From Russia with Love
Masters of murder try to destroy 007
The second Bond film by Eon Productions is based on Ian Flemings fifth book which sees Sean Connery again going up against Spectre, as they search for a decoding device called Lector, which in the wrong hands could lead to total world domination. Bond embarks on an epic journey through Russia and Turkey as he falls in love with the delicious Soviet Agent Tatiana Romanova, played by the Italian Actress Daniela Bianchi, as 007 seeks to keep the fate of the western world safe from the fiendish grasp of Spectre.
Remarkably, by today’s standards the film was made for just $1.1 million, which is about $12 million in today’s money, which for a Bond film is unheard of, the fact remains for any film critic of repute, (who can bother to scratch beneath the surface of a production), it is apparent that the shrewd combination of Saltzman and Brocolli, were not comfortable taking too many risks at such an early stage of the Franchise.
From Russia with Love is an exciting, suspenseful thriller with a tightly wrapped finale, with Connery again pulling his A-game. One thing which is worth pointing out is that this is the first film in the series which featured James Bond’s legendary Gadget-Man Q, played by Desmond Llewlyn, who played the role in a remarkable 17 of the Bond movies, from 1963 until 1999, appearing in every instalment in the series up until Tomorrow Never Dies.
For me the most memorable part of this infamous Movie has to be the greatest Bond Villain of all-time, Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his equally famous white cat. So menacing a figure that you hardly need to see his face, just hear his quaffed tones and the continuous stroking of the white fur, where he gives brief, yet frighting speeches to his henchman. This was a massive improvement on Dr No, as instead of just one bad guy, 007 has several deadly characters to overcome, some are sly and sophisticated, whilst others are more akin to cartoon villains. From Russia with Love is a perfect blend of the comic and serious, with speed, substance, style and adventure, which in my estimation makes this instalment one of the finest films of the series.
9/10 – Calum Roberts