You Only Live Twice
Dir: Lewis Gilbert
1967
****
You Only Live Twice (the fifth film of the franchise and Ian Flemming's 12th James Bond novel) marked the return of James Bond on the big screen in many respects. It had only been two years since the last 007 outing but it was felt that the absence of Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had stunted the formula somewhat. You Only Live Twice has familiar themes but it felt like the series was back on track. The film follows the novel only very loosely, with only a couple of characters featuring in both. One of the key reasons why it was chosen over more popular and more obvious titles is because of its location. The previous Bond films had been very successful in Japan and the producers wanted to take advantage of this. Also, the release of the spoof version of the popular Bond novel Casino Royale just a few months earlier made it a title that was left well alone until nearly 40 years later. After TV writer Harold Jack Bloom left the project, an author, who's children's book about a little boy and a chocolate factory had just been released in the UK, and who had next to no script writing experience, was hired. Roald Dahl took Flemming's novel and completely rewrote it for the screen which became a trend. It's fair to say they gave Bond fans what they wanted, although Sean Connery disagreed. You Only Live Twice finally brought Ernst Stavro Blofeld to the big screen, he'd only been heard and partially seen in the past films, here he was in the light of day, played by a brilliant character actor (the legendary Donald Pleasence) and he had a secret hideout inside a volcano!! What more could you possibly ask for? The great Lewis Gilbert directed (what would be his first of three Bond films) but was unsure at first. He only agreed after Albert Broccoli called him stating that "You can't give up this job. It's the largest audience in the world.". Gilbert was known for the classics; The Admirable Crichton, Carve Her Name with Pride, Sink the Bismarck! and Alfie, which he had made the year before. He would go on to make The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker as well as the British classics Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. His direction is probably my personal favorite of the series, I found his composition to be constantly dynamic and alternative. Sean Connery didn't like the film much and decided to call it a day after it's completion, I wonder whether he would have done the same if On Her Majesty's Secret Service had been made instead as was originally intended? In interesting chapter in James Bond history, the end of an era in some respects but a big influence to films to come (I'm looking at you Mike Myers).