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Amazon.co.uk
’Michael Caine cuts a cool dash as the sceptical, working-class secret service man Harry Palmer. The film is stylistically extravagant, slyly anti-American and pays homage to classic movies’--Philip French
This espionage thriller represents a landmark in spy movies, jettisoning the excesses of 007 and introducing the sly, dry intelligence agent Harry Palmer, played by Michael Caine, relishing a role that marked him for stardom. The story, based on Len Deighton's novel, centres on Palmer’s investigation into British Intelligence security. He’s soon enmeshed in a world of double-dealing, kidnap and murder and finds a traitor is operating at the heart of the secret service. Will the mysterious ‘Ipcress File’ reveal who the traitor is? Produced by Harry Saltzman (the early Bond movies) and with an evocative score by Academy Award winning John Barry, The Ipcress File emerges as one of cinema’s wittiest and grittiest thrillers.
Product Description
Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, Gordon JacksonDirector: Sidney J. Furie
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I won't comment on the actual film as hopefully all readers here will already know how good it is. So restricting myself to a Blu Ray vs DVD (Network DVD 2 Disc version) comparison is the Blu Ray an improvement ? Well watching on a 50" Plasma and also on a 26" LCD the BD picture improvement over the DVD was clear from the start. Specifically the Blu Ray is far clearer, far less fuzzy with far more detail. In addition the DVD seems artificially too bright in comparison seemingly being flooded with white light. The Blu Ray also gives you a wider picture - by that I mean it has more of the image either side than the same scene on the DVD does. eg near the beginning of the film in the railway station or in the railway carriage you can see more of the station or the inside of the carriage. To do this review I did a side by side comparison of the DVD and Blu Ray and froze certain scenes and flicked between them. However the Blu Ray is of course not reference quality, does not have the 3D "pop factor" of modern films. But then you would not expect that. Nor has it had the attention lavished on it that say similarly aged films like Dr No or From Russia With Love have. Again not being as popular with the masses you again would not expect the same amount of money to have been spent on the remastering process. What you can say for sure is the film has never looked better since the original cinema release. It is a big step up from the DVD and if you enjoy the film well worth upgrading to. What perhaps is a disappointment is none of the extras from the Network DVD have been carried over. A real shame. But as for me extras are not really that important I was still pleased with this Blu Ray.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
The Ipcress File certainly has artistic merit for its camera angles and the framing of shots but for all the time the cameraman must have spent laying on the floor shooting the ceiling it doesn't become a distraction, though you are aware of it, and above all it's just a great 60's British yarn with a young Michael Caine at his best. The picture quality is very good for a 1965 film. I think we'e all guilty of expecting every Blu-Ray release to look so detailed and pristine that it's as if we are actually on the set seeing it with our own eyes...there is plenty of grain to be seen (a 60's patina, if you like)and some shots have a grainy haze apparent in the out of focus background areas but overall it looks very good. While it is mastered in 5.1 don't expect anything to actually happen around you. From what I can determine it's in glorious original centre mono with a bit of this bleeding into the rest of the channels to fill it out a bit. It's a 60's film...what do we expect? It sounds strong and clear. Die hard fans of the film should be thrilled to have it looking this good and newcomers will get to see a good movie that has been mastered to Blu-Ray at a standard that many old films can only aspire to.
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I'm sure that most people reading this will be fairly familiar with this terrific film, and will mostly want to know how this Hi-Def debut compares to the previous DVD versions. So, to business...
First and foremost, the film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is 16:9 enhanced. Whilst I can't speak for the recent Network DVD re-issue, comparing it to the old widescreen Carlton DVD the difference in quality is remarkable.
Detail is infinitely improved with much more fine texture being visible (especially on people's skin). Contrast is accurately reproduced, with no discernible clipping of the white areas of the image, and a decent enough if slightly limited range of detail in the darker areas (although this may just be my TV).
Colors are much more accurate than the previous DVD (on which the overall image, and skin tones in particular, suffered from a queasy yellow tint). On this release, skin tones are accurate and natural, and the overall image reproduces the photographic style of the film perfectly.
One of the most striking differences is how much less dirt and grain are apparent in the image (for an example, look at the interior shot from the car driving through the station entrance at the beginning of the film). Whether this is the natural result of using a better film element or through artificial grain and noise reduction I am not sure, but I certainly did not detect any unsightly digital smearing or other artefacts (including, thankfully, edge enhancement).
