FUNERAL IN BERLIN-

 PARAMOUNT has released the 2nd spy movie featuring “Harry Palmer” with “FUNERAL IN BERLIN”.  Michael Caine is effective in making the character of Harry Palmer his own, and the intelligent storyline and competent direction from “BOND” veteran Guy Hamilton, help to make this an unusually entertaining spy film worth adding to any dvd collection. 

 Harry is sent to help a foreign colonel defect, but in a short time he realizes something’s amiss.  A beautiful model he’s met is after something, the colonel doesn’t appear to really want to defect, and his superiors don’t care about the perilous situations he’s in.  Of course, Harry doesn’t care what his superiors think of him, and it’s easier to relate to a working stiff, which is what Harry is, than a spy anyways. 

PARAMOUNT has preserved the film’s original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with 16:9 enhancement.   While the image shows some signs of age, it's generally sharp. Fleshtones vary from darker scenes than lighter ones, but there's good detail throughout the film. Contrast is generally fine as well.

Not a spectacular soundmix. The Dolby 2.0 monaural mix also shows signs of age, with limited fidelity and average quality throughout.