Similarities Between OHMSS and FYEO

Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
Watching FYEO made me notice more than a few similarities between the two films, which might explain why I like it as much as I do:

1) Pretitles sequence pointing to Blofeld's true end seems to suggest a direct relationship.
2) Helicopter that picks Bond up looks similar to the one that takes Bond to Piz Gloria.
3) Meeting with Luigi overlooking mountains has a similar look and feel to Piz Gloria.
4) Bond's coat and white turtleneck in the ski sequence are the same color as Bond's outfit in the ski escape.
5) Locque's ski outfit is the same color as Blofeld's. Locque gets to wear a stupid winter hat, too.
6.) Minister Gray says "Unn" twice the same way the thug with the knife does to Bond in the car ride to Draco's house.
7) The casino scene when the Countessa walks up is staged like the one in OHMSS, only visually in reverse.
8) Ski scenes have the similar skier's points of views camera set ups.
9) The dress the countess wears when Locques men attack on the beach has similar lines and patterns to the one Tracy wears at the beginning of OHMSS -- once again, things are reversed, with one sequence at night and the other at dawn.
10) Draco and Colombo are similar characters in profession, appearance, and temperament.
11) Bobsled chases in both films.
12) Melina is half Greek and half English; Tracy is half Corsican and half English. Both are dark-haired and capable of handling themselves.
13) Both films are minimalist with gadgets and maximalist with character.
14) Both have titles that sounds like spy lingo rather than more general concepts.
15) Both Bonds wear silver suits with similar cuts.
16) Colombo's men and Draco's men are outfitted similarly, with the former in dark blue shirts and pants and the latter in gray ones.
17) Bond is rescued by the girl in both films.

I'm sure there are other similarities. Obviously, there are differences, too, but director John Glen seems to make better movies when he's imitating better movies.

Comments

  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,062MI6 Agent
    VERY cool post. Never saw that before, but now I do. Well done! {[]
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 38,068Chief of Staff
    John Glen in an interview at the time said he had tried to capture the feel of FRWL "but I guess the Bond it's closest to is OHMSS".
    He had worked on that film too, of course, so was in a position to know.
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Great writeup, Gassy Man.

    I've always regarded both movies to be in the same league and I always enjoy 007 being in the snow (exception the crappy snow scenes in TWINE).

    OHMSS is my number 1 and FYEO my number 2.
    Another similarity you find in the Hotel Lobby checkin scenes.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Virgil37Virgil37 Posts: 1,212MI6 Agent
    Great post. I've said it somewhere else that EON wanted a direct link from the Moore Bond to the sixties after TSWLM and MR, literally bringin him down to earth.

    You make very solid points. Those details in production design and situations certainly point to OHMSS. The link is made right from the beginning with Bond visiting Tracy's grave and then killing Blofeld for good.

    Story-wise, however, I've read somewhere that FYEO follows closely the FRWL screenplay. FYEO is definitely the daughter of both OHMSS and FRWL, rooting Bond very firmly in spy thriller territory.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Wasn't Moore considered for OHMSS?
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Some great observations -{ many I hadn't even thought of before, I'll
    Watch it again with renewed interest. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,424MI6 Agent
    edited January 2015
    What do you mean by point no 1 on your list?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I think it may be , given his injuries. The Blofeld in FYEO is the same one from
    The end of OHMSS ? So Bond finally gets to kill him, for the hurt he caused in
    OHMSS ?
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • broadshoulderbroadshoulder Acton, London, UKPosts: 1,363MI6 Agent
    When you think about it FYEO has one of the most unique stories in the bond cannon - device fires off nuclear missiles is lost in ionian sea and must be traced before the russians get it. Mixed with revengeful, ancient rivalries and the KGB.

    Surely a unique story.
    1. For Your Eyes Only 2. The Living Daylights 3 From Russia with Love 4. Casino Royale 5. OHMSS 6. Skyfall
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,424MI6 Agent
    Number24 wrote:
    What do you mean by point no 1 on your list?


    Ah .....now I get it. I'm quite the quick thinker if you just give me some hours to ponder it all ....
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Interesting observations, Gassy. I consider OHMSS to be one of the greatest Bond films of all, so perhaps my opinion of FYEO as Moore's best Bond film is influenced by these similarities?
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    That's a good question. It's really only the winter scenes, though there are other "artifacts." I noticed, too, for instance, that it is not the British Secret Service that attacks at the end but Colombo's private forces, a la Draco's in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
  • FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
    Great list Gassy Man. Some of those I had already noticed, but others were quite revealing.
    My current 10 favorite:

    1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) its amazing how the similarities, keep stacking up.
    With all the talk of spectre having an OHMSS vibe about
    It, perhaps it will have a FYEO vibe too. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
    :)) its amazing how the similarities, keep stacking up.
    With all the talk of spectre having an OHMSS vibe about
    It, perhaps it will have a FYEO vibe too. ;)

    Can't wait to see Daniel Craig in a solid blue snowsuit. ;)
    My current 10 favorite:

    1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
  • TobiasTobias Chelmsford UKPosts: 115MI6 Agent
    Also the hotel used in FYEO is also the same one they used in the first pink panther film as it was set in Cortina
  • Shady TreeShady Tree London, UKPosts: 3,012MI6 Agent
    FYEO does indeed trade closely on aspects of OHMSS - and excellent work there, Gassy Man, in picking up on precise details. I caught most of FYEO again recently and think that in some ways it's the more satisfying film. For instance, I really like Topol's first scene with Moore, convincing Bond that it's Kristatos - not him - who's the villain, and that he's been set up; I think this is better acted and more interesting than the business of Draco's pact with Lazenby. And the fact that Moore is an established Bond, rather than a one-off Bond like Lazenby, means that the more serious take on the character which he performs this time (compared with his previous couple of romps) lends a particular credibility and weight to the newly-found sense of gravitas in FYEO.
    Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
  • sinlumsinlum Posts: 231MI6 Agent

    Interesting observations here.

    I also noticed that Bond gets a ski shot to pieces in OHMSS and has to rely on just the left ski.

    In FYEO, Bond gets one of his ski sticks shot to pieces and then goes skiing with just one stick in his left hand.

  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 38,068Chief of Staff
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,484MI6 Agent

    Both For Your Eyes Only and OHMSS are the only Bond films to be set only in Europe.

    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,484MI6 Agent

    Also, @chrisno1 's comment about blond operative Campbell on OHMSS Questions puts me in mind of another similarity, likely coincidental: the actor who plays Campbell is similar in looks and manner to British TV stalwart Bernard 'Enemy at the Door' Horsfall who briefly appears as Melina's father in the later film.

    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • emtiememtiem SurreyPosts: 5,998MI6 Agent
    edited November 18

    It is Bernard Horsfall playing Campbell (I probably know him best for a few Doctor Who appearances!), Melina's dad is played by Jack Hedley, who manages to out-suave even Roger Moore with his delivery of "no, but you can have a nut".

  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,484MI6 Agent

    Hmm, okay maybe not the stellar point I thought then! Sort of almost works as an observation though! They are quite similar.

    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
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