The DVD Dissection: From Russia with Love (Blu-Ray)
Posted by Chad Webb on 11.07.2008
Bond’s brilliant second adventure is even better on Blu-Ray!
Sean Connery: James Bond
Daniela Bianchi: Tatiana Romanova (voiced by Barbara Jefford)
Pedro Armendariz: Ali Kerim Bay
Lotte Lenya: Rosa Klebb
Robert Shaw: Red Grant
Bernard Lee: M.
Eunice Gayson: Sylvia Trench
Walter Gotell: Morenzy
Lois Maxwell: Miss Moneypenny
Vladek Sheyball: Kronsteen
Desmond Llewelyn: Major Boothroyd
Directed By: Terence Young
Written By: Richard Maibaum
Theatrical Release Date: April 8, 1964
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Running Time: 115 minutes
Rated PG for violence and sexual innuendo
The Film
If you had asked me whether or not the Bond franchise could ever again equal the quality it achieved in the mid 1960’s, I would have replied no for sure, but Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace could change that. That time period is significant in the lifespan of James Bond because the outstanding Goldfinger was released, which matched its predecessor From Russia with Love, one of the very finest adventures with 007. Russia is the ideal example of Bond bringing his A-game.
All the puzzle pieces were prepared with no trouble. The star, Sean Connery, had returned after the Dr. No success. Director Terence Young had also returned to the helm, so the series would maintain the same flow and tone. This was a highly anticipated film. The budget had been doubled, and Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, along with the filmmaker could do just about anything they wished. Instead of trying to impress the public with endless explosions and cartoon caricatures, they instead employed sequences that would establish increased suspense, a more tongue-in-cheek approach, and a breezy atmosphere. Of course it helped that at the time, President John F. Kennedy had just named Ian Fleming’s From Russia with Love as one of his favorite books. That is the sort of publicity you just cannot buy. However, the production would unravel as a rollercoaster of tremendous highs and tragic lows.
Joyfully, the plot does not involve any maniac attempting to take over the world. On this occasion, the evil organization SPECTRE has tackled the plan of a master chess player, #5, Kronsteen (Vladek Sheybal). They want a secret Russian decoding machine called the Lektor. The scheme will have the British Secret Service steal the device, and then SPECTRE will steal it from them, and sell it back to the Russians. The organization thinks they have every conceivable turn predicted, but Bond (Sean Connery) has his own ideas. The leader of SPECTRE, Ernst Blofeld (?), has recruited a former Russian military officer, #3, a.k.a. Rosa Klebb (Lotta Lenya) to put the plan into action. Klebb subsequently drafts two key elements that will lead to the demise of Bond and the apprehension of the Lektor. One is a beautiful Russian spy named Tatiana (Daniela Bianchi), and the other is a bulky assassin named Grant (Robert Shaw).
As I’ve already described how spectacular Connery is in the lead role with my Dr. No review, I will just say that Connery was noticeably more polished in the part for this second venture. His confidence improved, yet his durability and magnetism remained top-notch. He had grown accustomed to the terrain, and it shows. Bernard Lee as M, and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny are terrific supporting players as always. Watching them listen to Bond’s recording of Tatiana is a truly humorous moment.
Desmond Llewelyn is seen in his first appearance here, although he is referred to as Major Boothroyd, not “Q” just yet. He is fantastic in such a small contribution, and he remained in the series for a reason. The gadgets were/are a Bond signature that does not get old. Another ally is Ali Kerim Bay, portrayed by Pedro Armendariz. This is a self-assured, tough, and witty individual, who was most pleasing to watch alongside Bond. His sneakiness, and the fact that he had friends everywhere in Istanbul, was excellent. He completed his segments while battling inoperable cancer, and now he can rest peacefully knowing this part is his lasting legacy.
