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As some other reviewers have opined, this is the best of the three Harry Palmer movies set in the '60s. Michael Caine's cavalier attitude coupled with his witty, sarcastic banter is most refreshing. All the stodgy bureaucratic types get bum-rushed by Harry Palmer's rapier tongue. His self deprecating humor, especially in some of the scenes with Samantha Steele (Eva Renzi), is refreshing, since she has the pertness and sense of humor to complement those scenes deftly. Similarly, the scenes with Col. Stock show great flashes of sarcastic wit, juxtaposed with attending to the serious Cold War business at hand.

But the more serious fun is the wonderfully executed plot development, interweaving the various characters such as Johnny Vulcan, Col. Stock, Hallam, Ross (the boss), Kreutsmann, Steele, etc. into a menagerie of complicated intrigue. I'll let others offer a plot synopsis: I'll just say the film keeps you guessing and wondering throughout its hour and forty-five minutes. The overall style of mixing mordant anti-establishment humor and complicated intrigue reminds me of a later film, "The Russia House", with Sean Connery, an equally satisfying Cold War drama.

The only knock I have on this film is the sometimes obtrusive sound track, where the trumpets blare much too loudly to proclaim a given dramatic occurrence. Could have been done a little more tastefully.

All in all, a "must see" for Cold War movie fans!

based on Len Deighton's outstanding novel, this sequel to "The Ipcress File" features Michael Caine once again as the the anti-James Bond British spy, Harry Palmer. Palmer wears thick glasses, dresses in a cheap rain-coat, has a cockney-accent, and cultivates an aura of being not too bright. Of course, he is the only one who can keep track of the double-, triple-, and quadruple crosses in a Berlin where Brits, Americans, Israelis, Russians, and East Germans are all pursuing different goals. Even Palmer's superiors in the Secret Service are pursuing different goals. The plot is complex, but rewards close attention. Caine is pitch-perfect as Palmer, and spy stories just don't get any more bleak and cynical. A very superior movie.

"The Ipcress File" introduced us to Harry Palmer, the anti-James Bond. This movie is even better than the first. Both are based on novels by Len Deighton, who rivals John LeCarre as the most sophisticated thoughtful spy novelists. Michael Caine's Palmer has a cockney accent, avoids fights, can't afford the finer things in life, has no fancy cars or technological gimmicks. What he has is the brain to figure who's triple crossing all the double crossers in Cold War Berlin's espionage underground. It helps that all the other characters underestimate him. This movie is sharp, intelligent, and unsentimental. It ranks with the very best spy movies ever made. Outstanding.

I personally think that Funeral In Berlin is a great film and far better than the previous Ipcress File which generally gets the credit as the best of Len Deighton's Harry Palmer novels to make it to the big screen. Caine is excellent as the stiff but smart east end spy. The underlying suggestion that Palmer possesses the superior intellect to his privately educated 'superiors' gives the scenes for example between Palmer and Ross the added edge of annoyance on the part of Ross and frustration and arrogance born of frustration from Palmer. The hard edged 'real life'(compared to Bond) atmosphere give the film it's sense of believability through all of it's complex plot turns. The camera work is excellent with some beautifully framed scenes that have thus far not received the credit they deserve. Homolka as Stock is a particularly excellent characterisation and the whole affect of cameras and the first appearance of Stock remind me greatly of Welles introduction as Harry Lime. The whole film is very much of it's time but as such has not lost any of it's fascination. Definitely one of my favourites.

This is my favourite of the three Harry Palmer films (I don't count the 90s remake.) This film is accurately done and goes at a sensible pace – however, those people looking for computerised special effects and exploding cars are watching the wrong film.

The plot is really good and makes absolute sense – if you follow it closely. There is also the wonderful dry wit between Palmer and his commanding officer.

Palmer: I didn't pick her up; she picked me up.

Ross: Well you'd have to say that to get it on expenses.

Also, you should watch this in widescreen – there are some subtle details, which are left out at the edge of the screen. Including the subtle way in which Sam first picks up Harry at the hotel. However, unlike most "Spy" films we are not subjected to the obligatory soft porn sequence.

Listen carefully for the references to Suvorov – a Russian general, part of the priceless banter between Palmer and the Russian who wants to defect.

They don't make films like this anymore – simply because they don't write books like this anymore. This was Len Deighton and it is first class.

