Border Incident (1949)
U.S. Agent Jack Barnes lies in an open field, shot and beaten. A giant harrowing machine suddenly roars to life, its blades biting into the earth. Terrified, Barnes tries to crawl away. But the machine crawls faster. As searing as a shot of tequila down a dust-parched throat, this steely thriller stars Ricardo Montalba and George Murphy as agents from each side of the Mexico-California border. Their job: catch the thieves, murderers and moneymen who prey on illegal aliens desperate to make a few Americana dollars sweating as farm laborers. Anthony Mann (Winchester '73, The Naked Spur) directs, turning his lens to the beauty and the terror of stark desert wastelands. Blending classic film noir with a surprisingly contemporary plot, Border Incident is a relentless, cutting-edge gem of the genre.