From Russia with Love

From Russia With Love is exactly what I expected, as a decent and not boring but also not especially inventive Bond film. Connery is good again, and the climactic action scene is actually well done. There's not much going on thematically, but if all you want is a simple action movie you got it. I didn't think the plotting was as tight as many seem to - it was fine, but the gypsy scenes were inconsequential, and there isn't much to the plot beyond a couple traps and double crossings. It was not boring, but just didn't offer anything very interesting either. The women in this film are again objectified extremely, with several scenes in place just to show how eager attractive women are to sleep with Bond.

Plausible may be a little bit of my opinion. The first Bond Flick I saw. I was an 18 year old U.S. Marine on Okinawa and it inspired me to travel on The Orient Express to Istanbul and beyond. Dated now, but at the time, the fight scene with Robert Shaw was was so exciting not knowing that Bond always wins. I sat there riveted. A real believable. romance. When Bond orders room service for breakfast the exotic, Green Figs, Yogurt Plain and coffee very black, I thought someday I will be that cool. Having no idea what Yogurt was.

James Bond (an excellent , as usual, Sean Connery) willingly falls into an assassination ploy involving a naive Russian beauty (Daniela Bianchi who subsequently starred an Italian spoof titled OK Connery by Alberto Martino) in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by Spectre . The world's masters (Lotte Lenya , Walter Gotell , Vladek) of murder pull out all the stops to destroy Agent 007 . Bond goes to Turkey , there he has an ally character called Ali Kerim Bey (final filmed appearance of Pedro Armendáriz , ill caused by cancer when he shot Conqueror of Mongolia along with John Wayne and Susan Hayward) . James is being lured into a deadly trap , and he will need all of his force , intelligence and cutting-edge technology to triumph over the enemies that seek to destroy him . Bond is pursued by a hulking blond assassin named Red Grant (Robert Shaw) , whose character provided a template for a number of blond European henchmen that would proliferate the James Bond series . This solid , slick thriller with magic mix of action-packed , dazzling stunts, gadgetry, and romance provided by sexy company as Daniela Bianchi . Sean Connery as James Bond is very fine , he does remarkably well , he has toughness , irony, humor and sympathy, however also has coldness ,cunning , intelligence and roughness . Sean Connery said that this movie was his personal favorite out of the Bond films he did . Here Bond is an efficient , relentless agent trying to chase obstinately the criminals , traveling around the world as always , as this time is mostly set in Istanbul , Turkey . Bond to achieve his aims , along the way uses violent means , pulling off brutal killings against enemies who wreak all sorts of havoc . As always Bond will use "state of the art" and fantastic gadgets provided by ¨Q¨ in his first intervention by Desmond Llewelyn , he would reprise the role of "Q" in 16 subsequent Bond films ; in fact , Bond's trick attaché case is the first true Bond film gadget . In addition , there appears the usual support cast as Lois Maxwell, ¨MoneyPenny¨ , Bernard Lee as M , and Walter Gotell (later played General Gogol) as Morzeny . Here appears three wonderful women ; both of them Beauty Pageant Queens are actresses in this film: Daniela Bianchi, Martine Beswick, Aliza Gur. Bianchi (Italy) and Gur (Israel) were roommates at Miss Universe 1960, which Bianchi won. The picture contains comic-strip adventure , sensational pursuits , silly set pieces, great stunts , tongue-in check humor ,frantic unstopped action , amazing gimmicks and stimulating images like are the spectacular chases , the overwhelming scenes, and the breathtaking fights . It is like a roller-coaster , as is fast-paced , light, excitement, funny and entertaining ; it's a winner for oo7 fans and non-fans alike . The chase and suspense formula wears strong in this entry . The action-packed includes : impressive helicopter chase scene that pays tribute to Hitchcock's cropduster sequence in ¨North by Northwest¨ , exciting battles at a gypsy camp , and fights aboard a train . Hoping for an end to the Cold War, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman didn't want James Bond's main enemy to be Russian, so for the film version his nemesis is the fictitious criminal organization Spectre , seeking revenge for the death of their operative . The budget was $2,000,000 , double that of ¨Doctor No¨ . Enjoyable title song and stirring musical score fitting to action by John Barry in his classic style , he will go on a fruitful as a composer includind successful scores as Dancing with Wolves . This is the first James Bond film to feature John Barry as the primary soundtrack composer ; the score allegedly still contains riffs from Monty Norman's work on ¨Doctor No¨. Riveting and fancy main titles by habitual Maurice Binder , furthermore eye-popping production design by Syd Cain . It's brimming with colorful and fascinating cinematography by cameraman Ted Moore . Evocative photography ,much of the film was filmed on location in Turkey , with only a bare minimum of back projection utilized. The motion picture was well directed by Terence Young ,author of three best James Bond films : ¨Dr No¨ , ¨Thunderball¨ and ¨From Russia with love¨ and directed to Audrey Hepburn in a good thriller titled ¨Wait until dark¨ and a failed film titled ¨Bloodline¨.

