In honor of the next 007 movie coming out this year (Spectre), I have decided to review several James Bond films. I will be covering one movie per actor (6 in total), which includes George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton, but not David Niven from the original Casino Royale. With that in mind, let's begin with Sir Sean Connery in From Russia with Love (1963).
Summary:
The story centers around British secret agent James Bond and his clash with the secretive organization known as SPECTRE. This evil crime syndicate is led by the nefarious "#1" and his ruthless assistants Tov Kronsteen and Rosa Klebb. Near the height of the Cold War, Kronsteen has formulated a plan that they hope will succeed on two fronts: secure a revolutionary code-breaking device for themselves, and escalate the tensions between Russia and Britain, possibly to the point of open conflict. To accomplish this, Rosa Klebb enlists the help of a Russian agent in Turkey, Tatiana Romanova (who will be kept in the dark about most of the plans), and one of their top operatives, Donald Grant.
At the same time, British Intelligence has learned of the same code-breaking device ("Lektor") that SPECTRE has been pursuing. Naturally, they select Bond to retrieve it, along with the Russian "defector" Romanova. Bond is sent to Istanbul, where he meets up with an ally in the intelligence field, Ali Kerim Bey. Bond also makes contact with Romanova, who is quickly charmed by him. Romanova gives 007 schematics for the building that has the Lektor. As they begin to consider the facts surrounding the Lektor and Romanova's odd friendliness with 007, they begin to have their doubts about the mission.
SPECTRE's plan continues as Grant attempts to framed Britain for the kidnapping and assassination of a Russian agent, and openly assaults 007 and Bey at a meeting. After eliminating a top Bulgarian assassin working for the Russians, 007, Romanova and Bey secure the Lektor from the Russian embassy during the confusion of an attack. Following this, they flee the country by train hoping to rendezvous with Bey's sons.
Aboard the train, Bey is killed under unclear circumstances, and Grant introduces himself under a different identity to Bond and Romanova. Grant slips a sedative to Romanova which knocks her out, and traps Bond, where he explains SPECTRE's plans.They have been playign the Russians and British off of one another the whole time, and allowed Bond to secure the Lektor so that they could take it from him. Bond dupes Grant with a booby-trapped bribe, kills Grant, and escapes with Romanova where he is pursued by a helicopter and boats. After eliminating them, he and Romanova go to a hotel and survive one last attack by Klebb before their mission is complete.
Classic Scenes:
At this point, James Bond and Kerim Bey have been following a Bulgarian assassin named Krilencu. They briefly speak to a group of Romanis, but are ambushed by SPECTRE gunmen. It's an exciting action scene, and perhaps most interestingly, it shows Grant saving Bond's life for unknown reasons.
In this scene, Bond secures the Lektor from the Russian embassy. This, like many other scenes, shows just how cool and unflappable 007 is, even when surrounded by people who would imprison or kill him if they knew who he really was. It's a brief action sequence, but it's still quite entertaining.
It's hard not to enjoy this boat chase near the film's ending. By today's standards, it's not the most exciting action movie chase, but it holds up well. Bonus points for an unintentional CD-i quote.
Supporting Characters:
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There are really only two supporting characters worth mentioning; Tatiana Romanova and Ali Kerim Bey. Romanova is obviously the primary “Bond girl”, but she is unfortunately not used particularly well. Thinking back, she really doesn't do that much on her own, at least not until the final scene where she kills Klebb. Other than that, she's has little impact on the plot, which is a shame, because they could have (and should have) done a lot more with her character. Romanova is kept in the dark for much of the movie, and she spends quite a bit of time in helpless circumstances. That's not unusual for a "Bond girl", but these instances are not really counterbalanced with sequences of her in action. Now, she's not unlikable or detrimental to the film, but she's just an underutilized character.
Kerim Bey on the other hand, is seriously awesome. Of all of the Bond characters that I can recall, I can't remember a male supporting character that did as much as him. He assists Bond at the shootout, he takes out Krilencu despite his injury, he successfully undermines the Russian embassy, and he apprehends a Russian security agent before he could get in Bond's way. He did far more than I expected him to, and I think he's a strong character because of that. When the movie first introduces him, I thought that he'd be little more than a one scene character with minimal impact on the plot. Of course, I was wrong, and I was genuinely impressed with his character.
Antagonists:
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Of the four villains (#1, Klebb, Kronsteen and Grant), Donald Grant is easily the most notable. His actions are legitimately intriguing, and it's interesting to see how he plays the Russians and British against one another. He's smart and strong, and unlike some other Bond villains, he's not a megalomaniac bent on world domination. He almost won (par for the course with most Bond villains) but he was tricked with a fake bribe, so he's not without his own faults. I speculate that the upcoming Spectre film will probably have a villain not unlike Grant, but that remains to be seen.
#1 is not really seen, but he is revealed in another film. He's very calm and cold, and the movie makes it clear (despite the fact that we never even see his face) that he is not someone to be taken lightly. The fact that he's willing to execute one of his top operatives helps to further establish his status as a truly dangerous individual.
Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are cold and fiercely loyal to #1, and their plan is actually pretty clever. Kronsteen doesn't do a lot, other than formulate the plan, whereas Klebb is very cruel, and has a bit more involvement in the plot. For most of the movie, they stay in the background, so there isn't a lot to say about them specifically. Their organization is played up as being shadowy and dangerously effective, and the lack of a permanent defeat for them in From Russia With Love allowed for more 007 films to feature them as a recurring threat, which was the right move, I believe.
Bond:
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Sir Sean Connery personifies charisma as 007. To say that his portrayal is “smooth” and “confident” would be an understatement, really. Even when he's being held up at gunpoint, he's the epitome of cool. He can pull off some Bond one liners every once in a while, but it doesn't really reach the point of being goofy or groan-inducing. He's effective at his work, but he's not invincible. He's always calm, cool, and collected, and most people would be lying if they said that they didn't want to be him. It says a lot about his acting skills when he can make the act of looking around his hotel room seem suave. He's also a quick thinker who was able to turn a doomed situation (the fake surrender on a boat) into an effective getaway. He manages to hit a helicopter co-pilot with a sniper rifle with perfect timing. Need I say more? That having been said, he's not perfect. His most obvious flaw is that he was so easily duped by Romanova, and he brushed off the notion that it might be a trap. So, perhaps he's overconfident and too much of a flirt, but he's still a really effective agent. I don't necessarily think that there is a “best Bond actor”, but its easy to see why many fans prefer him. The other actors each bring something different to the table, but it can easily be argued that Connery is the gold standard for Bond actors.
Final Thoughts:
From Russia With Love currently holds a very strong Rotten Tomatoes approval rating (96% from critics), and I tend to agree with them. Entering into the film, I really didn't know what to expect, given that Connery's other 007 movies have overshadowed this one. The film might not be as popular as Dr. No and Goldfinger but I believe that it is one of the better ones that I have seen in the series. To be clear, I specifically chose to review From Russia With Love because I hadn't watched it before, and it is one of the lesser talked-about Connery films. It has aged quite well, despite it being over 50 years old, which I believe is partly due to the lack of over-the-top or ambitious effects. The film doesn't have as much action as some of the other 007 entries, but this doesn't harm it. It feels very much like a classic spy romp, rather than a constant parade of silly action sequences. Other than Romanova's lack of involvement, the film is very strong and worth a look. Whether you're a 007 aficionado or a general moviegoer, I believe that you'll enjoy it.
From Russia With Love gets a strong 4.5 out of 5.
Summary:
The story centers around British secret agent James Bond and his clash with the secretive organization known as SPECTRE. This evil crime syndicate is led by the nefarious "#1" and his ruthless assistants Tov Kronsteen and Rosa Klebb. Near the height of the Cold War, Kronsteen has formulated a plan that they hope will succeed on two fronts: secure a revolutionary code-breaking device for themselves, and escalate the tensions between Russia and Britain, possibly to the point of open conflict. To accomplish this, Rosa Klebb enlists the help of a Russian agent in Turkey, Tatiana Romanova (who will be kept in the dark about most of the plans), and one of their top operatives, Donald Grant.
At the same time, British Intelligence has learned of the same code-breaking device ("Lektor") that SPECTRE has been pursuing. Naturally, they select Bond to retrieve it, along with the Russian "defector" Romanova. Bond is sent to Istanbul, where he meets up with an ally in the intelligence field, Ali Kerim Bey. Bond also makes contact with Romanova, who is quickly charmed by him. Romanova gives 007 schematics for the building that has the Lektor. As they begin to consider the facts surrounding the Lektor and Romanova's odd friendliness with 007, they begin to have their doubts about the mission.
SPECTRE's plan continues as Grant attempts to framed Britain for the kidnapping and assassination of a Russian agent, and openly assaults 007 and Bey at a meeting. After eliminating a top Bulgarian assassin working for the Russians, 007, Romanova and Bey secure the Lektor from the Russian embassy during the confusion of an attack. Following this, they flee the country by train hoping to rendezvous with Bey's sons.
Aboard the train, Bey is killed under unclear circumstances, and Grant introduces himself under a different identity to Bond and Romanova. Grant slips a sedative to Romanova which knocks her out, and traps Bond, where he explains SPECTRE's plans.They have been playign the Russians and British off of one another the whole time, and allowed Bond to secure the Lektor so that they could take it from him. Bond dupes Grant with a booby-trapped bribe, kills Grant, and escapes with Romanova where he is pursued by a helicopter and boats. After eliminating them, he and Romanova go to a hotel and survive one last attack by Klebb before their mission is complete.
Classic Scenes:
At this point, James Bond and Kerim Bey have been following a Bulgarian assassin named Krilencu. They briefly speak to a group of Romanis, but are ambushed by SPECTRE gunmen. It's an exciting action scene, and perhaps most interestingly, it shows Grant saving Bond's life for unknown reasons.
