Showing posts with label bernard lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bernard lee. Show all posts

Friday, May 16, 2014

2014 Cannes Marathon: The Third Man


(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival)



Directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene from his own novel, The Third Man is the story of a pulp writer who goes to postwar Vienna where he tries to find out who killed a friend of his as it takes him to dark places. The film is a mystery that takes place in the world of the black markets where it explores all sorts of things in a world that is coming out of World War II. Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles. The Third Man is a gripping whodunit from Carol Reed.

Set in postwar Vienna where the city is under occupation following World War II, a pulp writer arrives to the city to meet a friend only to learn that he has been killed. Yet, many questions have arisen for Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) who wondered if the death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) is an accident or was it murder as he questions a woman named Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli) who is Harry’s girlfriend while he is being questioned by the British officer Major Calloway (Trevor Howard). It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the mystery of a suspicious murder but there’s something more as it concerns the black market in postwar-occupied Vienna as well as other things where Holly isn’t sure who to trust. Especially as the people Harry were connected to are men from different sectors of the city as they all want to make money and leave people who needed things like penicillin be left aside.

Graham Greene’s screenplay has this unique structure where the first half is about who killed Harry Lime as Holly Martins meets various people who may know something as well as those who may have clues into what really happened. Yet, the script has Holly wondering if he really knew Harry as he becomes concerned for Anna who wants to know what happened to Harry as well yet she is also very cagey about what he does and the men he works with. The film’s second half becomes much more eerie where Holly not only learns about Harry but also the line of work that he does and the identity of the third man who had carried Harry’s body. Though Major Calloway starts off as an antagonist in the film’s first half, he becomes the only person that Holly can trust as Calloway’s motivations to find the truth forces Holly to do what he feels is right.

Carol Reed’s direction is very stylish in not just the way he presents the mystery and drama but also the air of suspense that he brings. Some of which involves some slightly-slanted camera angles that adds to the air of style but also some ambiguity into the world that the characters are in. There’s also some unique framing devices and images that Reed creates such as the way the characters are often seen through a glass window or a glass door as it shows how detached they are from what is going in Vienna. There’s also some very ominous scenes set in the Viennese sewers where it would play into this climax over the third man as it is a moment that is thrilling but also filled with terror as it is told with such style. Overall, Reed crafts a very smart and engrossing film about a man trying to find out about his friend’s death and what got his friend killed.

Cinematographer Robert Krasker does incredible work with the film‘s black-and-white photography where many of its nighttime scenes has this amazing array of lights and shadows to create an atmosphere that is very chilling as the climax in the sewers just adds to that dark atmosphere as it‘s one of the film‘s major highlights. Editor Oswald Hafenrichter does excellent work with the editing in creating some unique montages for some of the film‘s climax along with some methodical cuts to help build up its suspense. Art director Vincent Korda and set decorator Dario Simoni do fantastic work with the set pieces from the apartments Holly goes to as well as the military building Major Calloway works at.

Sound editor Jack Drake does superb work with the sound work that goes on in the film as it is very effective to play into the film‘s suspense and drama. The film’s music by Anton Karas is brilliant with its offbeat use of the zither as it is very playful in its approach to the music that is odd yet it is so intoxicating to listen to as it‘s another of the film‘s highlights.

The film’s wonderful cast includes some notable small roles from Paul Horbiger as a porter who knows some answers about Harry’s murder, Siegfried Breuer as a man who carried Harry’s body on the night he was killed, Ernst Deutsch as the mysterious Baron Kurtz who also carried Harry’s body that night, Erich Ponto as the very eccentric Dr. Winkel, and Bernard Lee as the very kind and resourceful Sgt. Paine. Trevor Howard is excellent as Major Calloway as a man who leads the investigation over Harry’s death as he would also go deep into what he learns about Harry’s line of work as he’s a very ambiguous individual who may seem like an antagonist but has motives that makes him more unique.

Orson Welles is great as Harry Lime as this American black markets dealer who is killed over what happened as Welles maintains a low-key presence as it’s a very strange yet very memorable performance from Welles. Alida Valli is amazing as Anna Schmidt as this woman who may know about what Harry does as she remains evasive yet wants to find him as she helps out Holly despite calling him Harry sometimes. Finally, there’s Joseph Cotten in a phenomenal performance as Holly Martins as this pulp writer who writes these genre-based novels as he goes into his own investigation over Harry’s death while learning about the world of the black market as Cotten adds a sense of determination but also a weariness to man who deals with a very complicated world.

The Third Man is a remarkable film from Carol Reed that features great performances from Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, and Orson Welles. Not only is it one of the finest films of the suspense/film noir genre but also a film that explores the world of postwar Europe that is unraveling as it’s trying to enter the second half of the 20th Century. In the end, The Third Man is a spectacular film from Carol Reed.

© thevoid99 2014
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Monday, July 30, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Moonraker



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, Moonraker is the story of James Bond uncovering a space shuttle theft as he meets its manufacturer who plans to create a society in outer space. Directed by Lewis Gilbert and screenplay by Christopher Wood, the film has James Bond traveling all over the world again as well as go to outer space to face off against another megalomaniacal villain. Also starring Michael Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel, Walter Gotell, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and in his final appearance as M, Bernard Lee. Moonraker is a spectacular film from Lewis Gilbert.

After the theft of a space shuttle, James Bond is asked by M and the Minister of Defense Frederick Gray (Geoffrey Keen) to investigate as Bond travels to California to meets its manufacturer Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale). After meeting Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) at Drax’s lab, Bond seduces Drax’s assistant Corrine Dufour (Corrine Clery) to get information about what Drax is planning as he travels to Venice for further investigation. After dealing with some of Drax’s people, Bond discovers glass vials containing nerve gas put into chambers as Bond later learns that Goodhead is a member of the CIA. After reporting the news to Gray and M about the lab, they discover that it’s gone as Gray is forced to apologize to Drax for Bond’s blunder though M knows something is up.

Going to Rio de Janeiro, Bond meets his contact Manuela (Emily Bolton) to find out what Drax is doing in Rio as he suddenly meets up with Drax’s newly-hired henchman in Jaws (Richard Kiel) as he and Goodhead have another encounter with Jaws when they learn that Drax is moving all of his properties away from Rio. Though Bond was able to escape the clutches of Drax’s henchmen, Goodhead was captured as Bond regroups at a secret base where Q (Desmond Llewelyn) discovers the source of the nerve gas from a rare orchid prompting Bond to go to the Amazon where he encounters Jaws and more of Drax’s men leading to Drax’s secret base where Goodhead is held prisoner. After another escape with Goodhead, the two travel to outer space where they learn about Drax’s big plans to hold a society of a new world and destroy the old one. The news would force Bond to save the world with the help of an unexpected ally.

