Outwardly this film does not promise much, it seems like some criminal entertainment on level B, but you will be in for a surprise. The great character here is Raymond Burr as the villain who is driven to constantly cover up his crimes by new and worse crimes, a masterful psychological portrait of the dilemma of politics mixed up with crime, which is the main argument of the film. It amounts to great sleuth virtuosity as the only thread the FBI agents can work on is an odd fingerprint, and the development in the film of how this science is pursued and finally brought to results makes it more than well worth watching - and learning from. It is thereby a kind of parallel to Henry Hathaway's great criminal documentaries of the 40s, like "Call Northside 777", and although on a lower level and less elaborate, this is indeed exciting and fascinating enough, especially as the criminal activities are constantly speeded up and boosted in seriousness. It's a B feature but definitely outstanding on a higher level and should be considered a classic as such.
Review of F.B.I. Girl
