FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

A film by Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, and
Pedro Armendariz
Written by Johanna Harwood and Richard Maibaum
Based on the novel by Ian Fleming

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, the 2nd entry in the James Bond series, is still the definitive Sean Connery as Bond film, and, except for possibly GOLDFINGER, the finest film in the series. A fast-paced, intelligent, witty, and suspenseful film, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is a magnificent entry in the espionage film genre, and a film that just isn't made today anymore.

The plot is relatively simple, and quite deceptive. Bond isn't looking to save the world, or prevent nuclear holocaust. Instead, the object in question is a coding maching: a Lecter, the machine the Soviets use for all their secret transmissions. Former KGB agent Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) and 5 (Vladek Sheybal), two agents now working for SPECTRE, are trying to obtain a Russian coding device to conduct criminal operations. They decide to use British agent James Bond (Sean Connery) to obtain the device from Russian cipher clerk Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi). Romanova is hired by Klebb, acting as a KGB agent, to fake a defection and seduce Bond in order to eliminate him. Once Bond has the machine, SPECTRE agent Red Grant (Robert Shaw) is to kill Bond, the girl, and take the coding device. Bond suspects a trap from the beginning, but he can't resist the opportunity to get a Lecter, and to meet Tatiana. Once there, he successfully gets the Lecter (and romances the girl), before having a memorable train ride with Robert Shaw's Grant.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is where so many of the trademark characteristics of a Bond film became set in stone. John Barry's theme reappears constantly. The action set-piece before the film's credits is also introduced for the first time. The viewers also get a glimpse of Q (Desmond Llewelyn) for the first time, as he devises his very first gadget: a briefcase. The film is also the last to not have the excessive gadgetry that have plagued recent Bond films. The script, instead of having outrageously sexist one-liners and pathetic attempts at campy humor, is instead more formal, more serious, with emphasis not on humor but on the business at hand. Yet, there is enough of the camp element to make the film more than action-entertaining: James Bond is also, besides the world's best spy, a downright misogynist dinosaur, and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE introduces that subtlely, a trait later Bond films forget.

The strength lies in the performances. Everyone's fantastic, from Bianchi, to the excellent Shaw, to Lenya, who gives a marvelous turn as Klebb. Shaw, who would experience his massive burst of fame 12 years later in Steven Spielberg's JAWS, is nevertheless quite good in his relatively simple role as the psychotic killer. Lenya is a riot at Klebb, who is magnificently portrayed as the man-hater who manages to get things done. The supporting cast, especially the players in Istanbul, do a fine job, especially Armendariz as Karim Bey. There are many extravagant set-pieces (the Gypsys, the train, and more...), but the film doesn't feel overly stunt-conscious: it is more on the cat-and-mouse game played by three sides.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, howver, belongs to Sean Connery. He establishes his persona as the coolest human being on the planet with a magnificent mix of panache, humor, and cold-hearted boldness. One of the finest scenes is when Bond is carefully checking his room for 'bugs'. With the Bond theme roaring in the background, Connery calmly checks his room with a cool sense of calm, with an indelible strut and manner. It is this overwhelming sense of intelligence mixed with panache and sheer guts that makes Bond such a phenomenal character. Connery is simply stellar: it is simply a seminal performance, with enough humor and enough hard-edged toughness to make it magical.This is one of those great espionage thrillers that focuses on the actual spying part. There are no fierce explosions, or anything of the kind. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is so good because it actually could have happened: this is the stuff spies really do. There are no overwhelming gadgets or toys that the agents use, except their heads. Bond is so much smarter in this film than the later attempts, especially the dreadful Roger Moore era. It is a harder edged film, with a simple, yet fast and intelligent plot that relies on conversations, multiple characters, and cat-and-mouse games of surveillance, 'bugging', and anticipation. The train scene is the true spectacle: its a stellar game of classic suspence. Like that scene, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is a classic, knockout film, powered by strong performances, plot twists, and intrigue on a grand scale. One of the best Bonds, and a perfect example of what the model should be for all other espionage films to come. Fantastic.