After the success of Dr. No, the movie going public could not get enough of Sean Connery as James Bond. From Russia With Love was almost demanded to be made and it's proved to be one of the most durable of the Bond series in popularity. That infamous third echelon SPECTRE is after a new Russian decoding machine that the West would certainly like to lay its mitts on as well. But SPECTRE has something additional in mind. Knowing that MI5 will send its best in 007 after the decoder, they have it in mind to kill James Bond. And the alluring bait will be Daniela Bianchi, their agent. Of course as always no woman can resist the sex appeal of James Bond as packaged by Sean Connery. Personally I've always liked Roger Moore best in the part, I like Sean Connery as well, but more for his non-Bond roles. That I'm sure will be appreciated by Sean Connery should he ever get to read this review. The cinematography in a story that takes place in Istanbul and along the Mediterranean Sea is gorgeous. Connery gets a really outstanding cast in support including Pedro Armendariz for whom this was a final performance as Bond ally Ali Kerim Bey. Robert Shaw has a part of few words as the paid assassin SPECTRE has trained for the purpose of killing James Bond. Shaw is terrifying in his role and the fact he did it without much use of a voice that was one of the best in the English language, testifies to his ability as an actor. His confrontation with Connery on the Orient Express is one of the great fight scenes ever done on film. However I have a warm spot in my heart for Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb, the Russian defector now working for SPECTRE, the woman with those killer orthopedic shoes. Kenneth Cole never designed better. From Russia With Love has everything you want in a James Bond film, action, sex, and exotic locations. And Sean Connery, who could complain.

Here's another example of an early James Bond film that, for many years, I thought was "super," but now it plays too slowly. In other words, if you are used to seeing today's movies, this film will drag in a lot of spots. It's hard to imagine a James Bond movie putting you to sleep but I almost guarantee you much of today's audiences would do that here. It also looks dated by now, some 45 years after being released. Some films age well; this one doesn't. Yet, for James Bond purists, this movie will always rank high and I can understand that. That's because I, too, will always consider this the best of the non-hokey Bonds, a solid Cold War action-suspense film in which Robert Shaw ("Red Grant") makes for a chilling villain. Who will ever forget Rosa Klebb as the villain, "Lotte Lenya," the woman with the lethal footwear? Daniela Bianchi is beautiful as "Tatiana." Russian women had always been portrayed a fat, ugly and manly--looking until this female character came along. Now we see tons of Russian beauties, on film and in real life. Overall, there aren't enough action scenes, which sounds strange since Bond movies often suffer from the opposite. Of the few in here, one is a ripoff from "North By Northwest," too - it's not even an original scene! Thankfully, Goldfinger, the next Bond film, turned things totally around with wonderful creativity and fun. Still, if you like a good straightforward espionage story, this will do.

Connery came, he acted, and he conquered as James Bond in this second installment of the James Bond film franchise. With some of the most realistic fight scenes for a '60s movie and terrific story by Fleming, this film has a recipe for a masterpiece. As mentioned in my review of "Dr. No", his charm and intellectual wit is still there, and then in some scenes in a whole lot more better than before. How he tries to commence his mission, you just couldn't fall asleep. A-grade acting by Connery here. Then-newcomer Daniela Branchi is good as Bond Girl Tatiana, who is the wrong girl at the right time. Desmond Llewelyn, in his debut as gadget man Q, shows us an impressive array of gadgets that Bond would later find quite useful. But it is Robert Shaw, who almost steals the show as the murderous, merciless, assassin Grant, who will stop at nothing to prevent Bond and Tatiana from commencing their mission. Crew also return here. Producers Brocolli and Saltzman and director Young have returned, with double the budget and double the thrills in return. Also, the musical score by John Barry is memorable, it really sets the tone for a realistic spy adventure. The story is not meant to be an action picture. It is more like the adventures of a spy, with the dangers of being a spy. In short, it is a complex spy thriller, made to suit the target audience which are spy fans and intelligent viewers. I do not understand how anyone could call such a film "boring." This truly is a pinnacle of the James Bond series, one which will remain for years to come. 9.34/10 Delton

