From Russia With Love

From Russia With Love, the second James Bond film, is one of the best (in my view, second only to Goldfinger). Unlike the later films in the series, From Russia With Love is extremely faithful to the Ian Fleming novel with only slight variations on the story. In order to obtain a Russian decoding machine, 007 must travel to Istanbul, Turkey to aid a beautiful Russian defector ... even though he and the British Secret Service know it's probably a trap. But unbeknownst to Bond SPECTRE is playing the Russians and the British against each other. This is the most realistic of the Bond films with a story that could probably happen in the real world of espionage. The film does contain a gadget -- a trick briefcase (also in the Fleming novel) that contains throwing knives, ammunition, a folding sniper's rifle, 50 gold sovereigns and a tear gas cartridge that explodes when the case is opened improperly. The film, however, takes a very realistic approach to the story with none of the cartoon antics present in many of the later Bonds.

Terence Young, who also helmed Dr. No and Thunderball, does an outstanding job of directing. He makes wonderful use of the locations, especially in Istanbul. As with his other two Bond efforts, Young eschews a cartoon approach to the action in favor of a more brutal, realistic approach. And unlike many later Bond directors, Young concentrates on developing characters, making them real people with real emotions. The audience feels for the characters emotionally -- something unheard of with the cardboard cutout characters of the later films.

Peter Hunt's editing is a marvel. The action scenes are tightly edited and the film's pacing and continuity are flawless. In addition, the DVD documentary shows just how much Hunt helped shape the final project. He went beyond simply editing the film and actually helped shape and improve the story.

However, the best thing about the film is the casting. Young must have taken great care to properly cast From Russia With Love because every part matches their novel counterpart down to the last detail. Sean Connery, of course, is, and always will be, the best James Bond. Newcomer Daniela Bianchi is terrific as pseudo defector Tatiana Romanova. She is beautiful, sexy and appealing. It's too bad she didn't have more of a screen career. Lotte Lenya (Threepenny Opera), the famed German musical star, does a wonderful villainous turn as Rosa Klebb, former SMERSH agent who is now working for SPECTRE. Robert Shaw (A Man for all Seasons, Black Sunday, Jaws) is chilling as SPECTRE assassin Red Grant. And Pedro Armendariz, in the performance of his career, plays Ali Karim Bey, the head of Station T, Turkey. Aremedariz's performance is especially poignant because he was dying of cancer during the filming. He shot himself while in the hospital soon after he was through filming.

From Russia With Love is not only a good Bond film, but a good film alone, apart from the series. Along with Dr. No and Goldfinger, From Russia With Love represents a high point that the later films never quite matched.

The DVD transfer is spectacular, with terrific sound and picture quality. What makes the DVD special, however, are the special features which include three documentaries, trailers, TV and radio spots and cast & crew profiles. The main documentary is especially interesting as it details how the filmmakers drastically changed the story progression during the shoot. As with all of the Bond DVD's, MGM has done a superb job, giving the buyer much, much more than just the film to view.

Certainly not the most exciting James Bond flick ever created, still, From Russia With Love is one of the most loyal to Ian Fleming's imagination. This 2nd entry into the Bond movie franchise is certainly a step up from its predacessor - Dr. No - with budget increases being one of the obvious factors. The improved experience is actually saying a lot, since Dr. No was teriffic and seen as one of the best Bond films by many fans.

From Russia With Love is a very intelligent, in-depth and well plotted story. It is certainly what a great spy movie is all about. Sean Connery gives us one of his best performances of his career as he is already a natural at the part of James Bond just after two films (though many will argue he really peaked in Goldfinger, the next film in the series). Action has definetly picked up in this film compared to Dr. No, but it is still far away from what the Roger Moore films are going to bring. Though those films are action packed, many argue they just don't have the great stories that the original Bond movies had, and that is when From Russia With Love is always mentioned. The action is certainly not enough to make up for the slow pacing, but most will argue it just isn't necessary, as the story is strong enough to hold its own.

