Keys To The Treasury

Buried in a vault for more than twenty years, this moldy oldie deserves to be returned to obscurity. Since its production in 1976, many changes have occurred at the Department of the Treasury--everything from the re-design of currency to big changes at the IRS. Few government agencies affect the lives of average Americans as does the Treasury, and while the design of coins and the history of the ornate Treasury Building is somewhat interesting, it's not enough to stave off the yawns induced by this example of government propaganda films at their most stultifying. Whatever historical value this video may have is lessened by the scattershot looks at the Treasury's various functions; each agency is deserving of a video of its own and suffers from being crammed into such a short film. The video completely loses touch with reality in its section on the IRS. A man with questions about his taxes is ushered into a completely empty lobby and taken immediately to a polite young agent who oozes sincerity. No lines, no screaming babies, no "Gotcha!" looks from IRS workers, no un-Civil Servants...yeah, right. School kids will squirm impatiently in their seats, while older viewers will consider this video to be as representative of the Treasury Department as Reefer Madness was of the effects of marijuana. Save your money. (J. Carlson)