From Russia With Love (1963)

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From Russia With Love continues to enthrall 007 film fans even today. Based on the book of the same name by Ian Fleming, the film has minor variances from the book such as the Russian SMERSH changed to the now famous SPECTRE.

While the plot is straightforward, what makes this film intriguing are the locations and the interplay among its characters. For e.g. it has Karim Bey, a good-hearted man with certain vices, who helps Bond out. Similar versions are Draco in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Columbo in For Your Eyes Only. And then there are Rosa Klebb, Red Grant, and the chess wizard Kronsteen, along with the man with the cat - Blofeld, whose face remains hidden (it is Anthony Dawson, the Professor Dent of Dr. No, returning to the franchise, and voiced by Eric Pohlmann). Last but not least the likable Tatiana Romanova. Sylvia Trench returns for a cameo.

However, the key character is Istanbul as the location and the setting on the train (can be seen as a sort of train adventure film as well). This element gives it a period Bond film look. If one were to make a period Bond film today, it would probably be like From Russia With Love.


What about the negatives? If I have to mention something, I would point at the segment between when Bond gets off the train and gets to Venice. The boat and the helicopter chase sequences have not aged as well as liked but the good spin to it is that it is a skippable (or cuttable) segment. When Bond gets to Venice, the film brings the intrigue, its strength, back.


Overall, this is among the best of Bond adventures. The film also has a bit of a Hitchcock feel to it. It gets ranked among the best films, especially in its genre, by various magazines/critics.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE | Kronsteen Outlines His Plan To Blofeld and Klebb - YouTube

How do you rate this film? ... As a potential new direction, would you prefer the Bond franchise make a few period Bond films rooted in the 50s-60s that are closely based on Ian Fleming's books?