The House on 92nd Street
Dir: Henry Hathaway
1945
**
For a film that is essentially about espionage, there is very little espionage. The House on 92nd Street is basically a pro-FBI propaganda film used an ammunition after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. That in itself leaves a sour taste in the mouth, but then further considering that a film with Spies, Nazis, and the FBI in it actually gives no clue how they cracked the secret ring, what their methods were and who really was involved but relies heavily on the assumption that they're doing a great job and everything they do is for the public's interest. To convince you even more so they adopt a documentary style, tell you that it's a true story and that they are using real FBI agents. The truth is that truths are bent and most of it is just plain untrue. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story or War propaganda for that matter. To sweeten the deal the story is finally shot in a noir thriller style with a good old fashioned gangster ending. Manipulative and untrustworthy, much like like the Nazis. Seriously, the Nazis where a bad lot, they did enough for people to dislike them, you don't have to make up stuff for people to hate them, they did that themselves! By the 10th of September 1945 (release date of the film) the War had been over for 8 days, so it was a bit late to try to convince the American public that entering the war was a good idea, so I can only imagine this was to appease those that had lost loved ones fighting abroad, which at only 8 days after the War seems like pretty bad taste to me. A fascinating historical piece but not something I enjoyed or agree with.