This Brilliant, Gritty Film Noir Starring Robert Mitchum Made Oscars History — And Still Even Movie Fans Don’t Talk About It

The past few Academy Awards have made huge strides in genre representation, honoring films that wouldn't have had a chance of ever appearing even ten years ago. Films likeThe Substance, Get Out, andEverything, Everywhere, All At Onceinspired huge watermark moments that compelled the Academy to go into uncharted territory, forever changing what an "Oscar-worthy film" could look like. Genre has always had an uphill battle when it comes to the Oscars, even as far back as the 1940s, when Crossfire made history by being the first true B-movie to be nominated for Best Picture, along with four other Oscar nominations. Not only that, it was part of one of the first major attempts by Hollywood to directly confront a hot topic issue that was pervasive in the world.