From Russia with Love
Composite Score: 82
Starring: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, and Vladek Sheybal
Director: Terence Young
Writers: Richard Maibaum and Johanna Harwood
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Spy
MPAA Rating: PG
Box Office: $24.81 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
From Russia with Love is the second of Sean Connery’s James Bond films, following his debut in Dr. No. It features 007 dealing with the aftermath of his defeat of S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s Dr. No as they seek revenge on him through a plot to procure a Soviet codebreaking device. This Bond film features many of the classic 007 standbys – beautiful women, unique gadgets, foreign operatives, and villains that specifically want to kill James Bond. It makes sense that From Russia with Love has managed to withstand the test of time, as its story is easy enough to follow but exciting enough to keep you engaged, and it features James Bond being even cooler than he was in Dr. No with an even broader cast of characters.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
The one thing missing from the Bond formula in From Russia with Love is a truly remarkable villain. Perhaps, that is because the film has three villains that it attempts to balance and leverage against James throughout its story. Each villain is remarkable in their own ways, but none stand out quite as remarkably as other Bond villains (see Dr. No, Goldfinger, Oddjob, Le Chifre, Blofeld, or even Silva). The weakest is obviously Vladek Sheybal’s Kronsteen, a chess master who develops the plot to entrap James and procure the code machine. He feels the least necessary, as his entire contribution could have been handled by Lotte Lenya’s Colonel Klebb, making her character more memorable in the process. As it stands, Klebb’s only remarkable traits are her Russian accent and one-time use of a poisoned boot blade. Had she also been the mastermind behind the plot, she might rank higher among Bond’s memorable villains. In the same way, Robert Shaw’s Grant feels like he could have been one of the best heavies in any Bond film. Unfortunately, he lacks an interesting name and has very little agency in the villains’ plot – although, he is definitely the strongest of the villains in the film.
The other obvious knock against From Russia with Love is the knock against basically every Bond film that exists, namely, its treatment of the women in the film. Yes, Klebb is a powerful female villain, so it’s got that going for it. However, Bond is in his element, sleeping with multiple women throughout the film’s runtime with very little hesitation. Daniela Bianchi’s Tatiana has the most agency of the women in the film, and even she does very little besides switch sides because of how attractive she finds James Bond. This film also features one of the most unnecessarily horny scenes I’ve ever witnessed in which two “gypsy” women fight over a man and are then given to Bond for the night as thanks for saving the gypsy leader. They served quite literally no purpose at all other than being viewed by the film’s protagonist (and the audience) as sex objects.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
As Bond films go, From Russia with Love has a fun plot and solid action. I think what we have discovered with Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond is that moviegoers enjoy 007 the most when the plot has both personal and global stakes for Bond and when the villains are allowed to play in their space a bit. From Russia with Love lays that groundwork well, featuring a plot from S.P.E.C.T.R.E. that hinges upon Bond’s involvement in order to escalate the violence of the Cold War, potentially leading to nuclear war. As for villains being given some free rein, Robert Shaw as Grant fills that role nicely, hounding 007 in Istanbul as both a threat and guardian angel before joining Bond in disguise on the train and ultimately having a showdown in the sleeping quarters. His portrayal is equal parts menacing and conniving, playing the strong, silent heavy for much of the film before eventually getting his own villainous monologue in the final showdown.
The action and espionage in From Russia with Love also satisfy that itch that leads to watching a Bond film. The film delivers on chases (in cars, in boats, and in a car fleeing a helicopter), big fights (gypsies vs. Bulgarians), assassinations, explosions, and one-on-ones between James and the two featured villains. All work well, but the two most notable are the scene with the helicopter chasing James and Tatiana in the truck and the fight between Bond and Grant on the train. The Bond-Grant fight works so well because it features a legitimate threat to Bond in the form of Grant and forces Bond to use the gadgets that he was given at the start of the film, giving the audience a big payoff in the process. The helicopter chase almost immediately follows that scene and delivers some excellent spectacle in the visual and practical effects departments while again providing a legitimate threat that James again has to overcome – classic scenes in the Bond action department.
A combination of thrilling spy action and a plot that lays the groundwork for future Bond greatness are the hallmarks of From Russia with Love that make it one of the Greatest Films of All Time. Though it struggles at times juggling its villains and it suffers from the overt objectification of women that most Bond films do, it remains a highly watchable action film and one of the better examples of an early bond film. Connery is right at home in the role for this one, and it is definitely worth the watch. Check it out while it is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
