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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Coming on the heels of
over-the-top Moonraker, "For Your Eyes Only"
(1981) was an attempt to legitimize the Bond
franchise by returning to its more 'realistic' and
Ian Fleming faithful roots. In everything from its
opening sequence, that has Bond placing flowers on
the grave of his late wife, to the staging of its
action sequences, up to and including the
climactic near drowning of James and his Bond
girl, there is a sense that the events occurring
in this film, above all other Bond excursions, is
quite plausible. And, the fact that Bond himself
does not, for once, save the world, but merely
aids in the preservation of its currency, in
retrospect foreshadows the current downgrading in
Bond's status from super human, to just an action
guy with really cool gadgets.
James Bond (Roger Moore) is employed to recover a
decoding device from British sea vessel, the St.
Georges, that has been sunk somewhere off the
coast of Greece. At the same time, Melina Havelok
(Carole Bouquet) is on a mission to avenge the
murders of her mother and father, who were
attempting to salvage the wreck. Inevitably these
two destinies collide when it is discovered that a
man named Aris Kristatos (Julian Glover) is
responsible for both the sinking and the killings.
At first, Kristatos presents himself as an ally to
Bond. He is a cultured patron of the arts and a
devoted sponsor to Olympic hopeful, Bibi Dahl
(Lynn-Holly Johnson in a camp performance as an
underaged/oversexed skater setting her cap for
Bond, and Kristatos stooge, Erich Kriegler -- John
Wyman). But very shortly these alliances will
shift when Bond discovers his true compatriot in
the materialization of a Greek smuggler, Milos
Columbo (Topol).
In retrospect, this film is also notable for the
appearance of the late first wife of future Bond
star, Pierce Brosnan; Cassandra Harris as Countess
Lisl. Esthetically, For Your Eyes Only also marks
a first for Bond films, featuring the transparent
ghost of Sheena Easton singing the title track
against the credit sequence.
The MGM/UA anamorphic widescreen DVD presents a
quite pleasing visual experience. Colors are
somewhat muted and dated, but nicely balanced.
Contrast levels are a tad weaker than expected,
but overall adequately presented. Fine details are
realized during most of the daytime scenes.
Nighttime location shots are less satisfactory,
often appearing softly focused or slightly hazy.
The audio is dated but overall packs a punch,
particularly during the explosive showdown between
Columbo and Kristatos. Extras include two
masterful documentaries, an audio commentary, some
promotion junket materials, stills gallery and the
film's theatrical trailer. |
