From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond series produced in 1963 by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as Bond. In 2004, Total Film magazine named it the ninth-greatest British film of all time; it was the only Bond film to appear on the list. Based on Ian Fleming’s 1957 novel From Russia, with Love. In the film, Bond is sent to assist in the defection of Soviet consulate clerk Tatiana Romanova in Turkey, where SPECTRE plans to avenge Bond’s killing of Dr. No. SPECTRE’s chief planner, Czechoslovak chess grandmaster Kronsteen, devises a plan to lure Bond into a trap. SPECTRE operative Rosa Klebb(Lotte Lenya), a former head of SMERSH (Soviet counter-intelligence), is assigned to oversee the mission and chooses trained killer Donald Grant (Robert Shaw) to assassinate Bond at the right moment. Bond is called to a meeting with M and informed that Tatiana has requested Bond’s help to defect to the West. Upon arriving in Istanbul, Bond works alongside the head of MI6’s branch in the city, Ali Kerim Bey, while he awaits word from Tatiana. During this time, Kerim Bey is attacked by Soviet agent Krilencu. After an attack on the men while they hide out at a gypsy settlement, where 2 gypsy women ( Martine Breswick & Aliza Gur) fight for Bond’s affection. Kerim Bey assassinates Krilencu with Bond’s help before during an attack by Krilencu’s men on the gypsy settlement. Eventually, Tatiana meets Bond at his hotel suite. The pair spend the night together, unaware that Klebb and Grant are filming them. Bond, Bey & Tatiana make haste to escape the city aboard the Orient Express. Aboard, Kerim Bey and Bond subdue Commissar Benz, a Soviet security officer. Grant, who is also aboard thew train, kills both Kerim Bey and Benz. Angered, Bond questions Romanova’s true motives. Grant drugs Tatiana at dinner and overpowers Bond. He reveals that Tatiana was a pawn in SPECTRE’s plan; he intends to kill both her and Bond, but Bond tricks Grant into setting off a booby trap in Bond’s attache-case before the two engage in a fight and Bond kills Grant. Learning of Grant’s death and Bond’s survival, SPECTRE’s enigmatic chairman, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, has Kronsteen executed for his plan’s disastrous failure. Klebb is ordered to kill Bond. Klebb reaches the pair, while they are resting in a hotel in Venice, and comes to their room disguised as a maid. Klebb orders Tatiana to leave the room while holding Bond at gunpoint. Tatiana then re-enters, tackling Klebb and knocking the pistol to the floor. Tatiana picks up the pistol and kills Klebb. With their mission accomplished, Bond and Tatiana spend some time on a romantic boat ride. I might have left out a whole sub-plot about a device that both sides were trying to steal, but if you need that, watch the movie.
OK, on to the ratings;
Bond; 98 out of 100. Primo Connery Bond. The strutting, cocky, charismatic real deal.
Villain; 35 out of 100. Anthony Dawson portrayed Blofeld, but it’s almost a cameo. There really isn’t a primary villain per se, and it’s a major drawback as regards this my rating for what’s actually a good Bond film.
Bond Girls; 96 out of 100. Daniela Bianchi, Martine Breswick, Aliza Gur, Eunice Gayson , take your pick. A smorgasbord of feminine Bond-age, if you’ll pardon the expression.
Bond Theme; 68 out of 75. I couldn’t have sung the tune off the top of my head, but the song, sung by 60’s British pop star Matt Munro ( I know, “who?”) is so typically late 60’s Bond “croony”, that I love it.
Henchman; 46 out of 50. Young, snarling, ominous Robert Shaw. Really, really good.
M, Q, Moneypenny & misc; 25 out of 25. The first time out for the trio of Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn. Outstanding, all 3 of them. And Pedro Armendáriz as Ali Kerim Bey, knew he had cancer while filming, got the producers to move his scenes to earlier in the shoot, did as many as he could, then went back home to Mexico and took his own life. Damn.
Total- 368
Scoreboard;
- Diamonds are Forever- 428
- Goldfinger- 419
- The Spy Who Loved Me.- 410
- Goldeneye- 407
- Spectre-397
- Live and Let Die- 396
- Thunderball- 393
- Skyfall- 383
- Casino Royale / Die Another Day / Skyfall- 382
- For Your Eyes Only- 380
- Tomorrow Never Dies- 377
- From Russia with Love
- The World is not Enough- 367
- A View to a Kill- 359
- Never Say Never Again- 356
- No Time to Die- 355
- Dr. No- 346
- The Man with the Golden Gun. 331
- License to Kill- 321
- Moonraker- 315
- Octopussy- 255
- The Living Daylights- 228
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service- 201
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