- This is a film I’ve seen before and has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes- but if you read through most of the praise—the praise is directed towards the intelligent (albeit dense) adaptation and narrative from of Len Deighton’s source material or/and the acting work from relative newcomer (this is before Alfie but after Zulu) Michael Caine as Harry Palmer. Both of those aspects of the film deserve praise for sure and that’s where I was at when I saw it 10-15 years ago—this is a very solid Cold War thriller—full stop. However, upon closer examination— there is much more to see here from Sidney Furie and DP Otto Heller- neither have very impressive filmographies (Heller shot Peeping Tom in 1960 with Powell) but this here- The Ipcress File– seems to be a one-off display of absolutely brilliant cinematic visual filmmaking (and certainly submarines the auteur theory a little- haha). It is worth noting that Heller also shot the sequel to the series- Funeral in Berlin (directed by Guy Hamilton from 1966) and it isn’t nearly as strong. This makes a strong argument for Furie as the author of this.

full use of the frame here- one of many stunning compositions
- Furie takes the idea of surveillance in his use of blocking objects in the frame and wild camera angles and positions. I just wrote a little about big brother dystopian camera angles and choices and Gilliam doing this in Brazil (which is two decades later) and All the President’s Men does this famously in 1976—but Furie’s camera placement, character and object blocking are breathtaking here- rare air as far as the achievement in visual style. This is Antonioni meets Kurosawa

Michael Caine is Harry Palmer– a rich character– an early feather in the cap for the legendary actor
- This is the first of three in a trio of adaptations from Len Deighton’s books- Caine would star again as Palmer in Funeral in Berlin (1966) and Billion Dollar Brain (1967- and neither directed by Furie)
- Harry Palmer is akin to James Bond—and it is worth noting that you’d get Caine and Connery together in 1975’s The Man Who Would Be King as a sort of Cold War spy agents Batman vs. Superman – but with all due respect to 007- I’m not sure any one Bond film hits the cinematic high-water mark The Ipcress File does
- It opens with Palmer’s morning routine—coffee grounds (he’s a gourmet, amongst other things)— Furie is meticulously (silently) building character. We actually zoom out from Caine’s eye as the alarm sounds
- Plenty of low-angle camera positions, a nice shot of Nigel Green, shot, reverse-shot, over his shoulder with the shoulder blocking like 75% of the frame. Again this is not only gorgeous to look at- but gives off this Cold War eerie surveillance feeling beautifully.

Plenty of low-angle camera positions, a nice shot of Nigel Green, shot, reverse-shot, over his shoulder with the shoulder blocking like 75% of the frame. Again this is not only gorgeous to look at- but gives off this Cold War eerie surveillance feeling beautifully.
- There’s another of Green shot through the door just barely open enough—Antonioni would do this with windows—or the secretary blocked off by the obtrusive wall in Zabriskie Point (which in this case is after Ipcress File).

There’s another of Green shot through the door just barely open enough—Antonioni would do this with windows—or the secretary blocked off by the obtrusive wall in Zabriskie Point (which in this case is after Ipcress File).
- The camera is obstructed by chairs in the theater, lights hanging in the library, an entire fight is shot through the red windowpane glass of the telephone booth

ingenious composition design

an entire fight is shot through the red windowpane glass of the telephone booth
- Furie shoots the back of the neck of the person facing the camera in a two-person conversation
- In one instance the shot opens with the frame obstructed by an unknown object, the phone rings, someone picks it up, and the person is revealed (as the camera had been obstructed by the phone)
- The jaw-dropper Kurosawa or Visconti composition with the six spies just after finding the ipcress file

The jaw-dropper Kurosawa or Visconti composition with the six spies just after finding the ipcress file
- The camera is actively zooming between the actual drum symbols during the music scene
- 50+ of these creative surveillance shots

50+ of these creative surveillance shots
- Certainly shares some brainwashing with The Manchurian Candidate
- The single best shot may be the shot of Green with 75% of the screen blocked by the red lampshade with Green on the far left—just a wow

The single best shot may be the shot of Green with 75% of the screen blocked by the red lampshade with Green on the far left—just a wow
- Superb music from John Barry (Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves– many other accomplishments including working on the James Bond series)
- the film is a Masterpiece
Drake great review. I’m excited to watch this film. Those compositions look near perfect!
[…] The Ipcress File – Furie […]
Sadly this film doesn’t have a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes anymore.
@Malith- Thank you for the help fixing up some small errors on the pages.
@Drake- can Al Pacino play Harry Palmer? I know it’d be early and it’s a British character but i think Palmer has a Micheal Corleone like intensity, and Pacino can be suave and complex at the same time (Michael Corleone).
@M*A*S*H- I am leaning to “no” here
Not even in late 70s / early 80s?
@M*A*S*H- I don’t know- maybe you’re right. There’s just a humor to Harry Palmer I don’t see in Pacino
Second viewing.
The opening credits are smooth with Caine’s Palmer showing off his morning routine, it’s nothing flashy the film’s theme song is just sublime and highlighted well here. Might be my favourite John Barry score.
There’s more than one way to shoot a paranoia thriller. Furie is wonderfully creative in placing his camera in all sorts of spots; behind drum cymbals, inside a phone booth, on ceilings above lights, on the car dash… Add everything together, this film is a visual onslaught and not even just limited to camera placement, the blocking is breathtaking too.
Even before Point Blank we have wide splashes of more vibrant pink and purple colour in the brainwashing/torture of Caine scene, feels very ahead of its time in the 1960s.
You could easily just watch and appreciate this film for the interesting narrative and Caine’s laid-back charisma.
Unlike the Bond films which this gets compared to, there’s not a whole lot of travel around the world or visiting of various locations. We are mostly stuck in grim London, but Furie does so much with his setting, making libraries, lecture halls and offices look stunning.
A masterpiece.
@Harry- Great add to the page here Harry. Keep up the good work