There are a number of interesting spy novels involving British Agents, which were written by Len Deighton, but the most popular ones involves international spy Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) . That is because unlike 007, Harry is a 'thinking man's James Bond.' If you watch the movie, you'll see the reason for such a statement. Take for instance this offering " A Funeral in Berlin " is the tale of spy vs spy. During the era of the Cold War, each side (East and West) was endeavoring to gain an upper hand in the war of intrigue. The Berlin Wall or Iron Curtain separated Germany and each side sought to exploit the other side's weaknesses. Many East Germans were seeking to cross the 'wall' any way they could. To fail meant death. Harry Palmer is sent by his boss, Col. Ross (Guy Doleman) on what Harry believes is a fool's errand. A high ranking Russian Official, Colonel Stok KGB (Oskar Homolka) seeks to defect and needs Harry's help. His German friend, Johnny Vulkan (Paul Hubschmid) reassures harry of his mission as does Eva Renzi (Samantha Steel) an Isreali spy. All seems above board, but Harry is no fool and takes precautions to insure his own life. What transpires is nothing short of fine drama and the result is the foundation for Classic status. ****

Though arguably not as cohesive as The Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin still stands head and shoulders above the average 60s spy movie. The pacing could be tighter, the adaptation of Deighton's exemplary novel - one of his best - could be a little more fluid but generally the thing works well.

For fans of the novels this is perhaps the most interesting of the three movies. Ipcress is a fascinating spin on the its novel's central theme, Brain is an awful adaptation of a lack-lustre book but Funeral in Berlin sticks to the original story pretty firmly until it turns on you with a very groovy twist indeed.

Funeral in Berlin is to my mind the best spy-agent film of its kind! The film is even more appreciated if you have visited or lived in Berlin prior to 1989. I lived in West Berlin through most of 1967 and often went through Checkpoint Charlie to visit various parts of East Berlin. There was a tremendous atmosphere in West Berlin, a special buzz, an excitement, probably due to the Allied sectors being well inside the Soviet zone.

Crossing the white line at Charlie for the first time was rather daunting. Border guards would train their binoculars on you and the reception received from the Vopos who were in charge of passport admin was cold.

Watching Funeral in Berlin takes me back to 1967, I notice Kranzlers café on the Ku'damm where I often took coffee, the Bristol Kempinski Hotel off the Ku'damm where I lived for 3 months, the Europa Centre next to the Kaiser Willhelm Memorial Church, and of course the Mercedes insignia.

If you want to know more about the Berlin Wall read the excellent Christopher Hilton book The Wall: THe Peoples Story.

Reluctant spy and disgraced army sergeant Harry Palmer gets sent to Berlin to encounter a Russian general that says he wants to defect - but does he?

The success (and continued success) of the Ipcress Files lead to this very solid and very good (if complicated) follow-up which seems Palmer (Michael Caine in his too-cool-for-school best form) back in a cheap raincoat and dowdy clothes on a mission that he seems sure he is going to regret. Indeed he makes clear that only being on probation (still?) causes him to go on it in the first place.

The use of the real Berlin and the performance of Caine and Oskar Homolka (as Colonel Stok) keeps this film going as the plot is rather too thick for my liking.

I am not someone that wants to do this much thinking with my fluff - but I caught most of it or at least the main parts. Couldn't be sure totally who the lesser characters were in bed with though or even if it was not each other.

When the series returned with The Billion Dollar Brain it had got past its sell-by date and seemed to almost parody what had gone before. Like all things it has hard to judge when you have gone too far before you actually have.

As a footnote Howard Hughes used to watch this film over-and-over again (as many as three times a day) when locked in his own self-made lunatic asylum. Did the film drive him mad or help drive him mad. We will never know.

Funeral in Berlin, in my view, remains the best of the 3 Harry palmer films. Dispensing with the mandatory 60's 'brainwashing'and over-played 'spy' sequences of the Ipcress file. Funeral in Berlin benefits greatly from being shot on location, adding to the authenticity and nervy cold war tension of the original novel. (Actually at least 2 other sub-plots are ditched to save on running time & viewer brain fatigue)The plot, although condensed, remains coherent and totally logical. For anyone wanting explosions, car chases and all the other dreary staples of the 'spy thriller' - forget it. Harry Palmer travels to see his boss on a bus and only receives a gun (at his request) over half way through the film! Watch it for atmosphere, razor-sharp dialogue and a great in-joke regarding Lownbrau beer... Michael Caine is at his world-weary best and supported by a fine cast, all adding to arguably the most 'authentic' spy film of the 60's. as for Billion dollar brain- Have you ever seen it? Listen to the theme tune & turn off!!

