An essential film from the golden year 1965, The Ipcress File was a side project by Bond veterans Harry Saltzman, Ken Adam, Peter Hunt, and composer John Barry. Michael Caine stars as a reluctant spy, who enjoys his hobbies as an audiophile and chef as much as he does resisting authority with dead-pan humor. His character, Harry Palmer, works as a low-paid service agent who becomes a pawn in a mole hunt. The combination of stylish cinematography by Otto Heller (Peeping Tom, Curse of the Mummy's Tomb), John Barry's score, and the quasi-sci fi nature of the film's use of electronic sounds and lighting as Brainwashing technology all combine to give The Ipcress File a wonderful Spy Vibe Style. Here is a short clip-piece that highlights the film's tone set by Barry and Heller. Both The Ipcress File and its first sequel Funeral In Berlin (1966) are currently out of print in the States. A region free Blu-ray and region 2 DVDs are available in the UK. Caine continued to bring the character back in other films in the series, but none were as dynamic or solid as the first two outings.
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For More information, visit the Harry Palmer website.