From Russia with Love

The best Bond movie with Sean Connery. Or rather... The best Bond movie ever. Significantly different that the rest and more of a classic cloak-and-dagger movie. However it’s the most serious one and thrilling at the same time, a bit tongue in cheek with a lot of action and also quite realistic in places. For instance the fight in the train compartment is the type of a physical action which you don’t usually find in a standard Bond movie (well at least not until Craig’s arrival). (17/11/2004)

After the famous success of Dr. No, the Saltzman-Broccoli production duo thought about which book would be best suited as a continuation of Agent 007's triumphant journey on the silver screen. In the end, a rather unexpected factor spoke for From Russia with Love... J. F. Kennedy declared this book one of his favorites, sales rose, and guys from MGM knew what to do. And so, six months after the Cuban atomic crisis, a film appeared in movie theatres in which Russia and the West stand unknowingly on one side of the barricade, manipulated by the clever gambit of the Czechoslovak Kronsteen and the SPECTRE organization, headed by the mysterious Blofeld (note that there is a question mark next to his name in the headlines). The plot is very well tangled this time, but as a result it a fades out (or rather into other episodes). The myth of James Bond as a super agent is beginning to take shape, with Q, a multipurpose briefcase and a camera-recorder appearing on the scene, and yet this film takes place even more in the intentions of a classic spy film. A lot of dialogue, a few sympathetically-flowing action sequences (especially the fistfight with Grant on the express is worth it), even more ticklish scenes than in Dr. No, a beautiful Bond girl with a Russian accent... and a slightly weaker Connery, who just shadows his famous performance from the first movie. However, From Russia with Love has one of the best entangled stories of all the Bond movies and, of course, a sheer 1960s atmosphere, so I can't give less than Dr. No... actually, yes I can....a debut is a debut. Terence Young just knew how to make Bond movies. ___ Bond song: "From Russia with Love" (Matt Monro) (29/10/2004)

If I have to pick one of Connery's best Bond films, then it's From Russia with Love. It’s the most interesting film in terms of plot and it doesn’t have a lot of action, but when it does, it's worth it. Be it the legendary (and rightly praised) train compartment fight, the helicopter chase or the gypsy camp ambush. One hundred percent honest work every time. As far as the plot goes, there is no shortage of interesting twists and turns, but the most fun of all is watching Bond and Romanov's evolving relationship. Add to that, of course, John Barry, Young's meticulous direction, which suits this slower but ever more suspenseful film more than anything else, Blofeld and the witch of all witches... You simply cannot be dissatisfied with it. (22/05/2010)

It's unbelievable how this film from 1963, which was already completely different in terms of filmmaking, managed to inspire and captivate me. Bond's lines and grimaces haven't aged even after 50 years. Some effects are naturally clunky, but the can be tolerated thanks to the pace and strong script. Excellent villains, a fantastic fight on a train, and above all, an incredible pace. Compared to the first installment, it's a huge leap forward. I expected to watch it more out of obligation, but I devoured it with unexpected enthusiasm. Even back then, they were able to beautifully utilize the settings – Istanbul and Venice – with a sense for excellent cinematography. (23/12/2013)

Recently, I visited a museum where I could admire ladies' dresses from leading tailor salons of the First Republic, which were intended for women from higher society. I say "could admire," but I didn't, because it was clear that the ravages of time had worked relentlessly not only on the faded colors but also on the once bold patterns and cuts. What used to dazzle is now just an item in the museum's inventory. I have a similar feeling about the early Bond films. The series about the unbeatable agent of Her Majesty has always been considered by me as a purely marginal part of cinema, and above all, the films from the 60s and 70s are fixed in my mind as museum exhibits. Bond films from the 90s started to become interesting with their sets, special effects, and action, but I only fully embraced their universe with the arrival of Daniel Craig - he became the first Bond whom I believed in as this invincible action hero. The trashy nature of From Russia with Love is evident, but not significant enough to make the film entertaining in and of itself. Some detachment is noticeable in the film, but it is not sufficient. It takes itself too seriously considering how naive the whole plot appears today and how clumsily it works in terms of the action. While I can choose from four genres in the film's header, the only one that would hold up today, namely comedy, is missing and unfortunately was not intended this way. I almost dozed off during the most dynamic action scene, the attack on the gypsy camp. I give the claim that Sean Connery is the only authentic Bond the same weight as the claim that little green men from Mars control us. Overall impression: 45%. (21/11/2013)