In this scene, Bond secures the Lektor from the Russian embassy. This, like many other scenes, shows just how cool and unflappable 007 is, even when surrounded by people who would imprison or kill him if they knew who he really was. It's a brief action sequence, but it's still quite entertaining.
It's hard not to enjoy this boat chase near the film's ending. By today's standards, it's not the most exciting action movie chase, but it holds up well. Bonus points for an unintentional CD-i quote.
Supporting Characters:
There are really only two supporting characters worth mentioning; Tatiana Romanova and Ali Kerim Bey. Romanova is obviously the primary “Bond girl”, but she is unfortunately not used particularly well. Thinking back, she really doesn't do that much on her own, at least not until the final scene where she kills Klebb. Other than that, she's has little impact on the plot, which is a shame, because they could have (and should have) done a lot more with her character. Romanova is kept in the dark for much of the movie, and she spends quite a bit of time in helpless circumstances. That's not unusual for a "Bond girl", but these instances are not really counterbalanced with sequences of her in action. Now, she's not unlikable or detrimental to the film, but she's just an underutilized character.
Kerim Bey on the other hand, is seriously awesome. Of all of the Bond characters that I can recall, I can't remember a male supporting character that did as much as him. He assists Bond at the shootout, he takes out Krilencu despite his injury, he successfully undermines the Russian embassy, and he apprehends a Russian security agent before he could get in Bond's way. He did far more than I expected him to, and I think he's a strong character because of that. When the movie first introduces him, I thought that he'd be little more than a one scene character with minimal impact on the plot. Of course, I was wrong, and I was genuinely impressed with his character.
Antagonists:
Of the four villains (#1, Klebb, Kronsteen and Grant), Donald Grant is easily the most notable. His actions are legitimately intriguing, and it's interesting to see how he plays the Russians and British against one another. He's smart and strong, and unlike some other Bond villains, he's not a megalomaniac bent on world domination. He almost won (par for the course with most Bond villains) but he was tricked with a fake bribe, so he's not without his own faults. I speculate that the upcoming Spectre film will probably have a villain not unlike Grant, but that remains to be seen.
#1 is not really seen, but he is revealed in another film. He's very calm and cold, and the movie makes it clear (despite the fact that we never even see his face) that he is not someone to be taken lightly. The fact that he's willing to execute one of his top operatives helps to further establish his status as a truly dangerous individual.
Spoiler
Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are cold and fiercely loyal to #1, and their plan is actually pretty clever. Kronsteen doesn't do a lot, other than formulate the plan, whereas Klebb is very cruel, and has a bit more involvement in the plot. For most of the movie, they stay in the background, so there isn't a lot to say about them specifically. Their organization is played up as being shadowy and dangerously effective, and the lack of a permanent defeat for them in From Russia With Love allowed for more 007 films to feature them as a recurring threat, which was the right move, I believe.
Bond:
Sir Sean Connery personifies charisma as 007. To say that his portrayal is “smooth” and “confident” would be an understatement, really. Even when he's being held up at gunpoint, he's the epitome of cool. He can pull off some Bond one liners every once in a while, but it doesn't really reach the point of being goofy or groan-inducing. He's effective at his work, but he's not invincible. He's always calm, cool, and collected, and most people would be lying if they said that they didn't want to be him. It says a lot about his acting skills when he can make the act of looking around his hotel room seem suave. He's also a quick thinker who was able to turn a doomed situation (the fake surrender on a boat) into an effective getaway. He manages to hit a helicopter co-pilot with a sniper rifle with perfect timing. Need I say more? That having been said, he's not perfect. His most obvious flaw is that he was so easily duped by Romanova, and he brushed off the notion that it might be a trap. So, perhaps he's overconfident and too much of a flirt, but he's still a really effective agent. I don't necessarily think that there is a “best Bond actor”, but its easy to see why many fans prefer him. The other actors each bring something different to the table, but it can easily be argued that Connery is the gold standard for Bond actors.
Final Thoughts:
From Russia With Love currently holds a very strong Rotten Tomatoes approval rating (96% from critics), and I tend to agree with them. Entering into the film, I really didn't know what to expect, given that Connery's other 007 movies have overshadowed this one. The film might not be as popular as Dr. No and Goldfinger but I believe that it is one of the better ones that I have seen in the series. To be clear, I specifically chose to review From Russia With Love because I hadn't watched it before, and it is one of the lesser talked-about Connery films. It has aged quite well, despite it being over 50 years old, which I believe is partly due to the lack of over-the-top or ambitious effects. The film doesn't have as much action as some of the other 007 entries, but this doesn't harm it. It feels very much like a classic spy romp, rather than a constant parade of silly action sequences. Other than Romanova's lack of involvement, the film is very strong and worth a look. Whether you're a 007 aficionado or a general moviegoer, I believe that you'll enjoy it.
From Russia With Love gets a strong 4.5 out of 5.