I picked up this movie from one of the remote corners of the DVD shop. What attracted me was the picture of Caine stooping against a wall. Even after buying it, I kept the box unopened in my table for a couple of weeks. Suddenlt, yesterday it was raining, and I decided to see it. I was blown away! From the first escape sequence, I was taken back to the days of the cold war, to the rivalry, the brutal undercover violence, and all in the backdrop of post WWII Europe. The scenes are so good, the dialogs perfect. Caine is sublime as the British agent. The surprises in the movie have been delivered with an artists's touch. I wonder why we no longer make movies like this. A wonder too, how they were able to make movies like this without all the gadgets and technology that we have today. Maybe because they didn't, they could. It is a very enjoyable movie, almost making you wish the cold war wasn't over. . . .

I think it's best to appreciate this Harry Palmer adventure on it's own merits.

I actually liked this film better than Billion Dollar Brain and I think the story holds up better than both BDB and Ipcress File because there's no wacky "hi-tech" props to get in the way.

Not that I mind the often outlandish gizmos and such of spy-films like these and the Bond-genre. It's just that I found myself engrossed in the story and not distracted by how dated the techno props look decades later.

I also think that this film let's you explore more about Harry's relationship with the job. Especially his dilemma of doing the right thing versus serving his own self-interest. It's not a black and white matter.

I'm happy that this film finally got released on DVD.

During the Cold War, the real Berlin Wall provided a bizarre backdrop, and a prop that was more outlandish than any writer of fiction could ever have created. For nearly five decades, many a spy movie was set in its shadow including this laboured follow-up to "The Ipcress File".

The films based on Len Deighton's Harry Palmer books introduced a different kind of secret agent. As portrayed by Michael Caine, Palmer is very low rent indeed. With his Cockney accent, bland expressions and dark rimmed glasses, he is anything but glamorous. Cynical about everything, especially his superiors, he is more often than not strapped for cash – no roulette or chemin de fer for Palmer. Caine eliminated almost any kind of animation from his performance and seems to have modelled his character on an accountant or perhaps a health inspector.

All cold war spy films involve double-dealing and double-crossing, and are often hard to follow. However, there is so much switching around and changing sides in "Funeral in Berlin" that I doubt if even the people who made the film knew what was going on.

The story involves Palmer's attempts to help Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka), a prominent Russian counter intelligence chief to defect to the West. Palmer poses as a lingerie salesman to infiltrate into East Berlin assisted by Johnny Vulkan (Paul Hubschmid) who runs a lingerie business as a cover for his espionage activities.

The East German Police, Nazi war criminals, the KGB, the British Secret Service, and Israel's Mossad all find a place in the plot.

Eventually, it becomes evident that Johnny Vulkan is the object of much of their attention. He is revealed as an unscrupulous war criminal who was involved in the extortion of millions of dollars from the Jews during the war.

Macintosh raincoats are de rigueur for all the characters in "Funeral in Berlin", and nobody is what they seem. Finally, the impenetrable plot plays out after much crunching around in bombed-out buildings.

At the film's end, Harry Palmer stands before his controlling officer, Ross (Guy Dolman), totally disillusioned at the turn of events. He voices his displeasure at being used as a pawn throughout and stalks off in disgust.

Palmer's long-suffering and stoic attitude is the glue that holds all these overcooked elements together. He brings to the role many of the characteristics from "Alfie", which was also made around this time. With that said, Caine's Harry Palmer seems so relentlessly unenergetic that it comes as a surprise when he is involved in a love scene or lashes out with his fists – one just can't picture him working out enough to stay in shape for this kind of activity.

The film has authenticity; much of it filmed on location in Berlin and near The Wall. There is even a sequence shot in a Berlin transvestite bar. The film's failings are not with its production values but rather with its plot of too many twists and credibility gaps.

"Funeral" is not as effective as "The Ipcress File" and is not as flashy as "Billion Dollar Brain", which reintroduced many of the same characters. However, all the films seem rather dated now with "Funeral in Berlin" particularly so. In the end, they seem driven merely by the whims of the filmmakers rather than by the credible motivations of real people.

Questionably the best Spy Film From the '60s, undoubtedly the best of the Harry Palmer Series. Michael Caine is convincing as the reluctant hero who is only there through obligation and not pride and as a result is more believable than Bond.

The Second of Len Deightons's Harry Palmer trilogy 'Funeral In Berlin' Stands head and shoulders above nearly all spy thrillers ever made. Michael Caine is at his best, funny and brooding in turn. The supporting cast are brilliant, with an outstanding Oskar Holmolka working his genius as the Russian Colonel Stok.

