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6.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Spies at Work remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like black-and-white war dramas that feel like they were filmed in someone’s drafty living room, maybe. It’s for the folks who get a kick out of old-school espionage tropes where everyone wears stiff collars and looks very suspicious at dinner tables. If you need pacing that doesn't drag like a broken anchor, you will probably hate this.
The whole parachute sequence felt like it lasted for about three weeks. I get it, he’s jumping into enemy territory, but the camera just hung there. It’s the kind of movie where you notice the shadows on the wall move more than the plot does.
Brigitte Helm is in this, which is honestly the only reason I stuck around. She has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think she knows exactly how boring the script is. She’s the only one not acting like they’re shouting at someone in the back row of a theater.
There is this one scene—the one in the cafe—where someone spills a drink. The reaction shot from the officer next to him is so delayed it’s like he was waiting for a signal from the director. I laughed. I don't think I was supposed to.
It’s funny how movies like this try so hard to be serious about the 'Great War.' Sometimes it feels less like a historical piece and more like an episode of Twin Lizzies with more trench coats. The stakes are supposed to be high, but the tension feels about as thin as the film stock.
It’s not as bad as The Fourth Alarm, but it’s definitely not a classic. You could skip it, but if you’re already watching old stuff, it’s a decent way to kill an hour while doing something else. Just don't expect to remember the ending by tomorrow morning.