MOVIE REVIEW: From Russia With Love Part 2

*Continuation*

Despite scheduling their plan on the 14th, they executed their plan on the 13th. From what I believe, this was some sort of decoy made by Bond to fool those who might be listening to them, if there was.

Upon their arrival at the Orient Express, Tania noticed Benz, a Russian security agent. Along with them on the train were Kerim. They were Mr. and Mrs. David and Caroline Somerset, a newly married couple on their way to England. Unfortunately, Kerim was killed in his encounter with Benz along the way and this made Bond think suspiciously of his Mrs. Somerset. The interrogation was such a good scene and it showed how Bond was still putting the mission first. The Lektor was the mission, not the girl. I loved it most when Tania's answers were all "I love you, I love you. It's true," and Bond's reply was just a cold "Sure."

Bond finally met his rival, Grant, who was posing as Captain Nash, Kerim's contact. With probably the same coded signal that Bond has been using with his allies, Grant convinced Bond that he was Nash.

In their scenes together, Bond and Grant exchanged some clever lines. Grant was even using Nash's voice. After dinner, Tania was drugged by Grant and soon after, they had to return to their room for Tania to rest. By that time, Bond was so sure that Nash was no ally. Upon entering a separate room, Bond asked grant, "What was it that you put on her drink?"

Bond had the situation under control until Grant tricked and knocked him out. Bond responds to his current situation by saying that he should've confirmed he was not an ally immediately after Grant's "Red wine with fish" order.

What followed was the classic fight scene between the two in a darkened and narrow room. The camera work and editing that made the fight become one of the most brutal fight scenes in the series. Bond won the fight using the knives that were hidden in Q Branch's modified attache case.

James Bond and Red Grant from Den of Geek website

This very scene from FRWL was what made every train in every Bond film thrilling. When you mix Bond, a Bond girl, a henchman, and a train - that would surely end up in a fight scene. Hello, Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Spectre!

Bond and Tania left the train, however, Spectre's thugs waiting for Grant were there. Bond easily disposed of them and took control of their vehicle on their way to the films two grand chases. In the first, Bond was chased down by a thug from a chopper a la Cary Grant in North By Northwest, and in the next one, Bond and Tania were chased down in a boat. However, these two chase scenes were not convincing enough, majorly due to the SPECTRE thugs' decision to slow down and stop eventually altogether. Bond had scattered his boat's gas tanks in the same exact area where the thugs stopped. Boom!

"Slow down. Slow down all boats."

Kronsteen was eliminated after his plan has failed, while Klebb was on her last hurrah against Bond.

While Bond and Tania were dressing up in a hotel room, Klebb enters the room, posing as a helper, to get the Lektor. Bond recognized him and it was one of the most suspenseful fights because, during the course of the film, we knew that Klebb's pointed shoes were lethal. Bond was totally no match for Klebb. Bond was obviously struggling.

Rosa Klebb pointing a gun at Bond from derekwinnert.com

Klebb's lethal shoes aiming at Bond from Sky.com

Fortunately, love won! Tania shot Klebb, ending Bond's agony. 

The couple took their time riding on a gondola while Bond disposes of their recorded sexual encounter, and the film's end credits appear.

That was the end, or better said by the film itself, "not quite the end" because there would be more James Bond thrillers!

FRWL easily became my favorite Bond movie. It showed the real spy that James Bond should be and the James Bond spy genre that the Bond movies should get inspiration. Sadly, the formula used in this film would only be used again after 18 years via "For Your Eyes Only" (1981). Despite using the modified attache case from Q Branch, the movie was not yet the cartoonish movie that it had become due to its gadgets. Simplicity was the key for FRWL.

I also have the nicest things to say about the villains. The villains were great, and had a good team, if not the most perfect team, to deal with Bond. Wit, tenacity, and strength went hand in hand to beat Bond. As for the Bond girl, Tatiana Romanova was one of the most beautiful Bond girls in my opinion. She had the young, innocent look that Solitaire had in Live and Let Die. She also did great in the acting department, even if it was her first stint in acting.

