Funeral in Berlin
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Movie Reviews of Funeral in Berlin
Movie Review: Worth Digging For
Summary: 5 Stars
"Funeral in Berlin" is second in a series of movies, made from Len Deighton's books, starring Michael Caine. Like the others, it's produced by Harry Saltsman, playing hookey from his better-known James Bond 007 series. It's directed by Guy Hamilton, also playing hookey from James Bond. The Scottish Sean Connery has said that Hamilton, also a Scot, was his favorite among the 007 directors: they shared that sly sense of humor, and, indeed, it's to be enjoyed in "Funeral in Berlin" as well.
The cold war plot concerns a powerful Russian Colonel, who's signaled London that he wishes to defect, and, has, as a theater of operations, divided, crawling-with-spies Berlin. So there Michael Caine's character, Harry Palmer, is sent, right back to the scene of his World War II crimes, where he had served in the Quartermasters' Corps. Right back to his former associates in those shady enterprises: they have all grown rich, while the British have forced him into spying to stay out of jail. Palmer, naturally, has had previous dealings with Colonel Stok, and does not believe for a moment that the shrewd Russian actually intends to defect; but he can't make London see his point of view. So off he goes, to call again on his former associates. He'll also find himself dealing with Mossad, the Israeli Secret Service; they too are interested in these proceedings. They will set one of their own as Samantha Steel, fashion model, to quickly find Palmer irresistible and then monitor his activities.
"Funeral" is well cast. As "Colonel Stok," Oskar Homulka is reliably Oskar Homulka. Paul Hubschmid does well as "Johnny Vulkan." Guy Doleman ably reprises his role as "Ross" from "Ipcress." Caine, of course, was at the height of his powers, and his looks. Eva Renzi, German-born, is qualified to play "Samantha," Palmer's love interest, although, as is typical of Saltsman's casting of females, she hadn't much of a career otherwise. (Nor did she have a long career, as she recently died, rather young, having been married to one of her co-stars from this movie.)
The movie is quite entertaining, and it moves fast. The plot has lots of surprises, the color photography's excellent, catching the ambiance of an anxious Berlin. Unfortunately, "Funeral" is out of print, and hard to find. If you want it, you'll have to dig for it.
Movie Review: Series' Best
Summary: 5 Stars
After the success of THE IPCRESS FILE, James Bond's low-key counterpart returned in the follow-up FUNERAL IN BERLIN, this time directed by GOLDFINGER's Guy Hamilton. This middle entry in this short-lived series is easily the best of the three. It's a terrific cold war entertainment that holds up excellently today.
Like its predecessor, the atmosphere is more real world than the goings on in the 007 pictures and depicts the treachery and intrigue surrounding crossings from the Eastern and Western sections of the titular city. Harry is asked to evaluate the credibility of a prominent Russian, Colonel Stok (played by Oscar Holmolka), who's made overtures he wants to defect. Along the way, some dark secrets of Germany's wartime past surface and Harry tangles with both the Soviets and the Israelis.
FUNERAL IN BERLIN is a very deftly adapted screenplay. It captures the details of Deighton's complex novel and fleshes them out expertly. There's a griping climax that departs from the book considerably, but feels completely in keeping with its mood and attitudes.
Holmolka's turn as the savvy Soviet was a big popular and critical hit when this film came out. Eva Renzi plays the woman with an agenda who picks up Harry. She's voiced by someone else and looks like a sexier Patty Duke. As in the first Palmer picture, Harry's bosses and colleagues are cast to perfection. We also get wonderfully evocative location scenes.
The three 60s Harry Palmer movies make a compelling case against the auteur theory as the least directorially stylistic entry is easily the best of the series. What flourishes are employed by Hamilton in FUNERAL IN BERLIN seem mainly to have been left over from THE IPCRESS FILE, and ape that picture's skewed angle shots. But largely, he dispenses with style and serves up a gripping spy tale.
Movie Review: Praise for "Funeral in Berlin"
Summary: 5 Stars
I'll be brief but serious. Purely and simply, "Funeral in Berlin" is the best and most authentic of all the European-set Cold War movies, period, followed by "Ipcress File." That said, the series of Le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" and "Smiley's People" are likewise excellent, although in a slightly different category. All of these bear occasional re-watching I'm an unreconstructed cold warrior (& CW-lover), having spent much of my military life in Europe in the "good old days" and read most of the quality CW fiction, especially Deighton and Le Carre. I'm in the process of swapping out my old VHS tapes for DVD, and for the life of me, I can't understand why the DVD edition of "FIB" has to cost $99. I've always liked Caine, and I think that he fits the role of Harry Palmer better than anyone else I can think of. I wish the other Germany trilogies of Deighton would be produced in films, as well as his novel "Bomber," the best novelization of the air war over Europe as experienced by both sides, ever (spoken as a retired AF pilot). For those wanting to explore the pre-WWII crime and political scene in Berlin, you can't beat Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther series. The first three are collected as "Berlin Noir." You would swear that Kerr lived through the entire Nazi experience. You would be hooked. I wish someone would film some of this series. BTW, I thought that "Billion Dollar Brain" and "Quiller Memorandum" were substandard entries in the genre. "Looking Glass War" was a little better. Did I say brief? Sorry, I digressed.Movie Review: Cold war driven Caine classic
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Caine playing ex-thief and reluctant operative for British intelligence, the Cockneyed Harry Palmer, once again becomes immersed in a convoluted caper in the 1966 production of "Funeral in Berlin". He's been ordered by his boss Colonel Ross played by Guy Doleman to orchestrate the defection of a high ranking Russian KGB Colonel Stok played by bushy browed Oscar Homolka from East Berlin.
Upon arrival in Berlin, Caine makes contact with an old criminal acquaintance Johnny Vulkan played by Paul Hubschmid. He is supposed to aid in the defection which will be accomplished in the guise of a funeral. Colonel Ross hasn't let on that Vulkan is actually a Nazi war criminal who had absconded with two million dollars stolen from Jews caught up in the Holocaust. Vulkan is being pursued by Israeli agents including an attractive spy Eva Renzi, playing Samantha Steel who seduces Caine as part of the scheme.
Palmer despite being in the dark manages to push all the right buttons in this intricate operation ultimately winning the approval of his demanding and uncompromising boss, Colonel Ross.
Director Guy Hamilton made excellent use of diverse German settings to shoot this fast paced thriller, focusing on the contrast of the chic, newly modernized rebuilt Berlin and sections still devastated by the horrors of the war.
Movie Review: The Real Cold War
Summary: 5 Stars
I served as an army intelligence officer in Berlin and in West Germany during the Cold War. Whenever I'm feeling nostalgic and I want to time-travel back to the Cold War 1960's, I turn on Funeral In Berlin. The film has wonderful shots of the Berlin Wall and West Berlin during this time. Michael Caine's Harry Palmer is a mirror image of thousands of intelligence personnel who have had to battle incompetent bureacracy while still trying to accomplish the mission at hand. Watch this one!