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 Funeral in Berlin (1966), starring Michael Caine, is the second film in the "Harry Palmer" trilogy, sandwiched between The Ipcress File and Billion Dollar Brain. Of the leagues of imitators and cash-in franchises that emerged in the wake of the James Bond franchise's worldwide success, the Palmer pictures are arguably the next best thing when stacked up against the likes of 007.
Funeral in Berlin exemplifies a spirit that remains true to its spy picture
Michael Caine
roots, yet at the same time there's just a hint of irreverency flowing throughout, providing just the right amount of winks and nudges beyond the usual espionage action.
Paul Hubschmid
Our story begins as Palmer (Caine), a reluctant agent in Her Majesty's service, is pressed into his latest assignment. Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka), a Russian military man stationed in East Berlin, wants to defect to the West, and he wants Harry Palmer to help out. Palmer senses something fishy about the colonel's potential defection, but he dives into the job anyway, finding himself assisted by fellow operative Johnny Vulkan (Paul Hubschmid).
Michael Caine &
Eva Renzi
The plan is to stage a phony funeral for Colonel Stok and thus smuggle him to freedom. But as the big day approaches, Palmer surmises a much more grand scheme at work, as not only are Vulkan and Stok not what they seem to be, but somehow tied into the whole mess is Samantha Steel (Eva Renzi), a beautiful mystery woman with ties to an Israeli fighting force.
There's no real use in dissecting Funeral in Berlin's story, since it's the usual business of double-crossings, dirty dealings, and covert operations that populate the frames of every spy picture ever made and their mothers, too. The real attraction with this film (I've yet to see the other two films in the Palmer series) is Harry Palmer himself. This fellow comes across like a sardonic James Bond, an agent who romances the ladies and tosses around glib one-liners like he was throwing candy in a parade, yet the last thing he wants to do is his own job. There's something about how a secret agent looks forward to trotting the globe and fighting Communism in the same way one would anticipate a root canal that flat-out gives me the giggles.
It's this offbeat attitude that lifts Funeral in Berlin above being just another spy picture, yet it works hand-in-hand with such elements so as to walk in both worlds with relative ease. It helps that the picture was directed by Guy Hamilton, a four-film veteran of the Bond series (including arguably the best of the bunch, Goldfinger) who knows the genre inside-out and realizes what areas could use a little freshening up. In addition to Palmer being far from a suave man of action (more of a bespectacled cynic), Hamilton has a little fun by playing up Palmer's M-like superior (Guy Doleman) as a disgruntled babysitter tired of Palmer's shenanigans. He also gives Renzi's character a couple of extra duties beyond simply serving as eye candy.
Funeral in Berlin is a production that suggests everyone had a ball making, and it especially shows in Caine's dry, pitch-perfect performance as Palmer, as well as the relatively breezy pace at which the film moves. Sure, most of the twists and turns are as predictable as the changing of the seasons, but the flick's snarky attitude assures viewers that whatever dull moments do turn up in Funeral in Berlin they won't last long.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Writer: Evan Jones, based upon the novel by Len Deighton
Cast: Michael Caine, Paul Hubschmid, Oskar Homolka, Eva Renzi, Guy Doleman, Hugh Burden
Rating: No MPAA Rating (some violence)
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Run Time: 102 minutes
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Format: Color, widescreen
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