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By
NICK ZEGARAC
James Bond: The Ultimate
Edition Vol. 3 brings together some of the most
engaging thrillers in the series. The collection
begins in earnest with Sean Connery's second
outing as 007, From Russia with Love (1963). As
President John Kennedy had made it known that From
Russia with Love was his favorite Ian Fleming
thriller, and its cold war theme was ideally
suited for the decade of real life espionage and
'Camelot,' producer's Albert R. Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman decided to use the novel as their
follow-up to Dr. No. In point of fact, Broccoli
and Saltzman would have preferred From Russia with
Love as Bond's cinematic entrée.
However, its weighty plot and shifting locales
were prohibitive to the budget they had been
allotted by United Artists. At the behest of the
studio, Broccoli and Saltzman agreed to change the
name of Bond's arch nemesis from SMERSH, the
Russian based espionage ring, to SPECTRE an
independent underworld organization, thereby
diffusing whatever Cold War animosities the film
might have otherwise incurred.
Although From Russian With Love has some marvelous
vignettes, the best of these being the two
lavishly staged fight sequences; the first in a
gypsy camp, the latter between Bond and SPECTRE
assassin, Red Grant (Robert Shaw), as a whole the
film seems far more dated and problematic than
either its forerunner or subsequent adventure,
Goldfinger.
The helicopter assault sequence, as example, in
which Bond is attacked from the air as he races
across the stark hillside, is decidedly a ripped
off of Hitchcock's penultimate wrong man classic,
North by Northwest (1959), in which Cary Grant is
similarly besought by rapid fire from a biplane.
So too, does the initial set up of Bond presumably
being murdered in the pre title sequence seem out
of place in a rather lengthy prologue that
continues for sometime after the opening credits.
With a budget twice that of its predecessor, From
Russia with Love began its shoot as an expensive
project destined to be promoted as more 'an event'
than a movie. But spirits on the set were dampened
when actor Pedro Armendariz (cast as MI6 secret
agent Kerim Bey) was diagnosed with a fatal form
of cancer. Working around Armendariz's condition
-- and eventually restructuring the schedule to
accommodate his deteriorating condition the pall
of his death before completion of the rest of the
story elements, seems to have impacted the mood of
the film as a whole.
From Russia with Love remains a somber entrée in
the Bond franchise -- darker, more sinister and
ultimately less effective than Dr. No. Even
Connery appears ill at ease as he strikes Russian
defector Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), a
woman he has just finished making love to, in an
attempt to make her confess what she in fact does
not know -- that her superior officer, Rosa Klebb
is a defector currently employed by SPECTRE.
At $78 million in worldwide box office returns,
From Russia With Love was a valiant financial
successor to Dr. No -- yet, like James Cameron's
Titanic, it is only in terms of its revenue
perhaps that the film should ultimately be
considered a great success.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) represents
something of both a departure and a finale for the
Bond franchise. At 140 minutes it is the longest
Bond adventure. It is also the last of that breed
imbued with stylish kitsch in ultra-60s chic.
Broccolli and Saltzman had done their best to woo
Connery into the fold but to no avail. Presented
with the daunting task of 'discovering' the next
James Bond the producers eventually settled on
fashion model, George Lazenby who had yet to add
film work to his list of professional credentials.
Concerns that Lazenby would be a jolt to audience
expectations, and possibly be the series' final
act, trailers and poster art featured a faceless
Bond as part of their marketing campaign. Yet,
what is most often forgotten in retrospectives is
that the film is probably the single most detailed
and fully realized Bond adventure in the entire
series. It treats the character not as the
cardboard cutout of a superman (which he had
rapidly deteriorated into during Connery's tenure)
but genuine flesh and blood, and, with very real
emotional needs for love and to be loved.
From the onset, director Peter Hunt builds a
carefully constructed mélange, determined not to
replicate or even mimic Connery's iconography, but
rather allow Lazenby to discover Bond through his
own characterization. The pre-credit sequence
features a fight done mostly in silhouette, at the
end of which Lazenby's face emerges in his first
close up and with the glib comeback, "this never
happened to the other fella." The line --
deserving of a round of applause at the premiere,
was actually a throw away that Lazenby had been
using around the set in between takes.
What is also unique about On Her Majesty's Secret
Service is Bond's unmistakable love and affection
for his Bond girl -- Tracy Vincenzo (Dianna Rigg).
In a series populated by buxom bimbos and fiery
femme fatales, Tracy represents the Bond 'girl' as
a complete woman. Her fears and anxieties, her
self-destructive nature, mirror Lazenby's
conflicted performance as Bond -- they are
counterparts cut from the same cloth.