The film is essentially about James Bond stopping another industrialist from destroying the world to create a new one but this time around, it’s in outer space. Yet, it would have Bond doing more investigating and engage into conflict with henchman as he is trying to save the world once again. This time around, he faces off against a man who wants to create a new world that away from all of the decadence and turmoil but also create new species with people who have perfect genes. While there’s nothing wrong with Drax’s ideas, the fact that he wants to destroy Earth just makes him the kind of foe Bond has to defeat. The screenplay succeeds in creating a character as complex as Hugo Drax as well as creating a Bond girl in Dr. Holly Goodhead who is quite intelligent and can kick some ass in order to help Bond.

The direction of Lewis Gilbert is definitely big in terms of the ambition he aims for as much of the film takes place in different locations such as Venice, Rio de Janeiro, California, and parts of Guatemala. Yet, Gilbert ensures that the film has all of the tropes of what is expected in a Bond film through the beautiful locations and thrilling action sequences while taking time to uncover things that is crucial to the film’s plot. While the film does contain humor, at times it goes a little overboard towards silliness where it ends up being a bit of a distraction rather than to help advance the story. Yet, the humor isn’t shown as much as it leads to the climatic scenes in outer space in the third act where Bond takes charge and faces off against Drax and destroy his plans. Despite the flaws the film carries, Lewis Gilbert creates another successful and engaging Bond film that does everything that is expected in a Bond film.

Cinematographer Jean Tournier does a wonderful job with the film‘s photography from the gorgeous exterior shots of some of the film‘s exotic locations to the interiors in Drax‘s mansion and the space station to maintain a very pristine look. Editor John Glen does excellent work with the editing to play up the element of suspense and action with some stylish cuts for the latter. Production designer Ken Adam, with set decorator Peter Howitt and art directors Charles Bishop and Max Douy, does brilliant work with the set pieces from the look of Drax’s mansion and home bases to the look and interiors of the space station.

Costume designer Jacques Fonteray does superb work with the costumes from the suit that Drax wears at the space station to the look of the space suits worn by the U.S. Marines astronauts and Drax‘s astronauts during the climatic laser battle. Visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings does spectacular work with the visual effects such as the many scenes in outer space that involves zero gravity and anything involving lasers. Sound mixer Daniel Brisseau does nice work with the sound from the way the lasers sound to the array of sound to exemplify the film‘s action sequences. The film’s score by John Barry is terrific for its lush orchestral arrangements and the bombast it has for many of the film’s action sequences. The title song co-written by lyricist Hal David and sung by Shirley Bassey is a wonderful ballad that plays to the tradition of Bond themes while it also has a disco remix played in the film’s final credits.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. and Margot Capelier is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable performances from Corrine Clery as Drax’s assistant Corrine Dufour, Toshiro Suga as Drax’s henchman Chang, Emily Bolton as Bond’s Rio contact Manuela, Michael Marshall as the U.S. Marines commander, and Blanche Ravalec as the girl Dolly that Jaws falls for. Bond regulars such as Walter Gotell as General Gogol. Geoffrey Keen as the Minister of Defense, Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn as Q are fun to watch as they each give memorable performances. Bernard Lee is great as Bond’s superior M who backs Bond up following a blunder as it’s a truly gracious performance from Lee in his final outing as M.

Richard Kiel is excellent as the henchman Jaws where he finally gets something to do other than go after Bond where his character falls in love as he gets to display a more tender side to the character. Lois Chiles is wonderful as Dr. Holly Goodhead by providing a calm yet cool performance as a character who aids Bond in the mission while proving to be a very smart person Bond can count on. Michael Lonsdale is very good as Hugo Drax, an industrialist who has ambitions to create a new world as Lonsdale displays a great sense of restraint and prestige as the film’s antagonist. Finally, there’s Roger Moore as James Bond where Moore displays his sense of humor and charm to the character while proving to be more direct once his character has to do investigating and fighting as it’s one of Moore’s essential performances as Bond.

Despite some of the silliness in the story and the unnecessary humor, Moonraker is still a stellar film from Lewis Gilbert. Thanks in part to Roger Moore and Michael Lonsdale, it’s a film that is worth watching for its sense of adventure as well as being thoroughly entertaining. Notably as it has Bond taking on the sci-fi genre with some success as Bond manages to find ways to remain relevant in the age of the blockbuster. In the end, Moonraker is a marvelous James Bond film from Lewis Gilbert.




© thevoid99 2012
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Thursday, July 26, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: The Spy Who Loved Me



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, The Spy Who Loved Me is the story of James Bond teaming up with a Russian agent to stop a reclusive megalomaniac from destroying the world and create a new one under the sea. Directed by Lewis Gilbert and screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Christopher Wood, the film is a return to James Bond going back to basics after spending time dabbling with other genres with its two previous films as Roger Moore plays Agent 007 for the third time. Also starring Barbara Bach, Curd Jurgens, Richard Kiel, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. The Spy Who Loved Me is an extraordinary and thrilling film from Lewis Gilbert.

Following the disappearance of two nuclear submarines from Britain and the Soviet Union, James Bond is asked by the Minister of Defense (Geoffrey Keen) to investigate the matter as Bond travels to Cairo. He then meets KGB officer Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) who is also there to find a microfilm plans about the tracking system that has captured the submarines where they encounter a metallic-teeth henchman named Jaws (Richard Kiel) as they get the microfilm where Bond later meets Amasova’s superior in General Gogol (Walter Gotell) who has decided to team up with M to investigate the submarines’ disappearance where Bond and Amasova suspect a shipping tycoon named Karl Stromberg (Curd Jurgens).

Traveling to Sardinia, Bond and Amasova meet Stromberg posing as a couple where Bond learns about Stromberg’s plans to create an underwater society away from the decadence and chaos of the modern world. After another tussle with some of Stromberg’s people including Jaws, Bond and Amasova realize that an oil tanker from Stromberg might have something to do with it as the two board a U.S. submarine to uncover more about Stromberg’s base known as Atlantis where they’re captured by Stromberg’s oil tanker along with the U.S. sub crew. Realizing what Stromberg plans to do with the two captured subs, it’s up to Bond to once again save the day.

The film is essentially the story of James Bond teaming up with a KGB agent to defeat an industrialist tycoon who is hell-bent on destroying the world in order to create a new one under the sea. It’s a plot that is simple yet screenwriters Richard Maimbaum and Christopher Wood create a script that is complex in terms of the motivations of Karl Stromberg as well as fleshing out both James Bond and Anya Amasova who team up to stop Stromberg. Especially since Bond is the one who kills Amasova’s lover early in the film during a mission where she would eventually find out that would cause some tension between the two.

Anya Amasova in some ways is Bond’s equal as she is a spy who is just as cunning, intelligent, and is able to get the job done though she may not be as physically superior as Bond. Still, she is someone who understands Bond as well as the fact that she is someone who is loyal to the KGB and wants to ensure that she gets the job done. Then there’s Karl Stromberg who is an interesting villain that stands out from the rest. All he wants is to create a new world under the sea where things are simpler as there’s no politics and decadence that he feels is ruining the modern world. While he may not be a villain who can match Bond physically, his ambition and willingness to face anyone who will get in his way does make him a compelling antagonist.