What the film does best is capture the tension and complicated nature of the cold war. Some people may complain about the complexity of the storyline, but Deighton researched his books to the finest detail and this is as near as how it ever came to be on film. The only film to come close in modern times is "The Good Shepard"

The look of the movie is completely stunning and the soundtrack is perfection

Often the best work will come out when there is little or no expectation- Take Marvin Gayes "Whats going on" Album. This movie has that same relaxed air of confidence.

I cannot praise this film highly enough- I have serched high and low (Third man, The spy who came in, etc..) and i honestly cannot find its equal- 11/10

After many, many viewings, it continues to shine

Enjoy

A smart spy thriller with Michael Caine as the resourceful (albiet occasionally inept) Harry Palmer. Assigned to smuggle high ranking Russian Oskar Homolka out of East Berlin, Palmer finds himself waist deep in a game of double & triple cross. Sexy Isreali agent Eva Renzi gives him a real run for his money as does creepy Günter Meisner (as a ruthless "expert" in helping people defect to the West). Grounding the film in much more reality than a typical Bond thriller, classy director Guy Hamilton keeps a very complicated plot moving at a really brisk pace. Caine is excellent as the reluctant hero and Renzi is dynamite. Homolka (who also pops up later in BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN) makes a terrific comic foil for Caine. The great music score is by Konrad Elfers and the cinematography is by Otto Heller, who worked on everything from Hammer thrillers to Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM.

Sure it's long and dreary and doesn't always make much sense and it's very set in its era, but it's still an entertaining piece, thanks in no small part to Michael Caine as Harry Palmer.

This one has him undertaking a Russian's desire to cross over the Berlin wall legally, and discovers a dark secret about an alleged friend. Film is something of an intellectual morality tale as Palmer deals with being ordered to kill a man in cold blood and the other various cloak and dagger techniques that come up in the world of spies, along with the whole right to identity argument.

Eva Renzi (Caine's lover) and Paul Hubschmid (Caine's "friend") were later married in real life for a while.

All sorts of dry British humor abound.

Occasionally stilted and some what anti-climatic spy yarn still has it's moments, mostly provided by a top script. Second half is puzzling at times. Why does Palmer go to so much trouble in preventing Vulkan from going over the wall to the east when earlier he tells him he wants him to disappear? And why did he hold on to the Blume documents if this too would prevent him from ridding himself of the thorny task set him by Ross? Perhaps he had more integrity in doing his job than his laconic style first suggested. Over-all, above average commercial fodder.

In my second Harry Palmer film of the weekend, "Funeral in Berlin" (1966), Michael Caine, as Cockney thief turned secret agent Palmer, is given the mission of smuggling a Russian defector (Oscar Homolka, playing Colonel Stok) out of East Berlin. Guy Doleman appears again as Harry's obnoxious boss, and once in Berlin, Harry is aided by an old wartime friend, Vulkan (Paul Hubschmid, who you might better know as Paul Christian, star of "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms"). Palmer also gets involved with an Israeli secret agent in this film, played by the beautiful Eva Renzi, who, in real life, was Paul Hubschmid's wife. As might be expected, the smuggling of Col. Stok does not go quite as planned, and once again, plot complications ensue to the point that the viewer can just barely keep up with all the double crosses and secret agendas of all the players. And yet again, the ties to the Bond franchise are there, what with Harry Saltzman's production, Guy "Goldfinger" Hamilton's direction, and Ken Adam's sets. In all, a highly pleasing affair, with fascinating background scenery of the dreary Berlin environs, but only if you are willing to really pay attention and keep up!

While it's not the equal of its predecessor, "The Ipcress File", "Funeral In Berlin" is still a must-see for Michael Caine fans as well as old-school spy movie fans. Berlin (and London) on-location shooting, Otto Heller's expert cinematography and Konrad Elfers' classic score give the film just the right look and feel of authenticity, while Michael Caine's dry wit is at its highest ("Escaped? They probably paid him to leave!"). However, the last half-hour is not as riveting as the rest of the film, as it switches focus from the main plot of a Russian colonel who wants to defect to the West to the less interesting plot of an ex-Nazi war criminal with an enormous Swiss bank account that everyone wants to get their hands on. In my opinion, that switch is the reason "Funeral In Berlin" is not quite as good as "The Ipcress File". **1/2 out of 4.

The sixties spy thriller Funeral in Berlin is an excellent example of how the star charisma of Michael Caine can save a film from obscurity. Because the plot of Funeral in Berlin gets so complex and convoluted with double-crossing and triple-crossing that Caine becomes a beacon and guide in the maze.