While most people usually cite Goldfinger as their favorite of the Connery Bond films, I will stick with the second underrated entry in the series. Bond: Connery is still at his peak in the role exuding charm, sex appeal, machismo and humor. The villains: Robert Shaw and Lotte Lenya are excellent and create two of the most memorable villains in the Bond pantheon. Shaw's muscle-bound assassin Red Grant contributes one of the more exciting action pieces on a train. Lenya is pure malevolence and her battle with Bond using a poison spike as a weapon is terrific. The woman: Daniela Bianchi is almost never mentioned in lists of memorable Bond women, but she is sexy, vulnerable and (unlike her predecessor Ursula Andress) actually has a compelling role in the action. The plot is more complex and unusually grounded and believable for a Bond film. Pedro Armendariz is a delight as a fellow agent and compatriot to Bond. The action moves along at quite a fast clip and the screenplay has enough development and repartee to engage even non-Bond fans. A true gem.

'From Russia With Love' is the second and last of the Bond films to be made without a rigid formula. With 'Goldfinger', the expected elements of the later films would all accrue in a single film, setting a template the series would struggle to escape from (and, for the most part, would not bother trying to). So, like 'Dr. No', there's only a single sex interest (let's not use the term 'love' too lightly), rather than the good-girl-survives, bad/tragic-girl-dies dichotomy that would later structure all the films (bar OHMSS and, interestingly, the Dalton films), and unlike 'Dr. No', the villainous plot is rather small beer and resolutely real-world - to steal a code machine and humiliate the British Intelligence community in the process. There's also no bombastic theme song, although Matt Monro provides an easy-listening version of the theme tune at the end (it's not half bad, actually, although Shirley Bassey's brassy 'Goldfinger' makes it seem antediluvian in comparison). Effectively, this means that it's the last Bond film in which the makers were trying to make a film, not a Bond film. It didn't matter if the motifs were all there or not, it only mattered if it was a good film. Unsurprisingly, it has a good claim to being the best film of the series, and it's certainly the least self-conscious (compare with 'Thunderball', an artificial attempt to replicate 'Goldfinger' but making everything bigger). So, Daniela Bianchi isn't really just the latest 'Bond Girl', but the character at the heart of this thriller - she pretty much is the story. Ursula Andress might have had an iconic entrance in 'Dr. No', but she was so much window-dressing, irrelevant to the plot, arriving late and with almost no agency in the events that unfold around her. By contrast, the crucial pivot of 'From Russia With Love' is whether Bianchi's Tanya will side with Bond or SMERSH - the age old 'love or duty' dilemma. The film also takes time with detours that have little to do with the main plot - as in the sequence at the gypsy camp. There is a real feeling of a functioning world around Bond's escapades, rather than just colourful 'exotic' backdrops. There also isn't an undue emphasis on big action set pieces - Bond's encounter with a helicopter (very 'North by Northwest' - in fact Hitchcock's influence is detectable throughout this film, from the Cathedral sequence, to the cool Blondeness of Bianchi, to the train setting of the second half) and the climactic speedboat chase are well-executed, but miniature next to those of later films. Tellingly, the best remembered action sequence is the fight between Connery and Robert Shaw on the train, and the series would never better this intimate, brutal struggle. Shaw is by far the best of the series' bull-necked heavies - he's intelligent and charismatic as well as forceful, almost a Bond-equivalent. Lotte Lenya and Pedro Armendariz are both excellent in their supporting turns, reminders of a time when the series actually featured fully developed supporting characters, and Bianchi is good - she may lack the overt sex appeal of Andress, but she's a better actress, playing innocent without being either stupid or dull. Connery really grows into the role here, a long way from the pork-pie hatted clod he was in the first film but still untamed and prickly enough to be an exciting screen presence. It was a long slow decline from here to the tubby jobsworth of 'Diamonds Are Forever'. The early Bond films often escape the critical gaze, and when they are subjected to it, it is usually through rose-tinted spectacles. 'Dr. No' is dull and poorly acted, 'Goldfinger' fun but rather shapeless, and 'Thunderball' just tries too hard altogether. 'From Russia With Love' is a polished little gem, a cold-war thriller done with great style, and a minor masterpiece, irrespective of the series around it.