The female section provided a variety of people. Sylvia Trench appears briefly in the beginning as a recurring beauty. The real eye-catching female is Daniela Bianchi, whose voice was dubbed by Barbara Jefford, as Tatiana Romanova. She has a set task, but is unaware that it is for SPECTRE. It will not take long to understand why Bond was willing to accept this mission from the look at her picture. In terms of sheer brutality and frightening enemies, Lotte Lenya is a brilliant villain as Rosa Klebb. She marches right through the SPECTRE training camp, not flinching in the slightest at all the testosterone, machine gun fire, and active training. She selects Red Grant as her main muscle. Robert Shaw is marvelous as the silent and intimidating assassin that tails Bond.
The pre-opening credits teaser makes its introductory arrival in Russia with Grant killing "Bond" in a training exercise. This film is packed with genuinely thick tension moments that would be hard to attain during the future installments. This includes the Gypsy camp battle, and ensuing hit by Kerim Bay. His underground spy lair is also extraordinary. The entire meeting of Bond and Grant marks one of the greatest preparations for a one on one fight. Ordering dinner, making small talk, and the heading back to the room to try and kill one another. The escapes from the trains, the motorboat chase, the helicopter dodging reminiscent of North by Northwest is all sensational.
Director Terence Young enhanced the proceedings with a more compact, taut, and enthralling film, complimented by a bracing screenplay adaptation from Richard Maibaum despite the constant re-writes. Binding the deceptive story design with a convincing love angle, remarkable stunt choreography, and efficient special effects construction was textbook. This is thanks mainly due to Peter Hunt’s masterful editing. The only flaw I can afford is the casual chopping Bond implements during the Gypsy sequence. If not for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, no one would carp about that, or Klebb, or Blofeld stroking his cat.
Most fans place either Goldfinger or From Russia with Love as the best Bond effort, and it is due to the accessible ambiance and contagious attitude with which Young and company execute the assignments. From Russia with Love has earned its position in Bond’s top 3.
The Video
When you glance at the back cover and it reads “Blu-Ray was made for Bond”, trust me when I say it is an accurate statement. This hi-def transfer has been presented with its original aspect ratios and in 1080p high definition with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. It is crystal clear, pristine, and unquestionably gorgeous. All the defects of an older film like this has vanished. The action sequences really have the opportunity to shine as the cinematography from Young. This is more evidence of how “classic” films can be worth the extra money in the Blu-Ray format. The fact that so much meticulous work went into making a 1964 picture look so fresh and alive is astonishing. This is the same efforts that were put forth in the previous “Ultimate Edition” DVDs, but this elevates that to a whole new level.
The Audio
The sound mixing is certainly stunning to the ears. The music and every single effect from gun shots to explosions are adjusted appropriately. The dialogue does not match the other sound elements, but every character is understandable. That means you must turn the volume up a little so that the action does not overwhelm everything else. This disc offers a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track, as well as the original presentation which is a two-channel mono track. The disc also contains a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track in French, and a two-channel mono Spanish track. Subtitles in English and Spanish are also available.
The Packaging
From Russia with Love, the Blu-Ray disc is distributed in a slimline clear blue case with a cardboard slipcover on top of that. The artwork of both is the same. The slipcovers for Blu-Ray seem to reveal shelf wear quicker than normal keep case slipcovers, but they're included to prevent theft so we have to deal with them. The menus are typically aggravating for Bond films. Don’t get me wrong, they are always neat looking, but the "Initiate Mission" instead of play, and other coded entries get old. Actually, these are a bit easier to navigate through, until you get to the extras. The menu design is neat with the 007 logo and clips from the film.
The Extras
Since this is the first appearance of Bond on Blu-Ray, I’ll refrain from giving you the history of the standard DVD releases. As a reminder, Blu-Ray disc and standard discs should not be compared since they are two different formats. It would be like me giving the history of a film on VHS while I do a DVD review.
