1. The central metaphor in this movie is introduced when Palmer is briefed by Ross in Ross's garden. Ross doesn't want to grow roses. He's more interested in weeds. Roses would be the officer class (James Bond). Weeds are the NCOs (Palmer). Ross doesn't deal with roses, he recruits a criminal from the lower order. We know this is important because when Palmer meets Stok, he says, "Roses are out. Weeds are in." 2. On first watching, a lot of people seem to expect the movie to end after Palmer fails to deliver Col. Stok. And then they're surprised by the solid third act that begins after Palmer is told to kill Vulkan. The book ends with a weird firework fight on Primrose Hill in London. The screenplay brings us back to the wall. And none of the witty banter is in the novel. 3. In fact, the screenplay reinforces Michael Caine's Palmer (ex-army corporal from London) whereas the novel tells us the nameless protagonist is from up north and a graduate from a "red brick" university. 4. It's not just that Samantha Steele has urgency. Her motivation is based on how the Swiss banks were holding gold the Nazis had stolen from victims of the Holocaust. This actually happened and didn't become a major news story until many years after the release of Funeral in Berlin. 5. There's a trick at the beginning of the movie when we hear Michael Caine's voice "Who's that playing the piano with his elbows?" and we see a pair of glasses and a pair of hands in male pajamas making a pot of tea. But it's revealed to be his girlfriend. "You're useless in the kitchen. Why don't you go back to bed?" The theme of gender bending begins that early. 6. In the sixties there was a lot of hysteria in the tabloid press about homosexuals being spies (Guy Burgess, The Vassal case, we didn't know about Blunt yet) and the newspapers were publishing stories along the lines of "How to spot a homo." Michael Caine's pitch perfect playing the embarrassment of Palmer being a straight working-class lad of his time. He's mocking Hallam not for being upper class but for being gay.
Yeah, those inside toilets we have now are awful, really loved that every building in London was covered in soot and having guest houses where you could only have a bath at certain times was great - and the bathroom would be on a different floor. Also the 'no Irish, no dogs, no blacks' policy of the time was really great wasn't it ?. Try being black in London in the 60's trying to get a room -'how London has fallen' - utter crap.
1. The central metaphor in this movie is introduced when Palmer is briefed by Ross in Ross's garden. Ross doesn't want to grow roses. He's more interested in weeds.
Roses would be the officer class (James Bond). Weeds are the NCOs (Palmer). Ross doesn't deal with roses, he recruits a criminal from the lower order.
We know this is important because when Palmer meets Stok, he says, "Roses are out. Weeds are in."
2. On first watching, a lot of people seem to expect the movie to end after Palmer fails to deliver Col. Stok. And then they're surprised by the solid third act that begins after Palmer is told to kill Vulkan. The book ends with a weird firework fight on Primrose Hill in London. The screenplay brings us back to the wall. And none of the witty banter is in the novel.
3. In fact, the screenplay reinforces Michael Caine's Palmer (ex-army corporal from London) whereas the novel tells us the nameless protagonist is from up north and a graduate from a "red brick" university.
4. It's not just that Samantha Steele has urgency. Her motivation is based on how the Swiss banks were holding gold the Nazis had stolen from victims of the Holocaust. This actually happened and didn't become a major news story until many years after the release of Funeral in Berlin.
5. There's a trick at the beginning of the movie when we hear Michael Caine's voice "Who's that playing the piano with his elbows?" and we see a pair of glasses and a pair of hands in male pajamas making a pot of tea. But it's revealed to be his girlfriend. "You're useless in the kitchen. Why don't you go back to bed?" The theme of gender bending begins that early.
6. In the sixties there was a lot of hysteria in the tabloid press about homosexuals being spies (Guy Burgess, The Vassal case, we didn't know about Blunt yet) and the newspapers were publishing stories along the lines of "How to spot a homo." Michael Caine's pitch perfect playing the embarrassment of Palmer being a straight working-class lad of his time. He's mocking Hallam not for being upper class but for being gay.
Nothing will top Ipcress, but this is a close second. Some excellent performances.
Ipcress and Quiller Memorandum would be a brilliant double feature
It appears you folk cannot discuss this movie without spending most of your time discussing Bond.
Watching Ipcress file really rams it home how London has fallen in 59 years
I'm not even British and I agree.
Michael C has a great line in the Quiet American - "I love London/England but I wouldn't want to live there" - that's your solution 😂
Yeah, those inside toilets we have now are awful, really loved that every building in London was covered in soot and having guest houses where you could only have a bath at certain times was great - and the bathroom would be on a different floor. Also the 'no Irish, no dogs, no blacks' policy of the time was really great wasn't it ?. Try being black in London in the 60's trying to get a room -'how London has fallen' - utter crap.
@redstrat1234 OK Sadiq Khan...
@@redstrat1234 I echo that and I'm a Northerner that is uncomfortable as far South as Sheffield.
An interesting comparison would be Ipcress/FIB to A spy who came in from the cold which takes the anti-bond character to another dimension