While previous, and for that matter subsequent,
Bond adventures have set up the very cold and
removed premise that women are a means for
fleeting sexual gratification or at the very
least, diversionary eye candy, the
characterization of Tracy brings out the very best
in Fleming's hero. He is genuinely moved by her,
rather than merely going through the motions to
satisfy his own desires.
The plot diverges into two very different
narratives; the first, a traditional spy thriller,
the other a rare opportunity to present James Bond
as a man first and agent second. In an
entanglement reminiscent of Shakespeare's Taming
of the Shrew, Bond is assigned the task of wooing
sexually frigid Contessa Teresa 'Tracy' Vincenzo
by her father; shipping magnet, Marc Ange Draco
(Gabrielle Ferzetti).
Although Bond and Tracy's initial meeting is
disdainful -- the eventual romance that blossoms
between them is quite genuine. But before Bond can
pop the question, duty calls. He is sent to
impersonate Sir Hilary Bray, a genealogist
scheduled to inspect the coat of arms of a
respected personage atop a mountain retreat.
Instead, what Bond finds is that his old arch
nemesis, Ernes Stavro Blofeld (on this occasion
cast as Telly Savalas) is plotting a toxic game of
mind control, using a bevy of neurotic lovelies as
his hypnotized harbingers of doom.
Director Peter Hunt must be given credit for
producing this textually dense -- though never
boring -- film; a seamless blend of all these
narratives threads. The action sequences are
masterful set pieces that rank among the best in
the series -- including a toboggan/ski run chase,
and, an auto race that ends only after Bond and
Tracy have entered a legitimate motocross.
What seems to be the sticking point for most
audiences today is that neither Connery nor Bond's
other iconic performer, Roger Moore are on hand
for the proceedings. As Bond, George Lazenby is
decidedly more wooden than Connery, and yet
removed from Connery's hype and Moore's savvy way
around a one liner -- Lazenby is quite adequate in
the role. His emotional response to Tracy's murder
is a highpoint for the film that neither Connery
nor Moore ever achieve. But there is no denying
that in keeping with the history of Bond as a
character, Lazenby is something of a road show
distillation, instead of iconic and galvanic. When
all was said and done, On Her Majesty's Secret
Service proved to be a considerable success at the
box office, raking in $80 million.
With his debut to the series in Live and Let Die
(1973) Roger Moore realigns the persona of 007
with more contemporary trends -- no small feat of
accomplishment, considering how rabidly popular
Connery's stoic and brooding Bond had been only a
few short years before.
Yet, unlike Connery -- who had detested the glitz,
glam and endless hounding for autographs and
interviews from the press and his fans, almost
from the moment he had essayed into the role–
Moore relished every moment in the process of
becoming Bond and proved to be a great raconteur,
both on and off the set. While filming in the
tropics, Moore also attended a Tarot 'reading'
that uncannily predicted with accuracy he would
have a son and become a humanitarian.
Redesigning Bond to suit Moore's personality meant
the loss of the harder edge that Connery had
infused. As screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz would
later explain, Connery's personality allowed for
the option of writing a scene in which Bond either
kissed or killed a girl. Moore, however, would
appear thuggish and ill at ease with this latter
option. Hence, Live and Let Die has plenty of
threatening menace -- but most of it is delivered
by Moore as total quip and tongue-in-cheek.
Ironically, at the time of the film's release,
critics perceived this nonchalance as having a
'softening' effect on the character. They also
criticized the inclusion of J.W. Pepper (Clifton
James), a sublimely over-the-top caricature of the
Southern bigot that nevertheless won the laughs
and popularity of audiences. If any singular
unforgivable sin may be ascribed to Live and Let
Die it derives from the absence of resident gadget
master "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn); an omission that
has never been satisfactorily explained.
Today, Live and Let Die is perhaps more heavily
dated than most of the Bonds -- certainly more
than any of the other Roger Moore classics. Its
focus on Harlem hoods, thugs and a drug cartel run
by San Monique politician Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big
(Yaphet Kotto) simply reeks of the sort of
blacksploitation that readily flooded the
marketplace then, but is now acknowledged and
almost universally panned as racial tripe in films
like Shaft (1971), Blacula (1972) or Foxy Brown
(1974).
The heady concern that Moore would not be accepted
as Bond by his peers was counterbalanced by an
impressive media blitz in publicity that included
everything from a round of interviews to oddities
like commercial tie-ins with Evinrude Motors and
Glastron Boats, and even a commercial in which
Moore trades vodka martinis to promote milk
consumption. The campaign proved successful. Upon
its release, Live and Let Die became the most
profitable Bond yet, raking in $161 million.
Broccoli, Saltzman and Moore could at last breathe
a sign of relief.
