Review of From Russia With Love: Special Edition (James Bond)

Introduction

United Artists made a huge gamble when they gave the greenlight to Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for Dr. No, the first celluloid outing for suave British spy James Bond.

But, the gamble paid off, and Bond was the new hero for the post-War generation, so it was unsurprising when they commissioned a sequel. It would be no problem getting the required resources, yet the biggest problem lay in the hands of the producers: which Ian Fleming novel would they adapt next?

The answer came to them somewhat infamously. Current US president, John F. Kennedy, had recently named Fleming`s "From Russia With Love" one of his top ten novels of all time (a note for trivia fans: in the US theatrical trailer it quipped "The favorite of millions from Hong Kong to Hyannisport"...a reference to the Kennedy family home in Massachusetts).

Sean Connery signed on to return, Terence Young was again secured as director, and other notable players were also coming back - along with a host of fresh faces, and arguably the most influential new face was Desmond Llewelyn, who was the new Major Boothroyd, who would soon be known as `Q`, and retain the role up to and including 1999`s The World Is Not Enough (excluding 1971`s Live And Let Die).

The evil organization of SPECTRE has hatched a plan to steal a decoder that will access Russian state secrets and irrevocably unbalance the world order. It is up to James Bond to sieze the device first, but he must confront enemies that include Red Grant (Robert Shaw) and the ruthless Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), a former KGB agent with poison-tipped shoes. Even as Bond romances a stunning Soviet defector (Daniela Bianchi), he realizes he is being lured into a deathly trap and he will need all of his courage, abilities and cutting-edge technology to triumph over the forces that seek to destroy him.

Video

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. As with the last 007 film, the visuals are good considering the age of the print (1963), although the definition isn`t as sharp as modern releases. The transfer contains no dust nor grain, and no other artefacts are visible - all in all, another successful remastering.

Although there are some good locales in the film, the action levels are toned down in comparison to Dr. No, allowing time for development and drama instead of set-pieces. However, that is not to say there are no set pieces: one of the best not only in the film but also throughout the series is the fistfight between Bond and Red Grant on-board the Orient Express. It is directed expertly by Young, although all the credit shouldn`t go to him: editor Peter Hunt also came up with some innovative ideas that lead to the visaul variety.

This has the distinction of being the first Bond film to have the now infamous credits sequence, although the sequence in this is slightly different from others: the titles are actually projected through prisms, whereas in subsequent sequences they are text. Apparently the idea for the credits emerged when Robert Brownjohn`s wife stepped in front of a slide projector, before a lightbulb appeared above his head!

Audio

Dolby Digital Mono (English). Like before, although the dialogue is reproduced well, a surround remix would have been so much better - during times such as the fight, it would have added a lot to the viewing experience. But, I suppose beggars can`t be chosers, and grudgingly one should admit that there are worse mono tracks out there.

The script, penned by Richard Maibaum, is a good adaption of the novel, and doesn`t get clogged down by over-development and the like. It has been said that the James Bond of the first two films is the James Bond of Fleming`s novels, and the character that would emerge in later films was a more outgoing and witty person, and not so much a cold-blooder killer.

Features

Again, the extra features look good on paper, but do they stand up to the critical eye of us DVD consumers? Read on to find out...

The main extra comes in the form of a commentary from director Terence Young and various members of the cast and crew, preceeded by an introduction from a Bond expert. It is informative and anecdotal, with the odd bit of humour chucked in for good measure.

There is a 30 minute documentary, "Inside From Russia With Love", featuring insight into the production process complete with interviews from the cast and crew. Interesting, and well worth a watch.

The second documentary of the package is entitled "Harry Saltzman: Showman", which, as the title suggests, is a look at co-producer Saltzman. Again clocking in at 30 minutes, it follows the life of the American producer, featuring interviews from his son and daughter (the former has an English accent and looks like Dom Joly; the latter has an American accident and looks like her mother...bit strange!), as well as others who came across him. An interesting biography.

A stills gallery is again provided, featuring on-the-set snaps and production desings. Detailed and well presented.

There are also a selection of advertising materials: ranging from the trailer to TV and radio ads. They`re good for people who feel nostalgic!

To complete the extras, there is the customary 8-page booklet of production notes and chapter listings.

The menus are animated well with music in the background and some animations playing alongside it. Another bonus is that they are easy to navigate.

Conclusion

Although Connery hails this as his personal favourite, and many fans agree, in my opinion this is weaker than other instalments - but that`s not to say it`s bad, as let`s face it, the yardstick set by some of the films is very high indeed.

The main flaw lies in the fact that this is not a typical Bond film: it is toned down, it doesn`t scream action, but in doing so loses some of its appeal. Before I started the film, I had high expectations, and although I wasn`t disappointed as such, I did feel it wasn`t as enjoyable as others.

However, the acting is great, ranging from the charismatic Pedro Armendáriz (who sadly died straight after filming) to the quietly menacing Robert Shaw as assassin Red Grant. And of course, Connery is on top form as ever.

The disc itself is fairly strong, and the presentation is the same as Dr. No, although the extras are not as good, but it is damn close.

From Russia With Love may not be the best Bond, but it still packs a powerful punch and still has one of the famous trademarks of the series: replay value. Combine this with a good DVD, and you`ve got yourself another winner.