 Rossen was one of the directors who developed film gris ( French for " grey film " ) . In his films for Warner Brothers ' between 1937 and 1944 , consistent themes were the conditions of working people , the portrayal of gangsters and racketeers , and opposition to fascism . After Dust Be My Destiny , written by Rossen and released in 1939 , Frank Nugent , who regularly reviewed for The New York Times , complained about Warner Brothers ' long line of melodramas about boys from poor neighbourhoods . Unlike filmmakers such as John Ford and Howard Hawks , Rossen was willing to explain his aims as a director : " The element common to many of my films is the desire for success , ambition , which is an important element in American life . It is an important element , and has become increasingly more important in what is known as Western Civilization . " Polonsky commented that " Rossen 's talent is force applied everywhere without let @-@ up . " Neve acknowledged that social concerns were central in most of Rossen 's works , but commented that Lilith was different from Rossen 's earlier films as it emphasized mood rather than narrative and examined through pictures and silences the nature of maladjustment and madness . 
