From Russia with Love - Review
From Russia With Love
Week two and it is a review of the second Bond film and adaptation of one of JFK's favourite books, From Russia With Love.
Acting on the foundation laid by Dr No, yet spinning a more grounded tale of cloak and dagger espionage, FRWL (as it will continue to be referred to) finds Bond the target of a revenge plot from SPECTRE, whilst he goes about what appears to be standard spy business in the labyrinthine Turkey before realising that things are not as they seem.
Somewhat contrary to perceived wisdom with sequels, whilst the budget of the film was vastly increased from Dr No to FRWL, the scope and action are more grounded. Where in Dr No we had underground lairs, here we have sleuthing in the backstreets of Turkey. Dr No had metallic hands, whereas FRWL's villains are fairly non-descript in appearance, encompassing the shrouded first appearance of Blofeld (with hair at this point in time, but also with white Persian cat), the deceptively diminutive Rosa Klebb, chess grandmaster and strategist Kronsteen, and prototypical blonde henchman/assassin Red Grant (played by Robert Shaw, likely most famous for his role as grizzled sailor Quint in Jaws).
With FRWL we get our first look at the inner workings of SPECTRE, with Blofeld's full appearance remaining out of sight, we only catch a glimpse of the back of his head, and hand insidiously stroking his white Persian cat. His chief strategist, Kronsteen, devises a plan to manufacture a false defection of a Russian asset to Britain, sweetening the deal that it would also include the handover of the Lektor device to the British (the Lektor allowing the British to decipher encoded Russian correspondence). SPECTRE knows full well that the British will sense a trap but banks on their bravado and their hope that they send their top agent Bond, allowing SPECTRE to use the R in their name (Revenge) after he eliminated their Dr No in the previous film.
Our first look at SPECTRE in action comes in the form of the pre-credit sequence, with what appears to be James Bond, decked out in tuxedo, being stalked through a garden maze by bleach blonde Red Grant. Nattily, this suspenseful confrontation ends with Grant getting the jump on Bond, and garroting him with wire concealed in a watch. Lights suddenly flare on, an audience of SPECTRE goons emerge and it is clear that this was but a training exercise, with the unlucky stooge playing Bond revealed to be wearing a face mask (Mission Impossible presumably took notes).
The Bond theme then blares out and we have our first traditional Bond titles sequence, as least in terms of looks, for a unique Bond song for the film is yet to be heard. The visual template for the next dozen or so films is laid down here, having scantily clad women dance whilst the title of the film and credits are projecting onto them. It is a bit naff, and whole lotta sexist (note how Craig's films have sought to invert this, often instead re-framing the title sequences with its gaze very much on Craig himself). Strangely enough, once the opening credits end, we are with Bond enjoying the company of Sylvia Trench (the first Bond girl on screen, appearing first in Dr No and carrying onward to FRWL) by the side of a river, and we can hear Matt Munro's "From Russia with Love" playing from a record player on a passing boat.
The standard Bond beats are here, with a briefing from M and brief workplace harassment between Bond and Moneypenny but we also have the first appearance of Q, appearing as Head of Q Branch, Major Boothroyd. He is played by Desmond Llewelyn, who appeared a total of 17 times as Q (his last time being in The World is Not Enough), and whilst the bitchy banter between Bond and Q is not there yet, he is there to give Bond his gadgets for the film (read: Chekhov's gun - I can't think of a time Bond has been given a gadget that he hasn't found a use for yet).
Bond's mission is explained that Tatiana Romanova, a Russian cipher clerk, is willing to defect to Britain, bringing with her the coveted Lektor, but only on the condition that it is Bond who brings her to Britain. You see, SPECTRE does know Bond quite well, and Romanova's cover story is that she saw a picture of Bond and instantly fell in love with him and knew that he was the one and only man to bring her in from the cold. Of course, in reality Romanova has been recruited by SPECTRE, but she too is a victim of their machinations, believing that Klebb is actually working for SMERSH (what was the real life Russian counter-intelligence agency) and that the plan is to disgrace and kill Bond for mother Russia. Interestingly, in the novels SMERSH is often the original villains, including in FRWL, and it is in the movies and novels released post the film Dr No that SPECTRE takes precedence.
So Bond travels to Turkey and gets involved with ongoing conflict between British assets in Turkey and the Russians, particularly those involving Karim Bay, the station head in Turkey. Unbeknown to Bond, Red Grant is tailing him, secretly ensuring that he manages to carry out his primary objective of helping Romanova secure the Lektor so that he may pounce at the last moment and take it for SPECTRE.
As such, a significant portion of the film is Bond unaware and outmanoeuvred, and not necessarily engaging with the primary driving element of the plot. He is instead engaged in assisting Bay against incursions from the Soviets, including a bombing and a later raid on a gypsy camp. This allows for several action set pieces, and it is certainly a different and unique angle for the Bond film to run but it won't necessarily tick off your Bond tropes in the way that Dr No did, and the next film certainly does. This film plays out like a heightened John Le Carre novel rather than the typical outlandish and bombastic classic Fleming tale (the final confrontation of the film is between Bond and Klebb a small woman in her late 50s or 60s sporting a shoe with a poison tipped blade), but to be fair it is a particularly faithful adaptation of the novel.
