On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), directed by Peter R. Hunt.
quote
This never happened to the other fellow.
James Bond courts the troubled daughter of a distinguished crime boss in exchange for leads to Blofeld. The evil mastermind is plotting mass biological terrorism from an Alpine mountaintop.
Bond in Love: this is the most romantic entry in the series and is the first without Sean Connery, who would return later. Bond marries, but, tragically, the Mrs James Bond survival rate is 0%.
It was not much liked when it appeared, but is more appreciated in retrospect.
It's good points:
Beautiful photography and excellent action scenes.
It is relatively gadget-free and closer to reality than any other entry. Said to be more true to the book than the others.
Diana Rigg! Talk about a brainy Bond Girl with grit. He couldn't let her get away.
Wonderful John Barry score. I've been humming the theme for years without remembering where it came from.
On the down side:
The middle act with Bond-as-genealogist at Blofeld's facility goes on too long. It's comic intent is to establish his sexual stamina. Rigg is missing for a long time here.
The conquer-the-world-via-cosmetic-kits gimmick is too much Dr Evil.
That Blofeld really cares about getting a noble title: hard to believe.
George Lazenby was a curious choice for the lead: an Australian model without acting experience. For a first-timer he is really very good. He looks like Bond, is masculine and muscular and can do the fighting and action bits.
Further, in keeping with the more realistic tone of this story, he dials back the comic book aspects of the character, making him more human, plausibly charming and even vulnerable, as when his lady love skates up and rescues him at the ice rink.
On the other hand, we expect a lot from our James Bonds. It's not that Lazenby does anything wrong, but he's missing a certain spark, a cleverness that vitalizes the role.
Finally, we learn the heraldic motto of the Bond family: "The World is Not Enough".
Available on Blu-ray with a rather good image.