Lewis Gilbert’s direction is definitely big in terms of the set pieces that are created as well as the locations as the film is shot in Egypt, Canada, Switzerland, and Sardinia, Italy. Yet, it’s also intimate for the way it explores the relationship between Bond and Amasova where they have to work together despite being part of different factions as they’re away of the bigger picture in order to maintain a good British-Soviet relationship. Through some amazing compositions, close-ups, and tracking shots, Gilbert’s direction is always engaging for the way the suspense is built and the payoff that comes in afterwards. Notably in the climatic action scenes involving submarines and possible nuclear Armageddon where Bond would have to use his own intelligence to save the world. Overall, Gilbert creates a truly magnificent and engrossing film that stands up there with some of the great Bond films.

Cinematographer Claude Renoir does spectacular work with the film‘s photography from the beauty of the exteriors in its locations to some of the interiors with some amazing light schemes that features un-credited work from Stanley Kubrick. Editor John Glen does excellent work with the film‘s editing by playing up to the film‘s suspense and action with methodical and rhythmic cuts to maintain its leisured pace. Production designer Ken Adam, with set decorator Hugh Scaifie and art director Peter Lamont, does superb work with the set pieces such as the Atlantis home base as well as the secret meeting rooms Bond and Amasova meet to pull their sources together.

Visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings does amazing work with the miniatures created such as the exterior of the Atlantis base as well a few key visual effects shots. Sound recorder Gordon Everett does terrific work with the sound to play up some of the action scenes with heightened sound as well as the way the narrator speaks during the Egyptian pyramids sequence.

The film’s score by Marvin Hamlisch is brilliant for its lush orchestral pieces mixed in with a bit of funk and disco for the some of the film’s action sequences. With a soundtrack that includes classical pieces from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Saens, and Frederic Chopin along with Maurice Jarre’s theme from Lawrence of Arabia. The film’s theme song Nobody Does It Better by Hamlisch and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and sung by Carly Simon is among one of the best Bond theme songs ever recorded.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. and Maude Spector is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it features notable appearances from Michael Billington as Amasova’s lover Sergei Barsov, Shane Rimmer as the U.S. sub commander, Edward de Souza as Bond’s Egyptian contact Sheikh Hosein, Robert Brown as Admiral Hagreaves, Milton Reid as Stomberg henchman Sandor, and Caroline Munro as Stromberg’s assistant/assassin Naomi. Bond regulars such as Lois Maxwell as the witty secretary Miss Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn as the inventive but unappreciated Q are a joy to watch. New Bond regulars in Geoffrey Keen as British defense minister and Walter Gotell as General Gogol are also great to watch as the latter is a great character who serves as an authority figure Bond can trust. Bernard Lee is superb as Bond’s superior M who always keeps Bond in check while ensuring that he does his job.

Richard Kiel is excellent as the silent but deadly Jaws where his tall figure and big metallic teeth makes a great impression as one of the most memorable henchman of the Bond franchise. Curd Jurgens is great as the villainous Karl Stromberg who displays a low-key sense of intimidation to his character as well as devilish charm to a man who likes to show off his ideas. Barbara Bach is wonderful as Major Anya Amasova aka Agent Triple X as she displays an intoxicating beauty but also determination as a woman keen on doing her job as well as deal with someone as charming as Bond. Finally there’s Roger Moore in a phenomenal performance as James Bond where Moore maintains his low-key sense of humor for the role while bringing a wit to the way he handles business as it’s one of Moore’s best performances as Agent 007.

The Spy Who Loved Me is a remarkable film from Lewis Gilbert as it stands as one of the best films of the James Bond franchise. Thanks to an ensemble cast led by Roger Moore as James Bond, the film is highlighted by high production values, amazing visual effects, and a compelling story. It’s a film that does everything that is expected in a Bond film and more. In the end, The Spy Who Loved Me is an outstanding film from Lewis Gilbert.




© thevoid99 2012
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: The Man with the Golden Gun



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, The Man with the Golden Gun is the story of James Bond facing off against an assassin who has created a device that can harness the power of the sun during an energy crisis around the world. Directed by Guy Hamilton and screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Tom Mankiewicz, the film has Bond traveling to Hong Kong and Thailand as he faces a man who can kill someone with just one bullet with his golden gun as Roger Moore plays James Bond once again while Christopher Lee plays the titular character in Francisco Scaramanga. Also starring Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Herve Villechaise, Soon-Tek Oh, Clifton James, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. The Man with the Golden Gun is a thrilling and comical film from Guy Hamilton.

After receiving a bullet with his name, James Bond learns that renowned assassin Francisco Scaramanga is after him. After traveling to Beirut to retrieve a bullet from a belly-dancer (Carmen du Sautoy) who kept it as a souvenir from an agent killed by Scaramanga. Bond then travels to Macao to find the man (Marne Maitland) who created the bullet for Scaramanga where he sees Scaramanga’s mistress Andrea Anders (Maud Adams) taking a box back to Hong Kong where she was staying. After getting answers from her, Bond goes to a club to see if he can find Scaramanga only for another man killed who had a solar device object called the Solex stolen. After a briefing from M about retrieving the object to help solve the ongoing energy crisis, Bond teams up with Hong Kong agent Lieutenant Hip to go back to Macao for further investigation with Bond‘s aide Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland).

Going to the home of industrialist Hai Fat (Richard Loo), Bond pretends to be Scaramanga to discuss the death of a man who has the Solex device as the plan later backfires as Scaramanga is at Fat’s home. With the help of Lt. Hip and his nieces, Bond is able to escape as he later meets Anders who reveals some information about Scaramanga and the Solex device. At a kickboxing arena, Bond gets the Solex device but gets a bigger surprise when he meets Scaramanga and his assistant Nick Nack (Herve Villechaise). After Bond secretly gives the Solex to Lt. Hip who gives it to Goodnight, Goodnight sees Nick Nack get into a car where she tries to put a homing device only to be put in the trunk by Scaramanga leading to a car chase that involves a visiting J.W. Pepper (Clifton James). After finding where Scaramanga is hiding out, Bond confronts him to learn what Scaramanga is up to as it leads to a duel between the two men.

The film is about James Bond dealing with a top assassin who plans to monopolize the solar power energy in the wake of an energy crisis as the assassin also wants to face Bond in a duel over who is the best killer. That’s pretty much it since it is typical of the schematics of what is expected in a Bond film. Yet, what makes it so interesting is the villain itself in Francisco Scaramanga. A man who is always offered a million dollars to kill someone due to his reputation and always gets the job done. The film’s opening scene establishes who he is and how good he is by knocking off a gangster (Marc Lawrence). Yet, having James Bond killed in his own hands would be the centerpiece of his killings prompting Bond to find him first before Scaramanga has him killed.

