Look Death In The Face

You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face.

--Ian Fleming


To me there's something magical about the James Bond movies of the 60's. These films have a certain essence, an essence that somehow expresses what cinema is all about. This is what film does best. Maybe not what it should do according to some, but what it actually does best.

Or am I moved too much? Maybe it's a guy thing, and that's why you see Bond marathons on Spike TV on holidays. These films give us boys the escapism of a hero's adventure story with the added delights of cars, gambling, booze, sex and gadgets. But at the same time their subject matter reflects the very real political issues of the day. The Cold War, for example, is the issue addressed in You Only Live Twice. Bond goes to Japan, fights evil and saves the world from pending nuclear destruction.

But enough about that. This film is really about style and entertainment. The style comes largely from production designer Ken Adam. Behold his stunning set of a hollowed-out volcano converted into an evil lair, complete with a rocketship and a monorail. The characters sport the sharp fashions of the mid-60's. The movie has beautiful music, too. The title song has to the best Bond song ever. Listen to Nancy Sinatra sing it here. What else can I say? It has the first full view of the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, with the shaved head and monacle. He clutches a white cat. (By the way, watch how frightened the cat is at the 1:46:54 mark; poor kitty). You're looking at the inspiration for Dr. Evil.

And then of course there's Sean Connery. Maybe he looks a little ridiculous in his Japanese disguise, yes. And some say he was bored with the Bond role by this time. But he's still Sean Connery, for god's sake. What's that you say Sean? Thanks but it's still all you. Hard to believe all this fun began with a short poem about death.