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From Russia With Love [1963] | | |
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.co.uk Review
Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, From Russia With Love, the second James Bond spy thriller, is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by an assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff ShannonOn the DVD: The "making of" documentary details the many problems that beset this production: actor Pedro Armendariz (Kerim Bey) was diagnosed with terminal cancer halfway through shooting so all his scenes had to be done before he became too ill to work (he died shortly afterwards); a helicopter carrying the director and designer crashed into a lake, but despite being narrowly rescued from drowning Young was shooting half an hour later; and Italian actress-model Daniela Bianchi's car crashed en route to location. Key scenes had to be reshot after the production had wrapped, and because of script problems and rewrites, much of the film's structure was assembled in the editing room. The audio commentary is another montage of interviews from cast and crew that is alternately absorbing and irritating (exhaustive biogs of every player too often run over key scenes that would have benefited from analysis). An appreciation of flamboyant co-producer Harry Saltzman, trailers and stills complete the package. --Mark Walker
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| Customer Reviews:
 A near-masterpiece from the Golden Age of Bond films . . . November 21, 2002
S Payne
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
From Russia With Love remains one of the greatest of all Bond movies, in my view eclipsed only by Goldfinger. We are only second in what would prove to be an enduring series (recently added to by the twentieth and latest offering, Die Another Day) so the movie remains relatively true to Ian Fleming's original vision. Fleming died suddenly in 1964, the year after FRWL, and thereafter the film Bond diverged more and more widely from the quite brilliant novels, but here we have a comparatively faithful rendition of the book. You don't have to be a Bond purist to be one of the millions who regard Sean Connery, with his brooding undercurrent of genuine strength and menace not to say brutality, as the definitive Bond, and the late lamented Robert Shaw (here muscle-bound and peroxide blond of hair) makes a splendidly evil villain in the shape of Donovan 'Red' Grant (marvellously malevolent but still toned-down from the homicidal Northern Irish psychopath depicted in the book). As other reviewers have observed, the luscious Daniela Bianchi was surely one of the sexiest in a long line of Bond girls, so, in short, magnificent characters brilliantly played all round in magnificent sets, Istanbul in particular. Add on a tuneful title song from the velvet-voiced Matt Monro and the greatest fight sequence ever filmed (Connery and Shaw hurl themselves at each other on the train with jaw-droppingly realistic savagery) and you have Bond (almost---see above) at his very best. Buy film in format of your choice: watch: repeat regularly.
The Very Best of Bond August 16, 2002
E. A. Redfearn (Middlesbrough)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Out of all the Bond films made since Dr No in 1962, this remains my own personal favourite. It epitomises all that was good about the 1960s. Wonderful production values with a great script and cast, it remains an outstanding example of how espionige films should be made. Sean Connery is wonderful here, and it was a masterstroke of the casting director to pit the wonderful Robert Shaw against him. (Shaw and Connery were close friends in real life.) One sad point of the film however, was that Pedro Armanderiz died shortly after completing all his scenes, and it is partly a tribute to his acting skill. No Bond film would be complete without its leading lady however, and Daniella Bianche remains one of the loveliest. Overall, its a great film to watch and enjoy. Picture and sound on DVD are very good of course, and the disc is enhanced with numerous extras which will keep any Bond fan more than happy. Dont miss it!
 Continues the high standards set by Dr No November 14, 2002
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
THE FILM - From Russia With Love is very much along the same lines as Dr No stylistically. This should surprise no-one, as it has many of the same key personnel. The film is intelligent, and thrilling, though a little clunky. It benefits from superb performances by Connery, and the supporting players Lotte Lenya and Pedro Armendariz. These are all truly world class actors - and it shows. The music underscores the film perfectly - the first score by John Barry for the series.DVD PRESENTATION - A great print, with great sound. You can't fault it. DVD EXTRAS - The documentary concerning the film is very informative - as a hardened Bond fan, I found out mountains of new information - including the fact that director Terence Young was nearly lost in a helicopter crash in Scotland. There is a very high quality documentary about Harry Saltzman - the co producer of the James Bond films until 1975. He is often overlooked in favour of the great Albert R. Broccoli, and it is good that this documentary acknowledges his unique contribution to film. One note however - on all the Connery films, the stills included are far too small to show in any detail on a normal television screen - why don't they fill the whole screen instead of just a postcard size in the centre?
The classic. June 7, 2004
Mr. A. P. Venables
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Justly remembered as the classic of the Connery era, this one has the balance spot on. Sharp humour is expertly mixed with a tangible air of menace. The characters are brilliantly drawn and the plot remains one of the most sophisticated of any adventure.Everything here works the acting, the music, the story, the action and in my view better than the comic book excess of Goldfinger. This is the most convincing of the Bond adventures and one of the most old fashioned. Though no evil hideout explodes at the end this remains one of the most enjoyable Bond's of all.
Most underated Bond film November 11, 2000
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This film has arguably the most chilling villains in Rosa Klebb (poisened dart on shoe) and Red Grant(SPECTRE) to been seen in any of the Bond Films. Eastern European locations such as Istanbul, Venice, Zagreb and a Gypsy camp plus a well taut storyline make this Bond film perhaps the most serious adaption of any of the novels. Look out for a serious Connery, the Bond girl Tatiana and the very evil Klebb.
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