That’s the set-up of the entire story as Bond has to do whatever he can to find this assassin before he gets killed yet he would face numerous challenges as he’s also trying to finish a mission that concerns a solar device that could help bring solar power to the world. While the screenplay does manage to get that story be used as a nice subplot that eventually comes together with the Scaramanga plot. The script’s drawback is due to the fact that it’s not linear as it could’ve been while some of the comical elements involving J.W. Pepper were really unnecessary as if it was another film.

Guy Hamilton’s direction is definitely vast in terms of the locations that is set in the film such as Macao, Bangkok, and Hong Kong where it has Bond exploring another world. There, he delves into the world of martial arts where Bond is sort of an expert as he has to face up against numerous enemies while it the martial arts sequences do have a sense of humor. While the humor of the film is certainly engaging, it does go a little overboard as the presence of J.W. Pepper really bogs the film down where he may have been funny in Live and Let Die. In this film, he isn’t really needed as he’s nothing more than a distraction from the main story of the film. Despite the flaws the film has, Guy Hamilton does manage to succeed in creating a Bond film that has all of the entertaining value as well as carrying the air of suspense that is needed.

Cinematographers Ted Moore and Oswald Morris do excellent work with the photography such as the beautiful exteriors of the city locations and the large wide depth of field shots of the sea along with interior shots of the sets including the casinos in Macao. Editors Raymond Poulton and John Shirley do superb work with the editing by keeping things straightforward including some rhythmic cuts to play out the suspense and action. Production designer Peter Murton, along with art directors John Graysmark and Peter Lamont, does brilliant work with the set pieces such as M‘s office in the RMS Queen Elizabeth ship as well as the home base of Scaramanga.

The visual effects work of Derek Meddings and special effects work of John Stears do terrific work with the special effects work such as the miniatures for Scaramanga‘s islands and home base along with the solar laser. Sound recorder Gordon Everett does nice work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of the crowd scenes as well as more intimate moments in the climatic duel scene. The film’s score by John Barry is fantastic for the way the suspense is build up as well as the action that occurs. The title song co-written with lyricist Don Black and sung by Lulu is a wonderful song that plays to the bombast of the film with its orchestral flourishes and swanky rock arrangements.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. and Maude Spector is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes appearances from Carmen du Sautoy as the belly dancer Bond tries to woo, James Cossins as the arms expert Colthorpe, Marne Maitland as the arms maker Lazar, Marc Lawrence as an ill-fated opponent of Scaramanga in Rodney, and Richard Loo as Scaramanga’s boss Hai Fat who tries to outwit Bond. Bond regulars such as Desmond Llewelyn as Q and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny are excellent in their roles while Bernard Lee is great as usual as the stern but always resourceful superior M. Soon-Tek Oh is excellent as Lt. Hip who aides Bond in his assignment while Clifton James as J.W. Pepper isn’t as funny due to the fact that he’s just repeating the same schtick he did in Live and Let Die.

The late Herve Villechaize is fun to watch as Scaramanga’s assistant Nick Nack who helps Scaramanga do dastardly deeds while proving to be a challenge for Bond. Maud Adams is superb as Andrea Anders, Scaramanga’s mistress who gives Bond information about the Solex as well as revealing some revelations about Scaramanga. Britt Ekland is quite terrible as Mary Goodnight for the fact that Goodnight is a total dimwit who either puts herself in a bad situation or will accidentally do things that just causes trouble as she is definitely one of the worst Bond girls in the history of the Bond franchise.

Christopher Lee is incredible as Francisco Scaramanga where Lee displays a great sense of charm in his role as the assassin while proving to be a man who displays a big ego that only Lee can bring as he definitely creates one of the franchise’s great villains. Roger Moore is excellent as James Bond where Moore maintains his low-key sense of humor while showing more restraint when it comes to the action and suspense as he makes Bond more about getting the job done and not get killed as it’s one of Moore’s finer performances as Agent 007.

While it may not be ranked among the list of the best Bond films, The Man with the Golden Gun is still a thoroughly fun film from Guy Hamilton. Thanks to the performances of Roger Moore and Christopher Lee, the film does have enough adventure for fans to enjoy despite its flaws. In the end, The Man with the Golden Gun is a stellar film from Guy Hamilton.




© thevoid99 2012
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Friday, July 20, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Live and Let Die



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, Live and Let Die is the story of James Bond uncovering the deaths of three agents in the hands of a dictator who also poses as a drug lord in a small Caribbean Island. Directed by Guy Hamilton and screenplay by Tom Mankiewicz, the film marks the first of seven features to star Roger Moore as James Bond where Moore brings a bit of humor to the famed character. Also starring Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison, Lois Maxwell, Clifton James, Gloria Hendry, and Bernard Lee as M. Live and Let Die is a stylish yet thoroughly entertaining film from Guy Hamilton.

After the death of three different agents at the United Nations building, New Orleans, and the Caribbean island of San Monique, M asks James Bond to uncover the mysteries of these death as he and Bond believe the deaths are all connected to San Monique dictator Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto). Bond travels to New York City where he encounters some strange occurrences in Harlem involving voodoo after his driver was assassinated. With his CIA friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and another agent named Strutter (Lon Satton), Bond learns about a heroin distributor named Mr. Big as he meets a mysterious tarot card expert named Solitaire (Jane Seymour) who is considered Dr. Kananga’s most treasured possession.

Traveling to San Monique, Bond meets CIA agent Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry) to uncover what happened to the death of an agent in San Monique with the help of Quarrel Jr. (Roy Stewart) as Bond sneaks up to Solitaire’s home to find more answers. After tricking her with her tarot cards, Bond and Solitaire discover a field of poppy fields near Kananga’s home as Bond believes Kananga is in cahoots with Mr. Big. After he takes Solitaire to safety, Bond is stopped by Big’s henchmen where he eventually discovers who Mr. Big is. Realizing what Big is planning to do with the heroin, Bond realizes what he must do to stop Big as well as save Solitaire who has lost her powers as a tarot card expert.

The film is essentially the story of James Bond going to different places like New York, New Orleans, and the Caribbean to uncover the deaths of three agents that is connected to a dictator in a fictional Caribbean island. There, he encounters voodoo, heroin smuggling, and a beautiful tarot card expert who might be the key to helping him figure out what is going on. It’s a simple plot for a James Bond film but Tom Mankiewicz’s screenplay does manage to do what is expected but with a different approach to the Bond film schematics. Notably as the film bends a few genres such as 70s blaxploitation and the American Southern films to put Bond in new worlds that he previously hadn’t been in.

In these new worlds, Bond faces up against a dictator who also masquerades as a drug distributor named Kananga who is just an ambitious man that is planning to make a profit in giving away heroin to those that want it. While he isn’t as ambitious as other villains, he is certainly cunning while he treasures Solitaire more than anything as she is the one person who could reveal his fate. The character of Solitaire is just as interesting as she is the tarot card reader with a special gift yet her encounter with Bond would bring conflict as she is also a virgin. In Bond taking away her virginity, he would unknowingly take away her powers which she despairs at in an amazing monologue about her gift where she would have to use her faded powers in a crucial scene for Bond’s freedom as the aftermath is a heartbreaking one. While the script also includes some comical moments that involves a redneck state trooper in J.W. Pepper (Clifton James), the screenplay succeeds in playing out the suspense and adventure of what is expected in a Bond film.

