Flickering Myth’s writing team count down to the release of Skyfall by discussing their favourite James Bond films; next up is Helen Murdoch with From Russia with Love…
From Russia with Love is the only Bond film that was intended as a sequel, yet it surpassed Dr. No and spawned one of the longest running franchises of all time. From its opening scene, through to the first meeting of Blofeld, it’s a new level of entertainment and sets the bar even higher. Although some argue that Goldfinger is Connery’s best Bond, From Russia with Love brings something more to the table for me.
After the success of Dr. No, it was inevitable that a sequel would be released; this is why From Russia with Love has a different feel to most Bond movies. Unlike most of the Bond opening scenes, this one is from SPECTRE’s perspective and sets the tone for the entire film. As is a rule with all sequels (unintentional or not), they have to be bigger, louder and better, and this is where From Russia with Love delivers. We have the exotic Istanbul location, scantily clad women, more explosions, more henchman deaths and we meet Blofeld who is the quintessential Bond villain. He is a malevolent presence throughout the film, he’s the villain that always stands on the outside, and his appearance in From Russia with Love ups the film’s ante.
Sean Connery stated that From Russia with Love was his favourite Bond, and this comes across in his performance. From first watching the film you can see the enjoyment on all the actors faces as they feel comfortable with their roles and deliver stellar performances. For me Connery is Bond, from his delivery of one liners, through to his catlike agility; I can even forgive the blatant misogyny. It’s in this film that he comes into his own and defines the character. Whereas in Dr. No he seemed to me to be playing it safe, here he lets loose.
Although with early Bond the heroines weren’t fully fleshed out until Goldfinger, Daniela Bianchi makes for a good enough Bond girl. However, if anything, she is the only flaw of the entire film for me. Aside from Connery, the real star is Robert Shaw. Remaining silent throughout the majority of the film, he makes for one of the best Bond villains. When he does speak, you’re pleasantly surprised and intrigued at how his plan is going to work out. Although we’re rooting for Bond, Shaw does seem like an adversary that could match him. It was only when Casino Royale rebooted the series that we felt the same level of antagonism.
Think carefully, aside from Ursula Andress and “Bond, James Bond” how much of Dr. No do you remember? For me not that much. From Russia with Love has far more scenes that stick in the mind. From the bleached blonde adversary, to the gypsy shootout, all the way through to the iconic slow burning train ride, the film is constructed perfectly and is emblazoned in my mind. The whole film is paced well and offers more locations, chases, and effects. The influence of it can still be seen in Bond today. The train scene in Casino Royale is a cute nod to earlier Bond, and the stoic adversary became a staple throughout the franchise. From Russia with Love showed what Bond could be, and they went with it and created Goldfinger, Thunderball, A View to a Kill, Goldeneye and Casino Royale. This is why it’s my favourite – Dr. No introduced the world to Bond, From Russia with Love pushed even harder and showed how big a Bond film could be.
From Russia with Love was the second Bond I saw. The first was Goldeneye, which was a fantastic film in itself, but after seeing this it paled in comparison. True there are better gadgets and effects and Brosnan was a great Bond, but it lacked the excitement of early Bond. From Russia with Love was entirely different, it added a character that underneath all the fancy suits and gadgets was 100% human. The train scene sticks in my mind and has been emulated hundreds of times, but none have come close to eclipsing this seminal film.
Helen Murdoch
Originally published October 4, 2012. Updated April 10, 2018.
