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Review

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Director

Peter R. Hunt

Year

1969

Rating

Reviewed by

Gon C Curiel a.k.a. Groucho

Review date

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Sean Connery’s decision to quit playing Britain’s most famous secret agent, James Bond, led the series to an unexpected path: Not only was a hunt organized for a new actor to play 007 (a pursuit often compared to that of an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939)), but the script was particularly well crafted, focusing both on action and character depth and development; also, the production values were much more meticulous than usual. All of which added up to the best entry in the series.

Starting with the obligatory subject, let me state that George Lazenby does an excellent job. I won’t say I dare anyone to say he does not, ‘cause many people have already said so. I just can’t see why, but I think it’s because they’re just too in love with Connery’s Bond to see anyone else play the man, and since Lazenby was the first man to do so, and he only did it once, he’s the main target of negative criticism. I for one think he’s a natural, and his Bond is more spontaneous than Connery’s sometimes. Lazenby is athletic, funny, and charming, but most of all, he’s sure of himself, enough to play such an important role.

Though the movie has quite a few references to the previous five entries (Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967)), it’s so solid on its own that it holds together better than any of them, or all together. The story is more serious and sober, and more realistic (or should I say, less implausible), and definitely more focused on real human feelings and reactions.

The story has Bond, more cynic and self-centered than ever, romancing an evasive Countess he keeps saving from trouble. Her name is Teresa, but she’d rather he call her Tracy (Diana Rigg). Her father, an European crime boss (Gabriele Ferzetti), unable to tame his daughter, decides to make a deal with Bond, asking him to take her seriously, and offering to tell him in return the location of his arch-nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas). Bond goes for it, but soon he finds himself honestly in love with Tracy, as she is with him.

But Draco does tell Bond where Blofeld is, and Bond does go after the man. As it turns out, Blofeld is trying to prove he’s a Count, so the secret agent, disguised as a genealogist, pays him a visit. In a scheme to sprawl a biological warfare, Blofeld disguises his evil foundation as a philanthropic research center against allergies, whose patients are all women, and all gorgeous. Disguised as everything but a womanizer, Bond has a hard time in there… or does he?

But even when the film is taking a formulaic path, it soon changes direction. This Blofeld, for instance, is not the same kind of character we met before. Here he drops his cat, he changes his clothes, and he acts like a human being would (an insane and brilliant one, that is). Bond’s visit to Blofeld in the Swiss Alps doesn’t end with big explosions at the moment, but instead, 007 is forced to escape, and outstanding chase sequences (by ski, and later by car) follow. Tracy is also not your typical Bond girl: She’s quite smart, and ready for action, and somehow even braver than Bond himself. You just can’t top the action sequences in this film, and the editing by John Glen is one of the best of its kind I’ve ever seen. Ditto for Michael Reed’s cinematography.

Though Rigg was chosen for the role mostly for her success in “The Avengers” TV series, she’s perfect and convinces completely after a while. Savalas, in the meantime, has a good time as the arch-villain, and surely tops Donald Pleasance who played the role in You Only Live Twice (1967). Ilse Steppat, as Blofeld’s female aide, is chilling.

John Barry worked on the music score once again and at creating the first non-sung theme since Dr. No (1962), he gave the world one of the most distinctive Bond themes, which also serves the action sequences like no other before. Plus, the romantic scenes are also aided by his music, and especially the song “We have all the time in the world” (lyrics by Hal David), sung by Louis Armstrong and featured in one of the most memorable scenes.

Like Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) says in one scene, this is the same Bond, only more so, and screenwriter Richard Maibaum made sure of it. Ian Fleming’s hero had never been so real, so human, so complete, and yet so vulnerable. The film does take longer than most Bond films, but it’s worth it, as the same weight is given to every subplot and aspect of the story.

As it is known, this is also the one and only Bond film capable of making you cry, and making Bond cry. The decision he takes regarding Tracy is unforgettable (and unforgettably romantic), and the tragic ending is shattering. It’s the only way to end this story though, and it works to perfection.

Definitely one of the best action films I’ve ever seen, and doubtlessly the best Bond film ever.

Followed by Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

“It's not New Year yet.”

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