From Russia with Love (1963)

From Russia with Love (Terence Young, 1963).

Sean Connery returns as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in this second movie in the series, From Russia with Love. Produced, once again, by ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s Eon Productions. 

Here some double agent dupery sees Bond smuggling a Soviet Lektor decrypting device from East to West via the Orient Express. Pulling the strings are terrorist organisation SPECTRE, seeking to avenge the death of an agent who Bond bumped off previously. 

Confusingly, this second movie is based upon Fleming’s fifth Bond novel, which was reportedly a favourite of John F Kennedy. Following Dr No, we are still in fairly stripped down Bond territory here: the outlandish gadgets, elaborate action set-pieces and sometimes laboured comedy would come later. While I prefer this lean mean Bond of the early series entries, I will admit the misogynistic tone of From Russia with Love leaves a bad taste. The sight of Bond slapping a woman about, even if she is a Russian agent, fills me with unease. 

That aspect aside, the movie ranks as one of the series’ best. Dr No director Terence Young returns to deliver another tight, action packed yet well paced thriller. Highlights include a showdown between Bond and a helicopter (lifted from Hitchcock’s North By Northwest (1959)) and a fight in a train carriage made all the more exciting by its scrappy realism. 

Many latter staples of the series are introduced here. SPECTRE head honcho Blofeld makes his first appearance, although his face is unseen and no performer is credited with the role - a ? appearing in place of the actor’s name in the end titles. It is our first sighting of gadget man Q, a role Desmond Llewelyn would be associated with until his death in 1999. From Russia with Love also introduced the pre-title sequence and Lionel Bart provided the first Bond theme. Heard as an instrumental against the nudie ladies silhouette titles (another first - although here she is a belly dancer, nudieness would follow in later movies), Matt Monro’s beautiful vocal version is heard first over a transistor radio and later in the end credits. 

Connery, once again, is fantastic. Equal parts flirty and fighty, cool yet sophisticated. A top quality supporting cast sees regulars Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell return as M and Miss Moneypenny respectively; an amiable Pedro Armendáriz as Bond’s Istanbul M16 ally; Robert Shaw makes an impressive baddie and Daniela Bianchi gets to look lovely in a series of nighties as ambiguous Bond girl Tatiana. Best of all is the fabulous Lotte Lenya as SPECTRE agent and possessor of lethal footwear Rosa Klebb. 

This and the following movie Goldfinger (Guy Hamilton, 1964) set the template for all the Bonds that followed. They also set the standard. In my opinion these early movies were never bettered. From Russia with Love, in particular, holds up as one of the series’ best and has stood the test of time as an exciting action adventure in its own right. 

If you enjoyed this review check out my previous review of Dr No. James Bond will return in my review of Goldfinger...