If there is one thing right away that is better in From Russia with Love over Dr. No, its Sean Connery’s performance as James Bond 007. I thought Dr. No was a very good first Bond film. Connery is the first Bond ever, and he entered the role in Dr. No with style, but not with 100% confidence. One year and one Bond film later, he has really improved a lot. Though he will clarify his perfection in the Bond role with Goldfinger—I still think he gives just as a great job in From Russia with Love.
From Russia with Love is set at the height of the Cold War era—therefore, it makes just as great use as a very well-crafted Cold War action-thriller as it does a Bond film. Of all the Bonds, From Russia with Love remains the best crafted.
This time around, following his success at his last mission in Dr. No, 007 (Sean Connery) is ordered to go to Istanbul, Turkey, to retrieve the Lektor Decoding Device (which the evil crime organization, SPECTRE, has stolen from the Russians). A Russian woman, Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) working for the KGB, has offered to defect over to Britain along with the Lektor, but only if Bond will escort her. It’s an obvious trap, but the Lektor is too prized an item to be pushed aside. Britain needs it, so Bond heads out to Istanbul for queen and country. Meanwhile, SPECTRE has assigned highly-trained assassin Red Grant (Robert Shaw), to follow Bond and kill him at the opportune time. Bond meets up with ally Kerim Bey (Pedro Armendariz), and together, set out to work at retrieving the Lektor with Tatiana while evading SPECTRE and the KGB.
If Goldfinger had the best action set-pieces, then From Russia with Love is the best crafted the most eloquent, and the most resourceful.
Connery is once again wonderful as the suave British agent Bond. Connery is the best of all the Bond’s—humorous and comedic off duty, and serious and determined on a mission. While in Goldfinger he may have given his arguably best job as the deadly agent, he does nearly just as well in From Russia with Love.
From Russia with Love isn’t as silly as Dr. No or Goldfinger were. It contains a number of impressively staged fights—the shootout at the gypsy camp, and the hand-to-hand combat between Bond and Grant on Orient Express, or when Bond is cornered on boats in the Mediterranean, with SPECTRE boats and agents closing in.
All in all, From Russia with Love is just as good as a Cold War thriller as it is as a Bond action movie. Of all the Bond’s, From Russia with Love is the most impressive, because it’s the only Bond movie that can be good as a Bond movie or not. In addition, From Russia with Love, along with a handful of other Bond’s, has become very influential.
I’m not saying that this is definitely the best Bond film ever made, but it is my favorite. I also think's it the best done.
*****/5
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