MOVIE REVIEW: From Russia With Love Part 1

"From Russia With Love (FRWL)" was the second Bond film for Sean Connery, for EON Productions, for the franchise, and for the fans. This movie was so good, the scene that had been the audition scene for screen tests of possible incoming Bond actors was taken here. That was the scene where Bond found Tania in his hotel room bed.

Movie poster from Illustrated007 website

According to sources, American President John F. Kennedy spoke about how much he liked the novel FRWL by Ian Fleming. This development boosted the sales of the book which eventually made it inevitable for the said novel to be the next one to be in the big screens.

Aside from James Bond, Moneypenny, M, and Sylvia Trench made their return to the Bond films reprising their roles. Major Boothroyd was also in FRWL and was tasked to supply Bond of the standard issue attache case (with its secrets and surprises, of course) for the mission, however, he was bearing a different name in the movie. He was called Q, being that he is the Quartermaster of the Q Branch and he was also played here by Desmond Llewelyn instead of Peter Burton.

The villain in this movie was the sinister organization SPECTRE. After Dr. No was killed by Bond in the previous film, SPECTRE was out for revenge, utilizing a brilliant plan by SPECTRE No. 5 Kronsteen, who is a chess grandmaster. SPECTRE No. 3, Russian General Rosa Klebb was tasked to help Kronsteen, along with the henchman of this movie Red Grant. Moreover, the SPECTRE bad guys were headed by their No. 1, who was left unnamed in the film's end credits.

The mysterious head of SPECTRE and his white cat from michaelmay.online

Kronsteen at a chess battle from 007  Under the Mango Tree website

Of course, we all know now that he is Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who apparently is Bond's step-brother, as per the 24th Bond film, Spectre.

The film opened with a gun barrel sequence, which featured Bob Simmons again. After the shot and blood-dripping, the film commenced with the very first pre-title sequence of the film series with Red Grant and an agent looking a lot like James Bond. They were looking out for each other, waiting for an opportunity to attack. The thrill was present, the feel was a lot different from the previous film. However, the mystery continued further after Bond was seemingly strangled by Grant's garrote watch. After this, the film went on to the title credits.

After some time, you might start asking yourself this: Why would a movie starring Sean Connery who plays James Bond kill off the character in the films first minutes? This would be teased further as Bond would only appear 20 minutes into the movie after the whole plethora of villains were introduced. 

It was a great introduction for the villains. We saw that Kronsteen was the brains of the organization, Klebb was loyal not to Mother Russia but to SPECTRE, and that Grant was strong AF. Klebb punched his abdomen with a knuckle and he did not move a bit. That was how strong he looked like. No. 1 was creepy, and in this film, we knew that failures in the executions of their plans would lead to the execution of the ones who failed. Quite tragic.

Bond was sent to Istanbul for a supposed Russian defector, Tatiana Romanova (the Bond girl),  and a Lektor, a decoding device that M badly wanted. M sent Bond despite having doubts that the defection was only a trap.

Bond's ally in this film was Kerim Bay. He was one of the greatest allies that Bond had and could be even ranked higher than most of Felix Leiter's stint. Unfortunately, he was the sacrificial lamb of this film. He would be killed once Bond, Tania, and himself would board the Orient Express.

Before meeting Tania, Bond and Kerim go out on adventures with the gypsies and also taking out one of Kerim's nemesis. Tania and Bond crossed paths in this very intriguing scene. 

"But I think my mouth is too big."

"No, it's the right size. For me that is."

Unexpectedly, Klebb would be seen watching the flirting and other activities of the couple from a two-way mirror while also recording it in a video, and puffing a cigarette. (Get a room, Klebb! Better yet, get a separate room!)

Bond and Tania went on to discuss matters about the Lektor on the next day, with Tania still flirting with Bond. Bond should be given credit for being so focused on the mission despite Tania's flirting. Perhaps because he had already banged her during the previous night.

*Continuation on my next post!*