Guy Hamilton’s direction is definitely marvelous for the way he opens the film with the three different deaths of the three agents in different locations to establish everything Bond is about to face. With some amazing shots of the locations in New York City’s Harlem district, New Orleans, and Jamaica for the scenes of San Monique. Hamilton creates a film that is very worldly while bringing a new energy that is needed for a new James Bond. Filled with dazzling chase scenes on cars and speedboats, the action is always engaging and crucial to what Bond needs to do.

The action is balanced by Bond exploring these new places where he’s in where he’s a fish out of water where a white man is in the world where the black man rule. It’s essentially Bond trying to integrate with a new world where 70s cinema is changing as Bond manages to make himself to be a worthy opponent for a man like Kananga. While the humor ranges from being low-key to more comical in the scenes involving J.W. Pepper, it works to display Bond in action and how he tries to handle the situation. Overall, Guy Hamilton succeeds in creating a Bond film that is truly enjoyable to watch from start to finish.

Cinematographer Ted Moore does wonderful work with the film‘s photography from the beautiful Jamaican locations to the interiors set in Harlem and New Orleans to establish the world Bond is encountering. Editors Bert Bates, Raymond Poulton, and John Shirley do excellent work with the editing by utilizing a lot of straightforward cutting to play up the film‘s suspense and action along with some of the film‘s comical manners. Art director Syd Cain does brilliant work with the set pieces such as the voodoo ceremony and the secret meeting rooms Kananga does his business at.

Costume designer Julie Harris does superb work with the costumes such as the elaborate clothes that Solitaire wears during her tarot reading. The special effects work of Rick Baker and Derek Meddings is very good for some of the moments that involves the shark bullet Bond uses for the film‘s climatic meeting with Kananga. Sound recorders Ken Barker and John W. Mitchell do terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the club Bond and Felix Leiter encounter as well as the voodoo ceremony filled with a big crowd of people. The film’s music by George Martin is certainly fun to listen to with its mix of bombastic orchestral flourishes mixed in with a bit of funk. The title sung by Paul and Linda McCartney for their band Wings is definitely one of the best songs of the Bond film franchises thanks to its sprawling orchestral and horn arrangements mixed in with rock bombast.

The casting of Weston Drury Jr. is incredible for the ensemble that is created as it includes some notable small roles from Lon Satton as CIA agent Strutter, Arnold Williams as one of Kananga’s henchmen in a corrupt cab driver, Roy Stewart as Quarrel Jr., and Madeline Smith as the Italian agent Miss Caruso that Bond romances early in the film.  Other notable small roles include Lois Maxwell as the always funny Miss Moneypenny, Bernard Lee as the always stern M, Gloria Hendry as the fearful CIA agent Rosie Carver, David Hedison as the resourceful Felix Leiter, and Clifton James as the hilarious idiotic redneck state trooper J.W. Pepper.

In the roles of Kananga’s henchmen, there’s standout performances from Tommy Lane as the brutish Adam, Julius Harris as the robotic-armed Tee Hee Johnson, Earl Jolly Brown as the raspy big man Whisper, and Geoffrey Holder as the voodoo priest Baron Samedi whose laugh is one of the most memorable. In her film debut, Jane Seymour is great as the conflicted Solitaire who falls for James Bond while dealing with her loyalty towards Kananga. Yaphet Kotto is excellent as the villainous Dr. Kananga whose ambition to run the heroin market has Kotto proving to be very dastardly while getting the chance to be upset when things don’t go his way as it’s one of Kotto’s great performances.

Finally, there’s Roger Moore in his first of seven outings as Agent 007 James Bond. While he may not have the toughness of Sean Connery, Moore is able to put his own spin into Bond by making Bond tough but also resourceful in whatever objects he can use to get out of a bad situation. There’s also a laid-back sense of charm in Moore in the way he deals with women or how he confronts a villain. Moore’s approach to the humor is also more laid-back in the way he delivers the funny one-liners as Moore definitely makes Bond his own to standout from the more iconic figure from Sean Connery.

Live and Let Die is a thrilling yet fun film from Guy Hamilton featuring Roger Moore in a phenomenal performance as James Bond. The film is definitely proof that Bond can survive without Sean Connery with Moore being the right guy to play the legendary Agent 007. With a top-notch supporting cast that includes Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour, it’s a film that is truly adventurous and funny while doing what James Bond films do best. In the end, Live and Let Die is a glorious film from Guy Hamilton.




© thevoid99 2012
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Sunday, July 15, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: Diamonds are Forever



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, Diamonds are Forever is the story of James Bond infiltrating a diamond smuggling operation by Ernst Stavros Blofeld who plans to use the diamonds to build a giant laser. Directed by Guy Hamilton with a screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Tom Mankiewicz from a screen story by Ian Fleming, the film marks Sean Connery’s return to play James Bond after being absent from the predecessor as the film will mark the last time he plays Bond in its official franchise features. Also starring Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Glover, Putter Smith, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. Diamonds are Forever is dazzling yet entertaining film from Guy Hamilton.

After trying to find Ernst Stavros Blofeld (Charles Gray) and getting rid of him, James Bond receives a briefing from M about a diamond smuggling operation that is happening all over the world where many smugglers are mysteriously killed. Bond travels to Amsterdam posing as professional smuggler Peter Franks (Joe Robinson) where he meets a contact named Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) who is also a smuggler herself. After a tussle with the real Franks, Bond gets rid of him and has Franks be a dead James Bond where Bond smuggles fake diamonds into Franks’ body as he and Case arrive in Las Vegas to handle a deal. Bond seems to have the deal made only to be nearly killed by a couple of men in Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith).

Bond goes to the prestigious Whyte House hotel and casino where the reclusive Mr. Whyte (Jimmy Dean) supposedly lives at where Bond meets a vivacious woman named Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood) as he tries to deal with other smugglers over the fake diamonds where Tiffany arrives for Bond to make a plan for her to retrieve the real diamonds. Instead, she gets the diamonds and goes out on her own where Bond finds out that she’s working for someone else whom she admits doesn’t know except for his voice. Bond and Case travel to Whyte’s mining plants where Bond makes a discovery about what Whyte’s scientist Metz (Joseph Furst) is doing with the diamonds as Bond wants to confront Whyte.

After a chase involving Whyte’s men and some police, Bond sneaks into Whyte’s secret suite where he makes a far more chilling discovery of who really lives at the suite. Learning what is really going on and the whereabouts of the real Mr. Whyte, Bond realizes what he must do to save the world from a giant laser blowing up all of the nuclear weapons where it’s next target is some of the world’s major cities.

