer all. ... Full Review

Early on, rumor had it that the title of this new 9/11 film was going to be Oliver Stone's World Trade Center. Thank goodness it's not: The possessory credit would have seemed arrogant to the point of offensiveness, and yet... ... Full Article

By Jeffrey M. Anderson Buy Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 on DVD Up to now, Warner Home Video has done a wonderful job resurrecting the greatest noir classics for their first two "Film Noir Classic Collection" DVD box sets. ... Full Article

A realistic and often gripping crime yarn, ON DANGEROUS GROUND tells the story of tough cop Ryan. He has been brutalized by his job of cleaning up the "human garbage" in New York City and is on the verge of... ... Full Article