With For Your Eyes Only (1981) Broccoli made every
attempt to return Bond to his more 'realistic' Ian
Fleming based roots. In everything from the film's
opening sequence (that has Bond placing flowers on
the grave of his late wife, Tracy) to the staging
of its action sequences, (right up to and
including the climactic near drowning of James and
his Bond girl, Melina Havelok (Carole Bouquet),
there is a sense that the events occurring in this
film, above all other Bonds, are quite plausible.
The fact that Bond does not save the world but
merely aids in the preservation of its currency,
in retrospect foreshadows the present downgrading
in Bond's status from super human, to just an
action guy with really cool gadgets.
Bond is deployed to recover a decoding device from
a British sea vessel, the St. Georges, that has
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 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). However, very shortly these alliances
shift as Bond discovers his true compatriot in
Greek smuggler, Milos Columbo (Topol).
In retrospect, this film is notable for the
appearance of the late first wife of future Bond,
Pierce Brosnan; Cassandra Harris as the Countess
Lisl. Esthetically, For Your Eyes Only also marks
a first for Bond films by featuring the
transparent ghost of Sheena Easton singing against
the main title sequence. At $195 million, the
receipts on For Your Eyes Only may not have been
as impressive as those accumulated by the previous
Moore Bond flick, Moonraker, but they were
respectable enough to convince Broccoli that his
revised interpretation of Bond had been the
correct one all along.
By late 1992 both Broccoli and MGM/UA desperately
wanted to return James Bond to cinema screens.
Lengthy litigation between EON Productions and the
aforementioned studio, that had forced the
franchise into a hiatus, had been resolved under
the latter's new management and all concerned were
anxious to launch another installment in the Bond
series. Timothy Dalton's departure was only one
hurdle that needed to be overcome. England's
Pinewood Studios -- which had primarily been James
Bond's home, were unavailable to accommodate the
shooting schedule for Broccoli's latest and last
project -- Goldeneye (1995), forcing the company
to virtually build another studio, later named
Leavesden, from scratch. Broccoli would die the
following year of natural causes, leaving behind a
legacy in anthology filmmaking that will likely
remain unsurpassed.
Relieved of his NBC contract, and relegated to
several years of inconsequentiality as an actor,
Pierce Brosnan enthusiastically approached the
assignment -- perhaps a bit weary that his
commitment rested precariously on the shoulders of
a studio that could not afford to have a flop.
Happy accident for all, that despite an erratic
gestation period and rather awkwardly structured
script, Goldeneye proved to be anything but a
failure.
Imbued with the best elements of the series,
(though arguably, the rejuvenation of Miss
Moneypenny as a woman much prettier and younger
than Bond remains a misfire) including exotic
locales and stunning action sequences, Goldeneye
proved a notable return to form.
The plot concerns a stolen helicopter with nuclear
missiles and a rogue element in MI6, Alec
Trevelyan (Sean Bean). Once a committed agent,
Alec has defected to the Russians who plan to hold
the world hostage by using a satellite to zap out
potential adversaries from the relative safety of
outer space. (This tired pretext had been
previously exploited in Diamonds Are Forever and
would be reused again as the main threat to world
domination in Die Another Day.) Not that audience
seemed to mind this retread on old ideas. Upon its
release, Goldeneye grossed a staggering $351
million -- a financial success more telling of the
rising costs in theater tickets rather than an
accurate measure of total audience attendance.
MGM/Sony/20th Century Fox joint release of these
films in a deluxe box set, like Volumes one and
two, is a winner that belongs on everyone's top
shelf. Owing to Lowry Digital restoration efforts,
the image quality on all of the films in this
third box set is exemplary. Colors are vibrant,
bold and accurately balanced. Fine details are
present even during the darkest scenes. Contrast
levels are bang on. Blacks are rich, deep and
velvety. Whites are pristine. There is not even a
subtle hint of age related or digital artifacts
for picture quality, which will not merely
entertain, but astound.
Previously, the matte photography on From Russia
with Love had exhibited a horrendous faded
characteristic that belied its usage during
certain shots in the film. The colors have since
been corrected for a very smooth visual
presentation. Live and Let Die's previous transfer
had exhibited a very unstable image during the
thrilling boat chase sequence. This shortcoming
too has been completely resolved for a stunning
new and very sharp looking transfer. The Harlem
Fillet of Soul sequence still exhibits moderate
grain but one must assume that this is inherent in
the original film elements. The audio on all films
has been remixed to a 5.1 stereo track that is
quite complimentary -- although purists will note
that the audio is a tad too thin and strident on
For Your Eyes Only.
Extras include everything available in the
previous Bond DVD's plus a host of intriguing
extras -- outtakes, rehearsals, new audio
commentaries, commercials, behind the scenes
footage and so much more than this review can
adequately delve into in brief. Suffice it to say,
this is the Bond collection that every film
connoisseur needs: a must have! |
