Review of Funeral in Berlin (1966) by Stuart K — 22 Sep 2009
With the success of The Ipcress File, a sequel was inevitable. So, alot of the major players returned, and director Guy Hamilton, (who had had a big success with Goldfinger (1964) was employed by producer Harry Saltzman.
They had a bit more money to play with second time around, and as the title suggests, they were able to film abroad too. The plot is a little slower this time around, but it does pay off in the end. It has agent Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) being assigned by General Ross (Guy Doleman) to go to Berlin to arrange the defection of the high ranking communist Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka), who happens to be in charge of the Berlin Wall.
Once Palmer crosses over into East Berlin, nothing is what it seems. It's an intriguing film, although not as good as the first Harry Palmer film. It's well made, and captures the mood of the Cold War at the time, (they were brave to have filmed it in such locations.
) But, Caine again turns in a very good performance and it's very well made, it's plot could have been a little better, and it does feel similiar to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965), but it's twists and turns do pay off eventually.
This review of Funeral in Berlin (1966) was written by Stuart K on 22 Sep 2009.
Funeral in Berlin has generally received positive reviews.
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