Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49136 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-20
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In the spy-crazed film world of the 1960s, Len Deighton's antihero Harry Palmer burst onto the scene as an antidote to the James Bond films. Here was a British spy who had a working-class accent and horn-rimmed glasses and above all really didn't want to be a spy in the first place. As portrayed by Michael Caine, Palmer was the perfect antithesis to Sean Connery's 007. Unlike that of his globetrotting spy cousin, Palmer's beat is cold, rainy, dreary London, where he spends his days and nights in unheated flats spying on subversives. He does charm one lady, but she's no Pussy Galore, just a civil servant he works with, sent to keep an eye on him. Eventually he's assigned to get to the bottom of the kidnapping and subsequent "brain draining" of a nuclear physicist, all the while being reminded by his superiors that it's this or prison. Things begin to get pretty hairy for Harry. Produced by Harry Saltzman in his spare time between Bond movies, the film also features a haunting score by another Bond veteran, composer John Barry. --Kristian St. Clair, Amazon.com

Video Description
DVD Special Features:
Interactive menus
Scene access
Audio: English (mono)
Aspect ratio: 4:3

Synopsis
THE IPCRESS FILE marked the beginning of another spy franchise initiated by James Bond producer Harry Saltzman, based on the novels by author Len Deighton. Michael Caine stars as master spy Harry Palmer, in this mystery thriller about an undercover gang who brainwash England's leading scientists. THE IPCRESS FILE is the epitome of 60s 'Cool Britannia' and would be followed by two sequels immediately after its release with FUNERAL IN BERLIN and BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, and a short-lived revival in the mid-90s when Caine returned to the Palmer role for BULLET TO BEIJING and MIDNIGHT IN ST. PETERSBURG.

Customer Reviews

The first and best of the 1960's British spy thrillers.
Michael Caine in the first of the Harry Palmer spy films was the first actor to play the lead role as a shortsighted man with glasses. Much more realistic than Bond films, we see Harry Palmer shopping in an early supermarket and doing paperwork. This is the best of the Harry Palmer films and is on a par with Zulu and the Italian Job. Although there are no extra features, it is a brilliant spy thriller at a reasonable price.

A classic spy film, only let down by being poorly presented.
A particularly solid performance by Michael Caine with great supporting cast including the "passed over colonel" Dolby, played by Nigel Green. Based very loosely on the novel by Len Deighton, it retains the essential mix of anti-authoritive central character, black humour and suspense.

I enjoyed this film but just could not understand why it should be so poorly presented. My main complaint was that it is presented in 4:3 despite being originally filmed in the very wide Techniscope format.

Beware of the Carlton 4:3 edition!
In spite of the other reviewer who says this is the digital remasterd and wide screen version, it's not!
I still got the horrible Carlton 4:3 version. The picture quality and sound are really dreadfull, don't buy this one.

The picture for this DVD must be the US version of "The Ipcress File".
Amazon please change the picture of this DVD, it's not the one customers are getting!