Funeral in Berlin is the second of three 1960s Harry Palmer movies (let's pretend those 2 TV movies from the 1990's don't exist). British agent Harry Palmer was the bespectacled working class answer to the glamorous globetrotting James Bond. As an alternative to spending time in prison for a theft he committed during his army years, Palmer is forced to work for British intelligence. Which makes Palmer an expendable commodity and thereby revealing how isolating the life of a secret agent must be.

Funeral in Berlin was partly filmed on location in Berlin which makes the film historically interesting, as it shows a Berlin that no longer exists.

The Harry Palmer trilogy are the thinking man's spy adventures. Heavy on plot and character, humor and mystery. Michael Caine excels in pretending that he knows what it is all about in his second round as Harry Palmer. He is well assisted by some great supporting actors who seem to be chosen because of their unusual faces: Oscar Homolka as the Russian Colonel who pretends to defect, Hugh Burden as a perverted version of Q, Günter Meisner as the West German criminal who manages escapes from East to West Berlin. Also Guy Doleman returns as Palmer's humorless boss.

Of course, every spy story has to have woman. In Funeral in Berlin she is played by Eva Renzi as an Israeli agent with her own hidden agenda. But in contrast to James Bond is that when a beautiful woman is interested In Harry Palmer, he suspects right away it's a trap.

And that's because it always is.

Perfectly cast Cold War spy thriller includes the usual characters: The good guy fighting for the allies, the villains whose loyalties are varied and mysterious, the beautiful woman who is dangled as the inevitable love interest for the sole purpose of gaining information, and those directing the action from the safety of their respective offices at headquarters. It's James Bond style all the way, yet much more historically plausible than merely wildly entertaining fiction.

Michael Caine is brilliant as the accidental spy who wants nothing more than to pay his debt to the Crown for old crimes committed. His sense of loyalty is outdone only by his functioning conscience and deep rooted set of ethics. His lack of ruthlessness and strict unwillingness to commit murder in cold blood seem the only obstacle in his path to becoming a card carrying member of the British Intelligence Service. This makes him stand apart from the likes of Bond, who frequently made use of his "license to kill". These signs of humanity, along with attention to countless details make this an extremely realistic depiction of the secret goings on withing government defense agencies.

I admit it...the many surprises and the multi layered tactics displayed by various characters in this 3-dimensional chess match would definitely have "scared me", had I been one of the players. I highly recommend this film to fans of the genre, and also to those fascinated by the history of the Cold War Era.

Harry Palmer was in complete fit at cold war era,spoken in a short few words,his assignment is surrounded by fake informations,leading the viewers most of time in a dead end,masterfully directed by Guy Hamilton this fine sample of british movie in this field,given another dimension in spies's pictures,very opposite of 007's movies directed by own director,no fireworks usually in this genre Funeral in Berlin driven to another level,forcing the brains to work in advance of happenings and a clever plot allowed gave such interpretation!!!

Resume:

First watch: 1989 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8

Paramount did rather well by Michael Caine in Funeral in Berlin (1966), the best of the three 1960s Harry Palmer movies.

Although it lacks the swinging direction of Sidney J. Furie's The Ipcress File (1965) (available on a 5/10 Rank Classics DVD which not only regrettably tries to standardize Furie's quirky frame arrangements and deliberately weird camera placements by presenting a pan and scan version of the original Techniscope but even reveals the identity of the spy by repetitive focusing on the actor concerned), it also avoids the ridiculous excesses of Billion Dollar Brain (1967).

The director here, Guy Hamilton, makes the most of his German locations and stages his action set-pieces with considerable tension and suspense. Even more importantly, the witty screenplay by Evan Jones, is extremely well-served by Caine, whose droll, dead-pan delivery makes his constant sarcasm even more compelling. The support cast, led by appropriately dour Paul Hubschmid, a lustrous Eva Renzi (whom Hubschmid married soon after the film's release) and an exuberant Oscar Homolka is like-wise a constant joy. Otto Heller's brightly colorful yet noirish camera-work also strikes all the right emotive notes. (A 9/10 Paramount DVD).

it is a surprise because all seems be known. the rules of genre, the scenes in the clichés of the Cold War, spies , mysteries, crimes, faults. it is a nice surprise because it is different by the other movies about same theme. one of the pillars of its specific voice - Michael Caine 's impeccable performance. he is far by the image of smart hero, in the right clothes, mysterious and almost genial. it is himself. gray, weird, vulnerable, in the wrong posture , against superior enemies. and this is the key for a film who remains admirable spy story , with so many ways, tricks, revelations and significant purposes, but, in same measure, ironic, fresh, interesting and useful lesson about the Cold War .because it not presents a story but a realistic picture of the spirit of a history page. and it does it with grace and British humor. the most inspired manner to present a fight like this.