After the success of Dr. No, it was only a matter of time before James Bond returned for his second installment of espionage and adventure. Of course, it wasn't until the phenomenal success of Goldfinger that the Bond series really took off, and established the formula soon to be followed by every subsequent 007 movie and virtually every other action movie. But 'From Russia with Love' proved to be an equally effective, if slightly quieter little film, with more focus on the undercover espionage portion of James Bond's occupation, and less of the glamorous saving the world which would later become daily routine for him. In fact, one of the things that makes 'From Russia with Love' interesting is that it is a 007 movie made before the "Bond movie" formula was established, and noticeable differences in the storyline can be seen. 'Russia' is more of a slower film, with fewer action sequences and more focus on Bond actually being a spy rather than an action hero. This leisurely, tension-building storytelling likely would have garnered terrible reaction in the 90s, but 'From Russia with Love' is still a very strong, if less formulaic addition to the Bond series. Another noticeable difference is that Bond himself is much less the star of the show than is usually the case. Much more focus is placed on the supporting characters of the story, including minor characters such as chess master Kronsteen (Vladek Sheybal) who likely would simply have been eliminated from the story had 'Russia' followed the standard formula more closely. And for once, Bond isn't completely all knowing, capable of solving any problem independently - he teams up with the wise Kerim Bey (the charming Pedro Armendariz, his last film role) who shows Bond the ropes of Istanbul. But more standard story elements from the Bond formula are still present, such as menacing villains Rosa Klebb (the terrifying Lotte Lenya) and hit-man Red Grant. (an utterly intimidating and menacing Robert Shaw, the film's standout) And of course, there is still a slew of beautiful women for Bond to seduce, especially Russian decoding clerk Tatiana Romanova, played by the immensely gorgeous Daniela Bianchi. Also watch for a tense boat chase near the film's climax, the kind of stunt frequented by future Bond films. So 'From Russia with Love' is really a quieter, more suspenseful addition to the Bond series, with more focus on Bond doing some actual spying rather than explosions every five minutes and Bond saving the world from some elaborate scheme. It may drag at times, and may not prove quite as exciting as today's audiences might hope, but Connery is at the top of his game here as 007, and his opposers are genuinely menacing and intimidating. For those wishing the Bond franchise would place more emphasis of the espionage portion of Bond's occupation, 'From Russia with Love' should prove the perfect film for them. -8/10

Following the surprising success of Dr No, it became obvious that Broccoli and Saltzman's next step as producers would be other cinematic adaptation of Ian Fleming's work. Their choice this time was From Russia With Love, a novel once pointed out by US president Kennedy as one of his favorite books. Trying to capture the unique mood and look of Dr No, the producers brought back almost everyone involved in the first Bond outing ( excepting mediocre composer Monty Norman, whose clumsy tunes were replaced by a magnificent John Barry's score, in his first "official" collaboration in the Bond series). This includes Broccoli's long-standing collaborator Terence Young, screenwriter Richard Maibaum ,and, of course, Connery, that rough Scottsman, initially despised by everybody as a "lorry driver" , who nevertheless delivered an unforgettable performance as James Bond. All these talents combined to produce what no doubt is one the best Bond films of all time. Contrasting with the over the top story lines which would very soon become synonymous with Bond, From Russia With Love is a gritty and realistic Cold War thriller,filled up with sex violence and pure excitement. Terence Young considers this to be his best Bond film, and the movie proves him right. It is full of stylish shots( the famous close-up of Romanova's lips while Bond says "your mouth is just the right size") and really hot( by the 60's standards) seduction sequences. Even the back projection, a technical device often unfairly criticized , works wonderfully. Although many have criticized the action sequences following Bond's scape from the train, I think they're excellent, adding to the film's sense of danger and excitement. The helicopter chase, in particular, is a moment of brilliant film-making.(And it's even better than the sequence From North By Northwest that inspired it) The shot of Bond and Romanova embracing in the foreground with the helicopter exploding in the background perfectly encapsulates what the entire movie is about:danger, romance, violence. As for the cast, Connery seems more confident and relaxed this time, but when it comes to his job, he is as ruthless and cold as Fleming originally envisioned the character. Lotte Lenya wonderfully portrays SPECTRE mastermind Rosa Klebb ("..such a disgusting woman..." as Romanova states at one point) . But it is legendary supporting actor Robert Shaw who nearly steals the show as a cold-blooded hit-man with a psychotic strain to him. All in all, From Russia With Love is definitely a must-see not only for Bond fans, but for every discerning film lover.A true classic.

