From Russia With Love
With its twisting plots and counterpoints, From Russia With Love made a movie into a franchise and a character into a legend. Although it wasn’t the first Bond film, it did establish some of the franchise’s hallmarks. Desmond Llewelyn makes his first of sixteen appearances as the armourer Major Boothroyd, better known as Q. Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, and even Eunice Gayson all returned for the further adventures of James Bond. Most notably of course, was the return of former Mr. Universe Sean Connery as the sophisticated 007. Joining him for this go around was Miss Universe contestant Daniella Bianchi, and famed actor and playwright Robert Shaw as the cold-hearted assassin Red Grant. The film also marked the first appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the unseen puppeteer of the villainous terrorist organization SPECTRE. With twice the budget of the first film, Dr. No, producers filmed in England, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Italy.
The film wisely follows creator Ian Fleming’s novel almost to the letter. In order to exact revenge for the death of their colleague Dr. No, the brains behind SPECTRE conceive a plot to cripple and humiliate Britain. Their target: Dr. No’s killer, James Bond. In comes Russian defector turned SPECTRE operative Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) to execute the plan. She recruits a young, naïve clerk named Tatiana Romanova (Bianchi) from the Russian consulate in Turkey to contact the British with the promise of delivering a Lektor Decoding Machine on one condition… that agent 007 be the one to collect it and take her back with him to London. Although the British immediately smell a trap, the chance at obtaining a Lektor proves too opportune to pass up.
Bond travels to Turkey where he receives help from friend and fellow Karim Bey (Pedro Armendariz). Bey’s knowledge guides them through subterranean tunnels, gypsy camps, and other adventures until Bond storms the consulate and retrieves both the Lektor and the girl. Escaping on the famed Orient Express seems all-too-easy until Bond unmasks Red Grant and the horrible truth is exposed: SPECTRE plans to concoct a murder-suicide and escape with the Lektor themselves. But with the help of a few of Q’s gadgets, Bond fights back-- in one of the franchise’s more acclaimed fight scenes-- aboard the train. Bond and his new ally Tatania escape to Italy where only one final confrontation with Klebb stands between them and safety.
The film improved upon the success of its predecessor, setting up the franchise for the explosion in popularity it would experience with its next outing, Goldfinger. Its success was due in part to an endorsement from President John F. Kennedy and is believed to be the final film he saw before his assassination. Despite the other films’ better box-office receipts, From Russia With Love remains the critical benchmark according to producer Michael Wilson. The scene where Bond finds Tatiana in his bed is used to this day in screen testing Bond hopefuls. Its greatness is appreciated by EA Games in 2005, when- out of all the possible titles in the franchise- they adapted this one into a video game featuring the likeness and voice talents of the man, the legend, the true Bond: Sean Connery.
The film wisely follows creator Ian Fleming’s novel almost to the letter. In order to exact revenge for the death of their colleague Dr. No, the brains behind SPECTRE conceive a plot to cripple and humiliate Britain. Their target: Dr. No’s killer, James Bond. In comes Russian defector turned SPECTRE operative Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) to execute the plan. She recruits a young, naïve clerk named Tatiana Romanova (Bianchi) from the Russian consulate in Turkey to contact the British with the promise of delivering a Lektor Decoding Machine on one condition… that agent 007 be the one to collect it and take her back with him to London. Although the British immediately smell a trap, the chance at obtaining a Lektor proves too opportune to pass up.
Bond travels to Turkey where he receives help from friend and fellow Karim Bey (Pedro Armendariz). Bey’s knowledge guides them through subterranean tunnels, gypsy camps, and other adventures until Bond storms the consulate and retrieves both the Lektor and the girl. Escaping on the famed Orient Express seems all-too-easy until Bond unmasks Red Grant and the horrible truth is exposed: SPECTRE plans to concoct a murder-suicide and escape with the Lektor themselves. But with the help of a few of Q’s gadgets, Bond fights back-- in one of the franchise’s more acclaimed fight scenes-- aboard the train. Bond and his new ally Tatania escape to Italy where only one final confrontation with Klebb stands between them and safety.
The film improved upon the success of its predecessor, setting up the franchise for the explosion in popularity it would experience with its next outing, Goldfinger. Its success was due in part to an endorsement from President John F. Kennedy and is believed to be the final film he saw before his assassination. Despite the other films’ better box-office receipts, From Russia With Love remains the critical benchmark according to producer Michael Wilson. The scene where Bond finds Tatiana in his bed is used to this day in screen testing Bond hopefuls. Its greatness is appreciated by EA Games in 2005, when- out of all the possible titles in the franchise- they adapted this one into a video game featuring the likeness and voice talents of the man, the legend, the true Bond: Sean Connery.
