Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 27, 2021

Ken Russell's " Billion Dollar Brain" (1967) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with cinematographer Billy Williams; new program with associate editor Willy Kemplen; archival program with Michael Caine; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Where do we meet?

Ken Russell’s Billion Dollar Brain begins a few years after Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) has left the British Secret Service and started making ends meet as a private detective. When an anonymous client hires him to deliver a package to Helsinki, Palmer quickly packs his bags and heads North, completely unaware that his job is part of a bigger and much more complex mission planned by his old bosses in London. Shortly after landing in Helsinki, Palmer then has a ‘casual encounter’ with the beautiful Anya (Francoise Dorleac), who flirts with him and leads him to Leo Newbigen (Karl Malden), a former colleague taking orders from a wealthy maniac (Ed Begley) in Texas dreaming of destroying the U.S.S.R. with the help of a giant supercomputer he calls The Brain. However, Newbigen isn’t committed to the cause. He is secretly pocketing all of the money the maniac has been sending him to prepare the first phase of the counter-revolution, which is supposed to start in Riga, Latvia, and wants Palmer to join him in the scheme. While dealing with Newbigen, Palmer then discovers that inside the sealed package he has delivered there are stolen eggs infected with deadly viruses that even bigger players are interested in.

While Russell’s take of Len Deighton’s novel does not alter dramatically any of the main events that are chronicled in it, the visual style and tone of Billion Dollar Brain are such that it is awfully difficult to view it as a close relative of The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin. Indeed, Billion Dollar Brain actually has a lot more in common with some of the early James Bond films, though obviously Caine once again plays quite well the working-class spy who has to respect the rules and regulations of a government apparatus that frequently treats him as an outsider.

So, what could have been done to have Billion Dollar Brain look more like The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin?

The easiest fix would have been to have a different director behind the camera. Interestingly, according to old reports, producer Harry Saltzman had contracted Andre De Toth to shoot Billion Dollar Brain, but when the latter suffered a terrible skiing injury Russell was brought on board as a reliable substitute. What happened after that isn’t entirely clear because De Toth apparently still shot some footage, but Russell begrudgingly took over the project and eventually put his stamp on it. Also, initially Billion Dollar Brain was supposed to be lensed by Otto Heller, who had worked on The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin, but he refused to undergo a medical exam that was required by the insurance company and Saltzman replaced him with Billy Williams as well. (At least this is the official story that is also repeated in a new program on this release, but whether Heller’s only objection was the medical procedure is unclear).

Did Saltzman have the right cast for Billion Dollar Brain?

Caine is predictably good and probably the main reason why Billion Dollar Brain is still mildly entertaining. Dorleac, who sadly died in an awful car accident while footage was still cut in the editing room, looks terrific next to Caine as well. Malden is very energetic for his age and does a good job with his character, too. Begley’s performance is definitely over the top, but his character is an unhinged maniac that has to appear off-putting. Even Oskar Homulka brings back the goofy Russian spy with a familiar authority. So, the cast and the quality of the performances are perfectly fine.

Ultimately, it is quite clear that virtually all of the issues in Billion Dollar Brain can be traced right back to Saltzman because he was unable to conclude that Russell was not the right replacement for De Toth. Indeed, in its current form this film has plenty of quality visuals, but Russell’s cinematic interpretation of the original material isn’t right for it.

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Billion Dollar Brain arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM. (In case you are wondering whether it is the same master the folks at Kino Lorber worked with to produce this out of print release, the answer is yes). The quality of this master is very similar to the one Paramount Pictures provided for Funeral in Berlin, which means that even though there are some inherited limitations that make the film look dated, its overall appearance is still rather pleasing. For example, once again it is easy to spot some light ringing, but there are no traces of serious digital anomalies. In select wider panoramic shots delineation isn't as strong as it should be, but it isn't disappointing either. During darker footage there are decent ranges of nuances as well, though it is immediately obvious that a proper new master will quickly introduce plenty of improvements. Color reproduction is decent, occasionally even surprisingly good, but saturation and balance can be improved. Image stability is good. Lastly, there are a few blemishes, but you won't see any large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

I did not encounter any issues to report in our review. On the contrary, while viewing the film I often found the quality of the lossless track quite impressive. Richard Rodney Bennett's slightly psychedelic soundtrack usually benefits the most, but there is some good dynamic movement during the action footage as well. (See the crushing ice at the end of the film). The dialog is clear, clean, and very easy to follow.

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Rob Mallows of "The Deighton Dossier" - in this new program, critic Rob Mallows discusses the success of Len Deighton's The Ipcress File and Michael Caine's transformation into Harry Palmer, the unique image of the spy (and particularly his anti-James Bond qualities), producer Harry Saltzman's relationship with the spy, the production of Billion Dollar Brain and its reception, etc. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Photographing Spies: Interview with Cinematographer Billy Williams - in this new program, cinematographer Billy Williams recalls how he was offered to replace cinematographer Otto Heller, Ken Russell's work on Billion Dollar Brain, the film's tone and personality, the awful shooting conditions in Finland, the tragic death of Françoise Dorleac, Michael Caine's risky performance on the floating ice blocks at the end of the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Billion Dollar Frame: Interview with Associate Editor Willy Kemplen - in this new program, associate editor Willy Kemplen recalls what it was like to work with editor Alan Osbiston and producer Harry Saltzman, the fact that Billion Dollar Brain was not a typical Ken Russell film, the director's "difficult" reputation, some interesting interactions he had with various cast members as well as Andre De Toth, etc. There are some interesting comments about the final version of the film as well. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• "This Week" - Excerpt of Michael Caine Discussing the British Film Industry - in this archival video piece, Michael Caine discusses the state of the British Film Industry during the 1960s as well as its dependence on American funds. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Promotional Materials - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Theatrical Trailer.
  2. Theatrical Trailer - without narration.
  3. Theatrical trailer - textless version.
  4. Photo Gallery.

• Audio Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film historians and authors Vic Pratt and Will Fowler discuss the cinematic history of Harry Palmer, Ken Russell's involevement with Billion Dollar Brain, the casting choices that were made for the film as well as key locations where different parts of it were shot, Billy Williams' cinematography and tone and mood of the film, etc. It is a good commentary that offers plenty of interesting generic information as well. (There is a good segment on Françoise Dorleac).

Billion Dollar Brain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

At a certain point, Billion Dollar Brain was doomed to be different from the previous two films about Harry Palmer in so many ways that it would have been best if producer Harry Saltzman simply redid it from scratch. All of the information that has emerged about its production history, including the one from the new programs that are included on this release, confirms that Saltzman was calling all the shots, and after he drifted away from his original concept for it a lot started to go wrong. I personally do not think that in its current form Billion Dollar Brain is a disaster and enjoy it quite a bit, but it is an indisputable fact that it frequently behaves a lot like an undercooked James Bond copycat. This release is sourced from an old but rather nice master that was supplied by MGM. As usual, the folks at Via Vision Entertainment have provided a very interesting selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. RECOMMENDED. (Billion Dollar Brain is included in The Harry Palmer Collection, a very handsome three-disc box set).