From Russia with Love
Dir: Terence Young
1963
*****
After the success of Dr. No (released the previous year) director Terence Young, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli and actor Sean Connery combined forces once more and worked on the first of many sequels in which the character James Bond would appear. From Russia with Love was Ian Flemming's fifth James Bond novel and sadly the last he would see on the big screen before his death in 1964. From Russia with Love features the film debuts of SPECTRE (known as SMERSH in the novels), Desmond Llewelyn as Q (although he is known as Major Boothroyd from Q Branch at this point), John Barry (who took over from Monty Norman, the author of the 'James Bond Theme') and last but not least, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, although you see far more of his cat than you do the man himself and he is credited with a simple question mark in the end credits. Of all the original Bonds, or should I say the Connery Bonds, From Russia with Love seemed to best emulate the style of character written by Flemming and is the pivotal version people associate with the series. The direction is smooth and Connery's Bond is probably the best he's ever been. It also features, in my opinion, one of the best Bond Villains to date. I think Robert Shaw's Donald 'Red' Grant is often overlooked and underrated, he's not as gimmicky as many of the Bond baddies but his character is arguably the blue print to many a villain to come and not just in the world of 007 either. Interestingly, producer Barbara Broccoli, producer and writer Michael G. Wilson, and Bonds; Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig have all said that From Russia with Love is their favorite Bond film with the legendary producer Albert Broccoli saying it was in the top three. I personally like the over the top ridiculousness of Roger Moore's Bond films but when it comes to class and Britishness, From Russia with Love is the winner and I would also agree that Matt Monro's theme song is the best Bond theme of the lot, it's certainly my favorite anyway.