Funeral in Berlin is a 1966 film directed by Guy Hamilton, based on the spy novel by Len Deighton. It is the second of the Harry Palmer series starring Michael Caine, following The Ipcress File and itself followed by Billion Dollar Brain.
Colonel Stok, a Soviet intelligence officer responsible for security at the Berlin Wall, appears to want to defect, but the evidence is contradictory. Stok wants the British to handle his defection and asks for one of their agents, Harry Palmer, to smuggle him out of East Germany.
Once Palmer reaches Berlin, though, things quickly become much more complicated as at least two other factions become involved in what was meant to be a simple operation — a beautiful young woman and an old acquaintance of Harry's, who both turn out to be not who they appear to be.
Funeral in Berlin contains examples of:
- Checkpoint Charlie: The Berlin Wall version. The whole thing is a Soviet setup to catch the people who smuggle out defectors.
- Composite Character: In the novel, the defector is a scientist named Semitsa, and Colonel Stok is a KGB double-agent facilitating the defection. The two characters are combined in the film.
- Gambit Pileup: British Intelligence, a Russian KGB Colonel, Mossad and a Nazi war criminal are all trying to stay a step ahead of each other. Harry Palmer, the supposed Unwitting Pawn to everyone involved, was actually ahead of them from quite early on.
- Halfway Plot Switch: The eponymous funeral happens at the halfway point of the film. The rest of the film deals with the revelation that Vulkan is the mysterious ex-Nazi Broum, and his conflict with the Israelis.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: After coming to from getting knocked out, the first thing Palmer asks for is a brandy.
- Nazi Gold: Paul Broum stole millions in gold during World War II, and now wants to get it out of the Swiss Bank Account he left it in.
- The Schlub Pub Seduction Deduction: Harry Palmer is picked up by a beautiful young woman (who is later revealed to be an Israeli agent) in a West Berlin bar and invited back to her flat. He goes along with it but is not convinced for a moment that her motives are genuine, telling his German contact that "she picked me up last night, and—with my irresistible charm—I want to know why, and who she's working for." Despite his suspicions, she still manages to distract him long enough for her associates to search his hotel room.
- Ransacked Room: Harry Palmer and Samantha Steele return to her apartment to find it ransacked and her mother's pearls missing.
- Same Language Dub: Eva Renzi was dubbed by Nikki Van der Zyl (who also dubbed several Bond girls), while David Glover was dubbed by Dinsdale Landen.
- Saved by the Coffin: The defector gets smuggled by faking his death and being taken across the Berlin Wall in a coffin. The idea has been reused several times, such as in the TV series Jason King and MacGyver.
- Sexy Shirt Switch: We're introduced to Harry Palmer in his flat and a random girl is wearing one of his shirts.
- Spy Fiction: Quintessential Stale Beer. Long coats, morally iffy actions and backstabbing in the bombed-out ruins of Berlin - yup, it's definitely dirty 60s spy fiction.
- Take It to the Bridge: Glienicke Bridge
, the famous "Bridge of Spies" itself, is featured prominently. - Tap on the Head: Vulkan knocks Harry out with a wrench.
- Unwitting Pawn: Harry, at least for a while. But nowhere near as long as the other factions think.