The film is about James Bond delving into the world of diamond smuggling where he has to save the world once again from a giant laser made by a mysterious villain who plans to hold the world hostage unless he gets some money. That’s the plot of the film although there’s a lot in the screenplay by Richard Maimbaum and Tom Mankiewicz that’s all over the place as the script’s main drawbacks is that there’s a lot that happens that makes the screenplay a bit of a mess. Notably as it aimed to be a Bond film with some humor where the result is a bit mixed as it’s the screenplay isn’t as straightforward as it should’ve been. Plus, the characters such as Tiffany Case aren’t as developed though she does remain interesting while the reveal of the main villain is pretty obvious as it’s a script has an air of familiarity that does make it a bit frustrating. Despite these flaws, the screenplay does what is needed to be done for the Bond story where it at least makes it fun to watch.

Guy Hamilton’s direction is definitely stylish for its array of big sequences such as the climatic helicopter attack on the oil rig as well as a few chase scenes around the desert and in the city of Las Vegas. Yet, it does open with a bang where it sort of picks up where the last film left off as Bond attacks a few characters to find out where Blofeld is leading to a big confrontation between Bond and Blofeld. The rest of the film then goes on as business as usual with gorgeous compositions of the scenes in Amsterdam and Las Vegas as Hamilton does take his time to set up the action and suspense. He also injects a few bits of campy humor such as Bond facing off a couple of Amazonian, bikini-clad women in a scene where even Bond can be overwhelmed. Despite some of the flaws in the screenplay, Hamilton does manage to create a film that is solid and features enough moments to make it a fun James Bond film.

Cinematographer Ted Moore does excellent work with the photography such as the exterior settings of Amsterdam and Las Vegas along with the interior looks of the suites that Bond and Mr. Whyte stays in. Editors Bert Bates and John Holmes do wonderful work with the editing by creating a montage of Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd‘s killings during M‘s briefing of what Bond must doe. Production designer Ken Adam, along with set decorators John P. Austin and Peter Lamont and art directors Bill Kenney and Jack Maxsted, does amazing work with the look of the Whyte suite as well as his secret penthouse and the bases where his scientists are conducting experiments to destroy the world.

Costume designer Don Feld does nice work with the designs of the bikinis and clothes that Tiffany Case wears. Sound recorders John W. Mitchell and Al Overton do terrific work with the sound to capture the sound of car chases and gun fire for some of the film‘s action scenes. The film’s score by John Barry is brilliant for its intensely suspenseful score including a playful theme on the duo of Wint and Kidd to establish their appearances. The title song written by Barry and lyricist Don Black is a bombastic song with some funky guitar riffs as it’s sung with great power by Shirley Bassey.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. is superb for the ensemble that is created as if features some notable small performances from Lola Larson and Trina Parks as Whyte’s respective Amazonian bodyguards Bambi and Thumper, Leonard Barr as a smuggler/comedian named Shady Tree, Joe Robinson as the smuggler Peter Franks, Bruce Cabot as Whyte’s casino manager Saxby, and Joseph Furst as the scientist Metz. Other noteworthy performances include the regulars Lois Maxwell in her one-scene appearance as Miss Moneypenny, Desmond Llewelyn as the very witty inventor Q, Norman Burton as Bond’s CIA friend Felix Leiter, and Bernard Lee as the always exquisite M. Lana Wood is pretty good in her small role as Plenty O’Toole while the duo of Bruce Glover and Putter Smith are quite funny as the mischievous villains Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, respectively.

Jimmy Dean is excellent in his small role as the reclusive millionaire Mr. Willard Whyte who finally appears late in the film as a man unaware of what he’s done as he aids Bond in fighting the mysterious villain. Charles Gray is great in the role of Blofeld where he brings a lot of charm to his role in his early appearance while proving to be a far more formidable foe that is focused on destroying the world and Bond. Jill St. John is terrific as the smuggler Tiffany Case who isn’t sure what Bond is trying to do only to aid him when she realizes who she’s really helping as it’s a fine part that doesn’t have much development other than look great in skimpy clothing.

Finally there’s Sean Connery as Agent 007 where Connery brings the same swagger and charm that audiences know and love while there’s also a bit of aggression as he is determined to destroy Blofeld. It’s also a chance for Connery to show that he is aware that James Bond isn’t invincible and is willing to take hits as it’s Connery at his most physical in playing Bond as he gives him more to do when fighting someone. It’s a fitting farewell of sorts for Connery to play the character he made famous as Connery goes out with a bang for the franchise’s official series.

Diamonds are Forever is an excellent film from Guy Hamilton that features Sean Connery in another top-notch performance as James Bond. While it may be the weakest film of the Blofeld trilogy that was preceded by You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It is still a film that does enough for what audiences want in a Bond film where it entertains and thrills while having the time for the audience to laugh a bit. In the end, Diamonds are Forever is a fun film from Guy Hamilton.



© thevoid99 2012
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: On Her Majesty's Secret Service



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the story of James Bond trying to stop Blofeld from sterilizing the world’s food supply in retaliation for everything that he had lost. During his mission, Bond falls for a countess who would have him re-think his womanizing ways. Directed by Peter R. Hunt and screenplay by Richard Maimbaum with additional dialogue by Hunt and Simon Raven. The film marks a change of pace in the Bond franchise as Sean Connery retires the Bond role as the part went to a then-newcomer in George Lazenby in his only appearance as Bond. Also starring Diana Rigg, Gabriele Ferzetti, Telly Savalas, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, and Bernard Lee as M. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a majestic and thrilling film from Peter R. Hunt.

While on holiday, James Bond comes across an adventurous woman by the name of Countess Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg) who was nearly captured by thugs in a beach. After meeting her again at a hotel he’s staying at, Bond learns she’s the daughter of a European crime syndicate head in Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti) who is concerned for his daughter’s wild streak. Draco offers Bond money to marry Tracy while he’ll help Bond find the whereabouts of Ernst Stavros Blofeld (Telly Savalas) whom Bond has been searching for. After being rejected by M for an assignment to find Blofeld, Bond goes to Portugal for Draco’s birthday where he meets Tracy as the two begin a courtship.

Still on a leave from his work, Draco and Bond’s aide Shaun Campbell (Bernard Horsfall) help Bond get into the offices of a Swiss lawyer named Gumbold (James Bree) who had letters to find out that Blofeld has been corresponding with a genealogist in Hilary Bray (George Baker) as Bond decides to pose as Bray for a meeting with Blofeld. Going to Switzerland in Blofeld’s secret institute, Bond as Bray learns what Blofeld is planning to do as it involves 10 women under hypnosis to release dangerous bacteria on the world. Bond is eventually caught by Blofeld and his henchwoman Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) have him imprisoned to get their plans going. Yet, Bond manages to escape where he gets some help from Tracy who is at Switzerland for some fun.