I have certainly never seen this film look better, and would definitely recommend it to those looking for an upgrade over their old copy. As far as the Network release is concerned, I remember reading about some sync issues that people were complaining about. Those certainly are not in evidence here.
Sound-wise, the track provided here is of excellent quality with a full dynamic range and excellent clarity. I can't really review the 5.1 remix as I don't have a surround sound set up, although quite what they could (or should) do with a strictly mono film is questionable.
What is a pity is that ITV chose not to import the special features from the recent Network release onto this blu-ray, which is pretty bare. However, the very favorable asking price on amazon goes some way towards mediating this.
First and foremost, the film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and is 16:9 enhanced. Whilst I can't speak for the recent Network DVD re-issue, comparing it to the old widescreen Carlton DVD the difference in quality is remarkable.
Detail is infinitely improved with much more fine texture being visible (especially on people's skin). Contrast is accurately reproduced, with no discernible clipping of the white areas of the image, and a decent enough if slightly limited range of detail in the darker areas (although this may just be my TV).
Colors are much more accurate than the previous DVD (on which the overall image, and skin tones in particular, suffered from a queasy yellow tint). On this release, skin tones are accurate and natural, and the overall image reproduces the photographic style of the film perfectly.
One of the most striking differences is how much less dirt and grain are apparent in the image (for an example, look at the interior shot from the car driving through the station entrance at the beginning of the film). Whether this is the natural result of using a better film element or through artificial grain and noise reduction I am not sure, but I certainly did not detect any unsightly digital smearing or other artefacts (including, thankfully, edge enhancement).
I have certainly never seen this film look better, and would definitely recommend it to those looking for an upgrade over their old copy. As far as the Network release is concerned, I remember reading about some sync issues that people were complaining about. Those certainly are not in evidence here.
Sound-wise, the track provided here is of excellent quality with a full dynamic range and excellent clarity. I can't really review the 5.1 remix as I don't have a surround sound set up, although quite what they could (or should) do with a strictly mono film is questionable.
What is a pity is that ITV chose not to import the special features from the recent Network release onto this blu-ray, which is pretty bare. However, the very favorable asking price on amazon goes some way towards mediating this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
wonderful film
I like very much this kind of movies, spy stories, and I believe this is really a masterpiece in its own genre! Perfect rebuilded movie at a affordable price!
Published 2 months ago by melrogers
OK for all
I am very glad with my purchase.
I would like bying that DVD in VO with english subtitles to help me improving my english.
I would like bying that DVD in VO with english subtitles to help me improving my english.
Published 5 months ago by Papyren59
"The Ipcress File (1965) ... Michael Caine ... Sidney J. Furie...
Universal Pictures presents "THE IPCRESS FILE" (1965 103 min/Color) -- Starring: Michael Caine, Nigel Green, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd, Gordon Jackson & Aubrey Richards... Read more
Published 8 months ago by J. Lovins
The next time you use CC1 authority, just you make sure you have it!
This is NOT a review of The Ipcress File as a film, see all the other glowing reports for that, but as a Blu-ray release. Read more
Published 8 months ago by CJC
How to Distinguish Form B107 from Form TX82
This is a review of the two-disc special edition. It comes with a commentary by the director Sidney Furie and editor Peter Hunt. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Nicholas Casley
Harry P does it again.
Who's the bad guy? A mole in the service needs flushed out. Harry's the boy lumbered with this one. Nigel Greene is perfectly cast as the controlling officer, and Ross is in the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Kilrymont
"Don't slouch into my office like a pregnant camel!"
The Harry Palmer films are often compared to James Bond; both are based on books, both feature something of a cool antihero, and the beginning of each film franchise ooze sixties... Read more
Published 13 months ago by GeekZilla
My name is not James Bond... Sir!
Not a lot of people know that, but by the end of this film they did.
This particular version (Esquire Classic Film Collection) has absolutely no extras - you get the film on... Read more
This particular version (Esquire Classic Film Collection) has absolutely no extras - you get the film on... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Paul S. Hyett
Caine's best film?
This is a most ingenious cold war spy thriller from the mid-1960s, which combines a good cast and script with some interesting London locations and clever camera work. Read more
Published 16 months ago by birchden
Poor Transfer.
This is an all time classic of it's genre, and one of my favourites, unfortunately the Blu Ray transfer is very, very sub-standard, I have the DVD also which looks a damned sight... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mark A. Streets
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