The first three Bonds (Dr. No, FRWL, Goldfinger) are without question the best in the series, though From Russia with Love may well be the best of the best. It has all things we look for in a great Bond film - exotic locales, sinister villains, beautiful women - but it was made before Goldfinger established the ingenious-yet-demented-supervillain-plus-indestructible-henchman formula as canonical, so its plot line may surprise viewers reared on the later Bond films. For one thing, there's little or nothing in the way of gadgetry (though Q does provide our hero with a pretty nifty briefcase). Beyond a brief encounter with the faceless Number One, there's no arch-villain looming over the action, and the henchmen are at once less invulnerable and more interesting than most of their successors in the series. Particularly memorable, of course, are Lotte Lenya as the hatchet-faced Colonel ("She's had her kicks") Kleb and Robert Shaw as the brutish Donald "Red" Grant. Kleb's edgy menace is neatly offset by her terror at the prospect of failure (an option which Number One refuses to countenance); her subtle come-on to Tatiana Romanova was positively daring by 1963 standards, and she manages to do for footwear what Goldfinger's Odd Job went on to do for head gear. Grant is no superman, but a vicious, small-time thug, recruited by SPECTRE and transformed into a fearsome enforcer; his bitter encounter with Bond on the train speaks volumes about the class tensions that still underlay British society in the post-war era. Connery, for his part, gets to build on the character he first fleshed out in Dr. No. His Bond really emerges here as a complex man, formidable but flawed. He's genteel and sophisticated, but he doesn't always keep his cool; unlike the too-often unflappable Roger Moore, Connery's Bond betrays both anger and fear when the circumstances seem to warrant it. He intervenes chivalrously to stop a fight between two Gypsy women, but he's not above slugging a woman in the service of his mission. I've always enjoyed the humanizing chemistry between Connery and Pedro Armendariz's larger-than-life Kerim ("I've led a fascinating life") Bey, the most charming of Bond sidekicks; their friendship comes across as genuine and multi-dimensional. Today's viewers (especially women) will likely find Daniela Bianchi's Tanya ("I LOVE you, James") Romanova an uncomfortably passive damsel-in-distress, but, hey: she's drop-dead gorgeous and has some nice scenes with Connery. The Turkish and Balkan settings are spectacular and the train sequence at the end is both exciting and suspenseful. Cold War scenario notwithstanding, this one has aged very well. Shake yourself a pitcher of vodka martinis and spend a Friday night watching Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger.

Sean Connery never failed to charm as James Bond.His charm,coupled with the terrific story line that you see here in from Russia With Love,makes this film second only to Goldfinger in terms of ranking all of Connery's efforts as 007.Nearly stealing the show is a fresh faced Robert Shaw as a trained assassin with his eyes zeroed in on the agent.Sadly,we also see the final performance of Pedro Armendariz,who committed suicide the year of the film's release upon learning he had terminal cancer.Even if you are not a Bond fan,this is a very well done good versus evil story that is carried out very well.If you are a Bond fan,you probably have all the films in your collection,whether they are good or bad,but if you are someone who only collects films you consider good,you'll want to consider this one.

This has to be my favorite bond. It mixes the best aspects of an action movie with the necessary espionage. Recent Bond attempts have moved away from the "spy-game" aspect and rely more on large explosions to dazzle the viewer. Kerem Bey, the Turkish spy leader, is as much a partner and foil for Bond as there ever was. Any movie with a gypsy fight, absurd helicopter assassination attempts, and boat chase has to be great. Also, Daniella Bianchi is my favorite Bond girl. Her truceau is as sexy as it gets, though this is a subject every true Bond fan will debate about. The only objection is that they dubbed her voice into a more coarse, Russian accent. Overall, it is a wonderful movie that spans the globe and defeats SPECTRE. James Bond will return, but never with as much intrigue, beauty, and suspense as "From Russia With Love".