With the relationship between he and Tracy becoming serious, Bond still has to evade Blofeld and his henchmen where things go wrong forcing Tracy to be captured. After M reveals what his superiors plan to do with Blofeld in his desire for a title, Bond decides to go on a rogue mission to save Tracy with help from Draco to stop Blofeld from harming the world.

The film is another story of James Bond trying to stop SPECTRE’s chief Blofeld from harming the world with bacterial warfare to sterilize the world’s food supply in hopes to attain a hefty ransom and a title. Bond also has to aid a crime head whose daughter falls for Bond as she would make Bond re-think about his womanizing ways. It’s a story that has simple plot but its presentation is far grander than what is expected in Bond. Notably as he has to face off against Blofeld for the second time whose deeds are ambitious in its planning as all he wants isn’t just money but a whole lot more than that. This prompts Bond to stop him as the stakes are much bigger as well as the fact that he’s got a lot against him including the British Secret Service who feels he’s gone far enough in this mission to stop Blofeld.

The screenplay by Richard Maimbaum is incredible for the massive scale of the story and the way the characters are presented. Notably Tracy di Vincenzo as she is this woman with a wild streak who can drive very fast, ski with great skill, and isn’t willing to be a damsel in distress as she is a Bond girl that is very complex but also flawed as she is also a character lost in her spoiled lifestyle. Still, she becomes an ally for Bond when she arrives in Switzerland unexpectedly proving herself to be quite tough as well as charming. Then there’s Blofeld who is given more to do as he’s a man that is truly extravagant in his lifestyle and his schemes. Under the guise of a fake count, it adds to the larger-than-life persona that is Blofeld who serves as a formidable opponent for Bond.

Peter R. Hunt’s direction is definitely vast in scope from the locations set in Portugal and Switzerland to the scale of the production that he’s created. Hunt’s direction definitely plays to the ambitious take on the story with wide location shots as well as creating suspense for key scenes such as Bond in Piz Gloria on the Swiss Alps. Though parts of that section do go on a bit long since there’s not much action that occurs in order for Bond to investigate and deal with Blofeld’s Angels of Death. It’s part of Hunt’s idea to create a Bond film that can live up to the epic though it succeeds mostly in terms of what Hunt wanted to tell.

Part of the film’s success in balancing the action and suspense is the romantic element as it’s the one of the few films where Bond gets to fall for a woman whom he might be able to spend the rest of his life with. Through these gorgeous montages, Hunt is able to build up the romance while establishing what Bond has to do for this crime syndicate head who is helping him find Blofeld. Though Tracy knows what her father is doing, she eventually grows to love Bond and helps him as their relationship adds a new dynamic to the story. Notably the film’s often talked-about ending that is one of the greatest in how the Bond story continues. It’s an ending that is heartbreaking to watch because of what Bond could’ve gained but ends up losing as the result is a truly emotional moment that is presented with great care. The overall work that Hunt creates is a spectacular but also mesmerizing for making James Bond more human in terms of the things he is facing.

Cinematographer Michael Reed does excellent work with the photography for some of the film‘s stylized lighting colors in some of its interior settings while playing up to the beauty of the locations with more naturalistic lighting in their daytime scenes. Editor John Glen does great work with the editing by utilizing rhythmic jump-cuts for the fight and action scenes including the famous stock car sequence as well as a wonderful montage for the romantic scenes. Production designer Syd Cain, with set decorator Peter Lamont and art director Robert W. Laing, does amazing work with the set pieces such as Draco‘s home base as well as the institute that Blofeld runs filled with lots of lavish decorations to play up his extravagant personality. Costume designer Marjory Cornelius does wonderful work with the costumes from the clothes that Blofeld wears to the lavish clothes his Angels of Death wear along with the more posh clothing of Tracy.

Special effects work by John Stears is superb for the few effects-driven scenes such as the ski chases and other scenes set in the Alps. Sound recorders Gordon K. McCallum and John W. Mitchell do nice work with the sound such as the way Blofeld‘s voice is recorded in a hypnotic trance for his Angels of Death to hear at night. The film’s score by John Barry is brilliant for its thrilling orchestral themes to play up the action that occurs in the film as well as somber pieces for the romance. The song We Have All The Time In the World written by Barry with lyricist Hal David and sung by Louis Armstrong is among one of the best songs of the James Bond catalog as it serves as an effective piece for Bond and Tracy’s love for each other.

The film’s cast is phenomenal for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from James Bree as the Swiss layer Gumbold, Virginia North as Draco’s aide Olympe, Bernard Horsfall as Bond’s assistant Shaun Campbell, George Baker as genealogist Hilary Bray, Ilse Steppat as Blofeld’s cunning henchwoman Irma Bunt, and as a few members of the Angels of Death, Joanna Lumley, Catherina von Schell, and Angela Scoular. Bond regulars Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell are very good in their respective roles as the witty Q and the humorous Miss Moneypenny while Bernard Lee is excellent in his role as Bond’s superior M.

Gabriele Ferzetti is wonderful as Tracy’s father Marc-Ange Draco who helps Bond in finding Blofeld as well as coming to him to tame his daughter Tracy. Telly Savalas is great as Blofeld by displaying a sense of charm to the character as well as a physicality to make him more of a force for Bond to face. Diana Rigg is incredible as Countess Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo by displaying a sense of grace and vulnerability to a woman lost in her lifestyle as she finds comfort in a man like James Bond. Finally there’s George Lazenby as James Bond where Lazenby brings a bit of wit and charm to his role as well as a physicality where he can be the badass and a lover. While there’s parts of Lazenby’s performance that isn’t perfect such as his attempt to be Bray, Lazenby does enough to create a compelling performance of Agent 007.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a marvelous film from Peter R. Hunt that features strong performances from George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, and Gabriele Ferzetti. The film is definitely one of the great Bond films in terms of its ambition and a story that is engaging for the way Bond is portrayed. Though it may not live up to some of the great films that starred Sean Connery, it is still a film that has enough adventure and suspense for fans to enjoy. In the end, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a superb film from Peter R. Hunt.




© thevoid99 2012
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Tuesday, July 03, 2012

007 James Bond Marathon: You Only Live Twice



Based on Ian Fleming’s novel, You Only Live Twice is the story of James Bond heading to Japan to stop SPECTRE from furthering the tension between the U.S. and Soviet Union over incidents relating to their space programs where Bond finally meets up with SPECTRE’s leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Directed by Lewis Gilbert and screenplay by Roald Dahl (with additional work by Harold Jack Bloom), the film is another ambitious story where Bond travels to different places to face SPECTRE as Sean Connery once again plays Bond while Donald Pleasence plays the mysterious Blofeld. Also starring Mie Hama, Akiko Wakabayashi, Tetsuro Tamba, Karin Dor, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn, and Bernard Lee as M. You Only Live Twice is a grand yet exciting film from Lewis Gilbert.

