Review 119: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Based on the tenth Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Ian Fleming; Whilst on leave, James Bond (George Lazenby) prevents a young woman, Tracy Draco (Diana Rigg), from committing suicide. Her father, Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), is the head of a powerful crime syndicate who is impressed by Bond and wants him to protect his daughter by marrying her. In exchange he offers Bond information which will lead 007 to his arch enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas). At first Bond agrees to the deal purely to fulfil his objective to kill Blofeld but later he grows to love Tracy but when the British learn that Blofeld plans to destroy mankind with a deadly virus using twelve beautiful women from all over the world, 007 is torn between his loyalty to his county and his intent to marry Tracy.
The plot is closest to any of the Bond novels (virtually everything in the novel occurs in the film) which makes the plot of the film feel bogged/weighed down and clinical to the point of being joyless and somber.
This deliberate pacing, whilist appropriate for this type of film, As a result the story drags and hardly gathers any steam. By the time it does we've completely lost interest in what is going on. This deliberate pacing, whilist appropriate for this type of film,
Much like the novel, On Her Majesty's Secret Service makes a number of revalations about the Bond character including showing an emotional side not present in previous films.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service being two converging storylines. The A story is Bond being bribed by Draco to woo his daughter Tracy and eventually marry her.
The B story is Bond investing Blofeld under the guise of Sir Hilary Bray in Switzerland.
Really it should be the other way round. What the Eon tried to do with OHMSS is deviate from the fantastical adventures of the Connery films and focus more on Charater a la From Russia with Love and provide Depth to Bond and it hasn't really worked.
Making OHMSS a love story, just takes away from the Bond identity and makes it feel like a French film: very nice to look at, not much in the way of substance. I never really felt a sense of tension in the film or that the stakes are even that high making OHMSS feel kind of... flat.
The B story is Bond investing Blofeld under the guise of Sir Hilary Bray in Switzerland.
Really it should be the other way round. What the Eon tried to do with OHMSS is deviate from the fantastical adventures of the Connery films and focus more on Charater a la From Russia with Love and provide Depth to Bond and it hasn't really worked.
Making OHMSS a love story, just takes away from the Bond identity and makes it feel like a French film: very nice to look at, not much in the way of substance. I never really felt a sense of tension in the film or that the stakes are even that high making OHMSS feel kind of... flat.
Bond and Tracy just don't have the type of connection that they should;
Their relationship is just too formal with both parties feeling
disinterested instead of intrigued. Bond just doesn't have any
conversation and if he were th guy sitting across from her at the table in the casino she prodably wouldn't give him the time of day: We don't believe the romance.
Using the story of Bond hunting Blofled as a backdrop for a romance comes across as somber and needlessly restrained. We don't go into a James Bond film for smoozy, woozy romance. We expect fast cars, gadgets, beautiful girls exotic locals and gripping, inventive action scenes.
Director Peter Hunt's directing is adopting a much more Cinema Verte style which resulting in a film that (more than other Bond films) feels very much like a French film.
Using the story of Bond hunting Blofled as a backdrop for a romance comes across as somber and needlessly restrained. We don't go into a James Bond film for smoozy, woozy romance. We expect fast cars, gadgets, beautiful girls exotic locals and gripping, inventive action scenes.
Director Peter Hunt's directing is adopting a much more Cinema Verte style which resulting in a film that (more than other Bond films) feels very much like a French film.
And I don't like Blofeld's group of women he keeps in Piz Gloria, it's not mature, it's not proper-it's not British and it just comes off creepy and weird and the whole brainwashing scheme is eye rolling.
Although admittedly, it's a beautifully made film; The score John Barry is spectacular and one of the best in the series. The production design is magnificent, the costume design is majestic, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty and vastness of Switzerland, the action scenes are thrilling, particularly the ski sequences and Bobsled sequences are all first rate, the scenery is breahtaking.
And then, we get to the ending. It's shocking, unexpected; I didn't see it coming. It will either leave audiences feeling deeply moved or outraged. Personally, I fell into the latter catagory: It felt arbitrary, melodramatic and shocking for all the wrong reasons and left me feeling, cold, manipulated and betrayed.
I also feel however, that producers, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman wasted a fabulous cast, Diana Rigg delivers a sensitive and lovely performance playing Tracy makes for one of the best bond girls in Bond history. When Bond first meets her, she's very damaged person who leads a very self destructive life.
Although admittedly, it's a beautifully made film; The score John Barry is spectacular and one of the best in the series. The production design is magnificent, the costume design is majestic, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the beauty and vastness of Switzerland, the action scenes are thrilling, particularly the ski sequences and Bobsled sequences are all first rate, the scenery is breahtaking.
And then, we get to the ending. It's shocking, unexpected; I didn't see it coming. It will either leave audiences feeling deeply moved or outraged. Personally, I fell into the latter catagory: It felt arbitrary, melodramatic and shocking for all the wrong reasons and left me feeling, cold, manipulated and betrayed.
I also feel however, that producers, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman wasted a fabulous cast, Diana Rigg delivers a sensitive and lovely performance playing Tracy makes for one of the best bond girls in Bond history. When Bond first meets her, she's very damaged person who leads a very self destructive life.
Tracy, in many ways, is Bond's equal - someone he connects with on an emotional level and grows to respect and eventually falls in love with.
Gabriele Ferzetti is fantastic as Marc-Ange Draco, the father of Tracy and head of the Union Corse crime syndicate. Draco approaches Bond to court Tracy because
Telly Savalas gives the second best Blofeld performance behind Donald Pleasence
Then, there's the matter of Bond himself, George Lazenby, who give a fundementally uncharismatic performance, he just isn't particularly engaging as a leading man. Whilist he posseses the physicality required for the part, he's just not particularly interesting to watch. Being a model with little to no prior acting experience certaintly doesn't help matters.
Gabriele Ferzetti is fantastic as Marc-Ange Draco, the father of Tracy and head of the Union Corse crime syndicate. Draco approaches Bond to court Tracy because
Telly Savalas gives the second best Blofeld performance behind Donald Pleasence
Then, there's the matter of Bond himself, George Lazenby, who give a fundementally uncharismatic performance, he just isn't particularly engaging as a leading man. Whilist he posseses the physicality required for the part, he's just not particularly interesting to watch. Being a model with little to no prior acting experience certaintly doesn't help matters.
2/5.
The Anonymous Critic
The Anonymous Critic
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