For the first time, we are introduced to the leader of Spectre, Ernst Stavros Blofeld known as number one, and whose face remains hidden until "You Only Live Twice." His goal is to steal a new decoder, the Lektor, from the office of the Russian consulate, heats up the Cold War by killing and attacking the Russians and the British, through their respective agents, the Bulgarians and the Gypsies... Spectre has a feeling of resentment against Bond, because he eliminated Dr. No... He instructed number 5: "Let his death be a particularly unpleasant humiliating one." Sean Connery's second portrayal of the Secret Agent 007 is right on target... Our patriot-libertine is always ready to seduce a pretty spy for his country... He is hard during his interrogation of Tatiana... That slap must have hurt... He has trouble disabling his vicious adversaries... His ultimate match with Klebb's poisoned toe cap left him sweaty... Luckily Tatiana knows which side to stand... The charming Daniela Bianchi is Tatiana Romanova, a young Greta Garbo... She plays a pawn in Spectre blackmail scene... She knows her defection is fake but doesn't know that Klebb is a Spectre agent who will try to acquire the Lektor, and trap Bond at the same time... She also ignores that behind the mirror above the king sized bed, Spectre agents are secretly filming her love making with Bond from a cabinet de voyeur... In his final appearance, Pedro Armendariz plays Bond's most memorable Turkish Ally, the delightful Ali Kerim Bey, head of Station T, in Turkey... Kerim Bey is the perfect combination of aggression and intelligence... (Dying of cancer and hospitalized in Los Angeles, this great Mexican actor, took a pistol from under his pillow and shot himself...) Lotte Lenya plays number three, Rosa Klebb, former head of operations for SMERSH, and now a sadistic Spectre agent placed in control by the mysterious number one, who found Donald "Red" Grant fit enough for duty... This repugnant lady recruits the good-looking Tatiana from the Istanbul consulate... For her, "Training is useful, but there is no substitute for experience." Robert Shaw is "Red" Grant, a psychopath training on Spectre island who has to take the decoding device from Bond... He is, perhaps, the most memorable assassin who succeeds in making Bond kneel... Walter Gotell (later known as General Gogol) makes his first appearance in the series... Vladek Sheybal plays the master planner, Spectre top operative on the mission, number five, Kronsteen... He is a chess master known as the "Wizard of Ice." His plan involves using Bond and Russian cipher clerk Tatiana as pawns... Fred Haggerty plays the Bulgarian killer Krilencu... The way he is dealt with is very original... "From Russia with Love" introduces "Q" to the series... Desmond Llewelyn isn't called "Q" yet, but the credits refer to him as Major Boothroyd, the equipment officer... "From Russia with Love" is a straight spy adventure with lots of action and beautiful women: The attractive masseuse oiling Grant in the garden of Spectre training camp; Sylvia Trench, the "interesting old case" who returns to frolic in a canoe on the Thames; Kerim's slinky mistress lying on the settee, chews 'her breads and whines for attention;' Leila, the belly dancer at the Gypsy camp overwhelming Bond with her abdominal skill; the stunning two Gypsy girls (Vida and Rosa) whom Bond is told to select the victor in their Gypsy fight to the death; the lovely Tatiana lying naked in Bond's bed with only a black ribbon tied around her neck... "From Russia with Love" is a splendidly entertaining film against exotic Istanbul and Venice backgrounds...

By no means a great movie, but a top-notch BOND movie. Connery isn't yet as entertaining as he later became (especially in "Thunderball"), but he is certainly more confident and likable than he was in "'Dr.No". This is probably the only GENUINE spy movie in the series, and it contains (in my opinion) the best-sustained sequence of all the Bonds (the Connery-Shaw fight and the 15 minutes leading to it). Unfortunately, the two following climaxes (especially the boat chase) can't approach the same level of quality. It's still above-average.

Hard to believe, but the movie is actually an improvement on Fleming's novel. Rather than have the Lektor operation be a simple Russian scheme to discredit Bond as Fleming did, SPECTRE takes a hand here in their first on-screen appearance as an organization. The plot is improved considerably because of this. The movie thrives on its supporting actors and Sheybal. Connery is somewhat outshone by these greater lights, but gives a credible performance. From Russia... is a different pace of movie: no one here is intent on wiping out the world's population, or destroying the gold supply, or stealing submarines. Basically, it's a quiet little plot focusing on an elaborate "sting" operation. Until the end, the pace is kind of slow, and might lose more "modern" audiences, particularly those used to incredible stunt sequences every 20 minutes.

A Bond film that stands out among all other films as well as the Bond films, From Russia With Love is filled with not only a heavy dose of nonstop action and adventure, but also an intelligent plot that commented heavily on the world state of affairs in 1963. Capitalist and Communists are set to work against each other by SPECTRE, an organization which does not give any special considerations to economic systems, but wishes to weaken the balance of world power and take control itself. The survival of the Bond films depended on their ability to change with the decades, and From Russia With Love is no exception. Great acting performances from not only Sean Connery, but Robert Shaw, Pedro Armendariz, and Lotte Lenya (the wife of Kurt Weill).