The latter half of the film is particularly interesting, taking place on the Orient Express as Bond and Romanova enact their final escape. Here Bond finally learns the truth of the scheme, brutally assaulting Romanova to make her spill the beans as to what is really happening, but of course she too is one step removed from the full truth. Enter Red Grant, impersonating an ally British spy to drug Romanova and corner Bond in his cabin on the train. Here Grant gets the opportunity to monologue and gloat at how he had outmanoeuvred Bond, spitting out lines about wanting Bond to kiss his shoe. Robert Shaw is fantastic in the part, cultivated and well mannered but cruel, much like a dark inversion of Bond. Their final brawl in the cabin still holds up today as as quick and brutal confrontation that has been mimicked several times throughout the series (Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me, Tee Hee in Live and Let Die, and most recently Hinx in Spectre).
One of the problems with the earlier films in this series in that save for Bond and the villains, the Bond girls often get particularly short shrift and Romanova is no exception. It should come as no surprise that her cover story of falling in love with Bond quickly just becomes the truth and she shows little to no agency other than to follow along with Bond, be assaulted by him, and fall into bed with him when the time calls for it. Compare her with the other female lead of the film, the villainous Rosa Klebb - she is in control at all times (save for reporting to Blofeld but then again who in SPECTRE isn't scared of him), takes no prisoners with men or women (watch her unique way of assessing Red Grant as being fit for purpose), and has no qualms getting her hands dirty and getting into a fight with Bond.
All in all, whilst this does not appear to be a classic on the surface, showing little interest in Bondian tropes, when its cast of colourful villains get involved they elevate this to classic Bond.
Acting on the foundation laid by Dr No, yet spinning a more grounded tale of cloak and dagger espionage, FRWL (as it will continue to be referred to) finds Bond the target of a revenge plot from SPECTRE, whilst he goes about what appears to be standard spy business in the labyrinthine Turkey before realising that things are not as they seem.
Somewhat contrary to perceived wisdom with sequels, whilst the budget of the film was vastly increased from Dr No to FRWL, the scope and action are more grounded. Where in Dr No we had underground lairs, here we have sleuthing in the backstreets of Turkey. Dr No had metallic hands, whereas FRWL's villains are fairly non-descript in appearance, encompassing the shrouded first appearance of Blofeld (with hair at this point in time, but also with white Persian cat), the deceptively diminutive Rosa Klebb, chess grandmaster and strategist Kronsteen, and prototypical blonde henchman/assassin Red Grant (played by Robert Shaw, likely most famous for his role as grizzled sailor Quint in Jaws).
With FRWL we get our first look at the inner workings of SPECTRE, with Blofeld's full appearance remaining out of sight, we only catch a glimpse of the back of his head, and hand insidiously stroking his white Persian cat. His chief strategist, Kronsteen, devises a plan to manufacture a false defection of a Russian asset to Britain, sweetening the deal that it would also include the handover of the Lektor device to the British (the Lektor allowing the British to decipher encoded Russian correspondence). SPECTRE knows full well that the British will sense a trap but banks on their bravado and their hope that they send their top agent Bond, allowing SPECTRE to use the R in their name (Revenge) after he eliminated their Dr No in the previous film.
Our first look at SPECTRE in action comes in the form of the pre-credit sequence, with what appears to be James Bond, decked out in tuxedo, being stalked through a garden maze by bleach blonde Red Grant. Nattily, this suspenseful confrontation ends with Grant getting the jump on Bond, and garroting him with wire concealed in a watch. Lights suddenly flare on, an audience of SPECTRE goons emerge and it is clear that this was but a training exercise, with the unlucky stooge playing Bond revealed to be wearing a face mask (Mission Impossible presumably took notes).
Bond's mission is explained that Tatiana Romanova, a Russian cipher clerk, is willing to defect to Britain, bringing with her the coveted Lektor, but only on the condition that it is Bond who brings her to Britain. You see, SPECTRE does know Bond quite well, and Romanova's cover story is that she saw a picture of Bond and instantly fell in love with him and knew that he was the one and only man to bring her in from the cold. Of course, in reality Romanova has been recruited by SPECTRE, but she too is a victim of their machinations, believing that Klebb is actually working for SMERSH (what was the real life Russian counter-intelligence agency) and that the plan is to disgrace and kill Bond for mother Russia. Interestingly, in the novels SMERSH is often the original villains, including in FRWL, and it is in the movies and novels released post the film Dr No that SPECTRE takes precedence.
So Bond travels to Turkey and gets involved with ongoing conflict between British assets in Turkey and the Russians, particularly those involving Karim Bay, the station head in Turkey. Unbeknown to Bond, Red Grant is tailing him, secretly ensuring that he manages to carry out his primary objective of helping Romanova secure the Lektor so that he may pounce at the last moment and take it for SPECTRE.
The latter half of the film is particularly interesting, taking place on the Orient Express as Bond and Romanova enact their final escape. Here Bond finally learns the truth of the scheme, brutally assaulting Romanova to make her spill the beans as to what is really happening, but of course she too is one step removed from the full truth. Enter Red Grant, impersonating an ally British spy to drug Romanova and corner Bond in his cabin on the train. Here Grant gets the opportunity to monologue and gloat at how he had outmanoeuvred Bond, spitting out lines about wanting Bond to kiss his shoe. Robert Shaw is fantastic in the part, cultivated and well mannered but cruel, much like a dark inversion of Bond. Their final brawl in the cabin still holds up today as as quick and brutal confrontation that has been mimicked several times throughout the series (Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me, Tee Hee in Live and Let Die, and most recently Hinx in Spectre).
All in all, whilst this does not appear to be a classic on the surface, showing little interest in Bondian tropes, when its cast of colourful villains get involved they elevate this to classic Bond.
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