SPECTRE makes a stronger return in this film, and will continue to be present for many films to come as the center of conflict for Bond. The organization's leader is finally acknowledged in this film, who wasn't mentioned in Dr. No. He does have two very important scenes of dialouge, yet we do not get to see his face (which will not happen until "You Only Live Twice"). A reference is made to Dr. No, which is a nice reminder of continuation from the first film. The villains strike a little harder this time, as SPECTRE has now several top agents working for them. Grant (Robert Shaw) is a hired KGB, who makes his presence sit quitely and patiently in the shadows until his exciting entrance later in the movie, confusing Bond at first and then giving us a very real and suspensful train cabin fight that is done very well. In addition to the villains, you've also got Tatiana thrown into the mix, a Russian girl that one of the SPECTRE agents hires to confuse Bond, but eventually falls for him instead (go figure).

Ah, there's nothing quite like the good old classic days of Bond with Sean Connery. From Russia With Love is definetly a film that the more mature audience fans of Bond will love. It isn't loaded with all the adrenaline that some of the newer Bonds have, but it has the smarts and the raw-power to make it very successful.

Acting - 4.5
Action - 3.5
Characters - 4.5
Story - 5
Overall - 4.5

FRWL and Goldfinger stand as a perfect 1-2 punch of the two best Bond movies. Goldfinger is only slightly better. As with Goldfinger, everything works in FRWL. Connery gives a great performance as the epitome of suave sophistication mixed with rugged deadliness. Daniela Bianchi can't act but is so beautiful, we forgive her. Pedro Armandariz is great in his final film role. Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw are among the best villians in the entire series. The train fight is justifiably legendary. The movie makes great use of Turkey, Venice and The Orient Express. A great action adventure in all respects.

From Russia with Love has become my favorite Bond movie. It has a great plot, wonderful locations, and none of the over the top gadgets that show up in the later movies. Also, the picture quality of this digitally re-mastered DVD is excellent.

The James Bond series of films has, over the last 40-odd years, been a great highlight of cinema's spy genre. Often imitated, they have never been surpassed. I can remember when even the earliest of them was new, a theatrical experience much looked forward to.

After a somewhat slow start in "Dr. No", "From Russia With Love" propelled Bond and Connery forward to a new height -- and even better was to come. "From Russia" was more of what we came to expect from Bond films, with 007 travelling from one interesting locale to another.

"From Russia" boasts (as came to be usual) an excellent cast -- most particularly Robert Shaw as the trained assassin and Lotte Lenya as Col. Klebb, who recruited him to kill Bond.

The casting of Lotte Lenya is the most creative casting move undertaken in this film. In the late '20s and very early '30s, she was one of the great lights of the Berlin stage, for whom Kurt Weill wrote many roles specifically. She was stunning as Jenny the Pirate in the Dreigroschenoper (or Threepenny Opera, of which a 1931 film is now on DVD; a CD of her performing Weill's "Seven Deadly Sins" and a number of other wonderful Weill songs is also out and about). Lenya's performance in "From Russia" adds real gravitas and a palpable sense of menace to the film.

If you check the Amazon review of this film, you may notice that in it Lotte Lenya is referred to as a "lovely assassin". How's that again?? I did call their attention to this gaffe, asking if anyone there had actually seen Ms. Lenya, but apparently they're sticking with the "lovely". Ah, well ... here we go. In the 20s and 30s, Lotte Lenya was, in a word, plain. In "From Russia", she was 65 and had graduated from plain to -- well, unattractive, anyway. Her face was perfect for the role, lovely in the sense of Margaret Hamilton or a pre-surgery Phyllis Diller. Can you imagine a blonde bombshell chasing 007 around with dagger-loaded sensible shoes? Well, maybe if you want comic relief. As it is, a "lovely" Lotte is hilarious enough.