M16 Commentary - The commentary track on From Russia with Love, and every Bond Blu-Ray disc recycles a commentary which was included on a standard release. It really doesn’t matter, as the original commentaries are as effective as any new one would be. Here, John Cork from the Ian Fleming Foundation hosts an assortment of interviews with Director Terence Young, in addition to various members of the cast and crew. I hate to repeat myself from the Dr. No review, but the same comments apply. On occasion, collage commentary tracks can grow bland because they have no flow. It is simply clips spliced in, and that can be fabulous and also irritating. This one is a bit of both actually, but the information revealed is quite intriguing and educational as long as you’re patient.
DECLASSIFIED: M16 VAULT Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview (7:42) – This begins a series of vintage bonuses with the James Bond author. This interview tosses questions to Fleming about the content of his novels, who reads them, and so forth.
Ian Fleming & Raymond Chandler (5:11) – This inserts pictures of the authors scrolling at random while they speak to each other in a recording. They discuss each others characters, the nature of villains, emotions, and torture scenes. This was very neat for those who take the time to listen.
Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs (5:12) – This is another interview, however the pictures scroll by again, and Fleming is asked about his life, athletics he participated in, the Navy, his various jobs, and how he works on his books.
Animated Storyboard Sequence (1:28) – This takes the viewer through the original plan for the escape with James and Tatiana via hand-drawn storyboards. It was supposed to take place at night, which would have been a poor choice I think.
007 MISSION CONTROL
Boy was this section a pain to weave through. The point is you can click on various categories and be whisked away to the scene in the film that covers the topic you clicked on. The categories are: 007, Women, Allies, Villains, Mission Combat Manual, and Q Branch, with sub-categories inside each of those. The only semi-neat bonus here is the Bond gun barrel sequence textless from under the “007” name. “Exotic Locations” looks at the various locations for From Russia with Love. Most of these range anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes in length.
MISSION DOSSIER Inside From Russia with Love (33:46) - While the finished film looks outstanding, it took a lot of hills and valleys to arrive at that. This is your basic “Making-of” documentary, but they are always more interesting when the production is so chaotic and unpredictable like this one was. I especially enjoyed how they touched on the risqué scenes with Klebb and Tatiana, and the brief shot of nudity. Also mentioned are the insane crowds during shooting, the editing process, the set designs woes, the removal of politics from the script, and much more. This was gripping.
Harry Saltzman: Showman (26:42) – This adequately timed featurette explores the career of the Producer, a crucial component in the Bond equation. This contains interviews from his children, which end up being the most informative, as well as surprise, George Lazenby, whom I would never recognize if he passed me on the street. Among the topics covered: his temper, strange outfits, swimming pool conferences, and food nitpicking.
MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA Theatrical Trailer (3:46) – Remember that trailers in the old days were overly long, and this is no different, but still, they are fun to skim through. This is entitled “S.P.E.C.T.R.E.”
Theatrical Spots (3:55) – There are two of these, and they can be viewed all at once by pressing “Play All.” Nothing of note to say about these.
TV Spots (1:34) – Three TV spots are included, and can again be played all at once. These are all about Dr. No, so the above statements apply.
Radio Spots (1:38) – We have three of the radio spots, and they are cool to listen to for a couple minutes since not many DVD releases attach them.
IMAGE DATABASE
A series of image galleries can be found in this section. There are 16 in all, and are fun to peruse after watching the film. This is double the number on Dr.No so it means double the enjoyment.
The Film: 9.0/10.0
The Video: 10.0/10.0
The Audio: 9.0/10.0
The Packaging: 8.5/10.0
The Extras: 8.5/10.0
The 411: From Russia with Love is certainly one of my favorite James Bond films because almost everything clicked. The acting was more polished from the recurring cast members, the set designs were more intricate, the action more suspenseful, and the plot more intriguing. Director Terence Young was a great leader in pulling together such an excellent piece of work. As with Dr. No the technical specifications are top-notch and stunning even if this film lacks the Honey Ryder scene. The extras are not as satisfactory, but only slightly so. The Ian Fleming vintage material was terrific. If you only have money for one Bond Blu-Ray disc, this would definitely be a wise purchase.
