The Ipcress File (1965)
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Cast: Michael Caine, Nigel Greene, Guy Doleman, Sue Lloyd
Extras: Commentary Track, Still Gallery, Theatrical Trailer
Rating:

The producers of “Goldfinger” teamed up again one year after the film to create an intriguing espionage thriller starring an young Michael Caine. The result is a cinema highlight that is visually stunning and dramatically thrilling, with a highly unconventional but stunningly engrossing camera work that is exemplary in its use of the 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

Anchor Bay has created a brand new transfer for “The Ipcress File” and present the film in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio on this DVD in a 16×9 enhanced transfer. It looks fabulous, although the colors are a little inconsistent throughout the transfer, ranging from natural to undersaturated. Overall the film has a muted look that gives away the movie’s age, but I think it has been the filmmakers intention to create this cold look for the movie. No compression artifacts are noticeable in the transfer that boasts deep blacks and good highlights, creating a remarkably clear and detailed image.

The disc contains a monaural Dolby Digital track that sounds a bit muffled and aged, but is without noise and always clear and understandable. Check out the disc’s commentary track. It is remarkable how well director Sidney J. Furie and editor Peter Hunt remember the making of the film, and are able to share anecdotes and point out interesting tidbits.