T-Men (Mann, 1947) [B]

T-Men, an often tense and meticulous procedural from Anthony Mann, follows the undercover operations of the U.S. Treasury Department and it’s war on counterfeiters during the late 1940’s. The straightforward story is told with the help of the standard voice over, a by the books aid which echoes through Mann’s Noir visuals with resounding clarity. While not entirely exciting, the film exudes intelligence and professionalism both in story and production, attempting to give a first rate account of the growing corruption hiding under the guise of respectability. The film lacks the nasty grit of Mann’s essential Noir’s, pictures like Raw Deal and Border Incident, but T-Men has concise themes of honor and sacrifice worth standing behind.

~ by gcheath19 on November 9, 2007.