After faking his death in Hong Kong to sway attention from his enemies, James Bond is assigned to uncover a mysterious plot that involved a U.S. space capsule captured by a rocket that had landed somewhere in Japan. In hoping that the incident doesn’t spark World War III, Bond travels to Japan to meet his contact Henderson (Charles Gray) where things go wrong until he secretly goes into a building to find secret documents from an industrialist named Mr. Osato (Teru Shimada). After giving the documents to a Japanese secret service agent in Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba), Bond suspects that Osato has something to do with the incident as he pretends to a businessman to meet Osato and his assistant Helga Brandt (Karin Dor).

After Bond and an agent named Aki (Akiko Wakabayahi) went to Osato’s dock to inspect his boat, things go wrong when Bond is captured by Osato and Brandt where the latter tries to seduce him and later kill him. Bond manages to escape where Q (Desmond Llewelyn) and Tanaka help Bond to inspect the mysterious island that is believed where the secret rocket is launched. Though Bond doesn’t find anything, he is later attacked by helicopters where he manages to out maneuver them thanks to Q’s additions in the helicopter Bond is flying. Still, Bond decides to hide out in Tanaka’s secret base to train as a ninja following an incident where a Soviet space capsule was captured leading to more U.S.-USSR tension.

With the help of an agent named Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama), Bond and Kissy masquerade as a married Japanese couple to trek around a mysterious island where they make a big discovery. Just as the U.S. is set to launch another space capsule, Bond finally meets the man who organized everything in SPECTRE’s leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

The film is simply about James Bond traveling to Japan to uncover a plot to sabotage the dueling U.S.-Soviet Union space missions in an attempt to start World War III. While in his mission, he faces numerous foes who try to kill him where he would eventually meet the man who organized the whole thing in Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In meeting Blofeld, Bond gets a chance to confront the man he had been fighting against for the past few years after foiling Blofeld’s plans since Dr. No. While Blofeld might not be a strong villain as he always has people doing his dirty work, he is still a very intriguing villain for the way he organizes schemes and will not let anyone get in his way or mess things up for him. Even if it’s someone from his own organization where if someone from his group messes up, he takes care of that someone in the most gruesome way.

Roald Dahl’s screenplay does play to a lot of what is expected in the Bond formula in the way he goes about in his mission to do some investigating, fighting, and making out with women. Yet, the story opens with two big scenes to set up the story such as the U.S. Gemini capsule being captured and then Bond in Hong Kong where he fakes his death. By faking his death, Bond has to go undercover to Japan to find out what is going on as he deals with a shady industrialist and several assassins that will eventually lead him to Blofeld. One of the script’s great strengths is in the few people that assist Bond such as Tiger Tanaka and Aki. The latter of which is among one of the most interesting Bond girls who aids Bond in his work while being someone who can hold her own. While the other Bond girl in Kissy Suzuki only arrives in the third act, she’s also interesting since she is a great swimmer as well as a skilled assassin.

Lewis Gilbert’s direction is definitely big for the way he creates amazing action sequences and suspenseful moments. While some of it does require visual effects which were quite primitive in the mid-1960s, it does play to the world that Bond is in as it includes some amazing scenes set in outer space such as the opening prologue scene. By having Bond go to Hong Kong and later Japan, the film definitely has a different atmosphere since Bond has to learn about the world of Japanese culture where he would eventually disguise himself as a Japanese man late in the film.

Gilbert’s approach to suspense is engaging for the way he sets up having characters being killed off as well as the big unveiling of Blofeld who never had shown his face in the previous films. His unveiling is a big moment where Gilbert reveals what kind of man Blofeld is where it would lead to this huge climatic battle with vast compositions for Gilbert to present. With a lot of stylistic shots that includes a few hand-held stuff, Gilbert does create a very extravagant yet thrilling film that is among one of the great films of the Bond franchise.

Cinematographer Freddie Young does excellent work with the photography to capture the gorgeous landscape of the Japanese locations including some nighttime shots of Tokyo as well as some great lighting set-ups for the scenes inside Blofeld‘s home base. Editor Peter R. Hunt does brilliant work with the editing to create amazing rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action scenes along with some stylish jump cuts and dissolves to play with the film‘s rhythm. Production designer Ken Adam, with set decorator David Ffolkes and art director Harry Pottle, does spectacular work with the set pieces such as Blofeld’s home base that included a pond for his piranhas as well as the traditional Japanese houses that Bond would live in.

The special effects work of John Stears is very good for the way the scenes in space looked as well as a few visual effects driven work such as Bond on the mini-helicopter as well as some of the car chase scenes. Sound recorders Gordon K. McCallum and John W. Mitchell do terrific work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of the sumo building where Bond meets Aki as well as the big climatic battle at Blofeld‘s base involving ninjas. The film’s score by John Barry is among one of Barry’s best score for the lush string arrangements that he creates for the film’s theme that includes traditional Japanese string instruments. The title song co-written with lyricist Leslie Bricusse and sung by Nancy Sinatra is a gorgeous ballad that plays to the world of Japan as it is one of the top songs of the Bond theme songs.

The casting by Weston Drury Jr. is superb for the ensemble that is created as it includes some small but memorable roles from Tsai Chin as Bond’s Hong Kong lover, Charles Gray as Henderson, Ronald Rich as Blofeld’s bodyguard Hans, and Teru Shimada as the powerful industrialist Mr. Osato. Other notable small roles from Bond regulars include Lois Maxwell as the very witty Miss Moneypenny who gives Bond a memorable code word, Desmond Llewelyn as the very funny Q, and Bernard Lee as Bond’s no-nonsense boss M. Karin Dor is very good as Osato’s secretary Helga Brandt who tries to have Bond killed and later seduce him in an another assassination attempt. Tetsuro Tamba is excellent as the resourceful and disciplined Tiger Tanaka who helps Bond in his mission to stop SPECTRE.

Mie Hama is wonderful as Kissy Suzuki who aids Bond in the film’s climatic mission while pretending to be his traditional Japanese line where she and Sean Connery have a few funny moments. Akiko Wakabayashi is great as the Japanese agent Aki who helps Bond throughout the film as she proves to be a very smart and helpful woman who does more than the typical Bond girl. Donald Pleasence is excellent in his small but memorable role as Ernst Stavro Blofeld where Pleasence definitely lives up to the megalomania of Blofeld with a creepy voice as well as a dark sense of humor. Finally, there’s Sean Connery in a fantastic performance as James Bond. Although there’s nothing new that Connery brings to the character, Connery does make Bond compelling enough as well as presenting new challenges that does shake Bond’s sense of professionalism as well as the mission at hand.

You Only Live Twice is a marvelous film from Lewis Gilbert with another winning performance from Sean Connery. Thanks to great set pieces, beautiful locations, John Barry’s exquisite score, and a top-notch ensemble cast. The film is definitely among one of key James Bond films during Sean Connery’s period as Agent 007. It’s also a very engaging film for the way it sets up the idea of World War III giving the audience a chance to root for Bond once again. In the end, You Only Live Twice is a superb film from Lewis Gilbert.




© thevoid99 2012
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