OHMSS: Do you prefer the book or the film?
Napoleon Plural
LondonPosts: 10,467MI6 Agent
I know what I think, was wondering about your opinions before airing my views!
"This is where we leave you Mr Bond."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Comments
"It's not difficult to get a double 0 number if your prepared to kill people"
1. The change of SMERSH to SPECTRE means the film hasn't dated quite as much.
2. The lesbian references in the film were a lot more subtle compared to the book
3. The Grant/Bond fight plays out in a much more believable compared to the book.
I agree about the Grant/Bond thing. I am divided between the desicion to replace SMERSH with SPECTRE. On one hand, it was inspired plan to have SPECTRE play both sides but on the other. However, that political espionage made the atmosphere of the book enjoyably more ground in the real world was missing. Klebb's lesbian tendencies...well...does it matter ? Unless you were really grossed out by Klebb in a nightgown in the book.
The opener: it's a stunner. Maybe the best of any Bond novel? 'It was one of those Septembers where it seemed the summer would never end.' Then an account of the beach with all its attendant nostalgia. You could just see this being filmed in a Summer of 42 way. It also helps contrast with the snowy winter scenes a few chapters on.
Of course, the book opens with a flash forward; Bond met Tracy 24 hours earlier, saves her at the casino, sleeps with her and gets to save her life after he trails her, worrying for her health. In the film he doesn't know her when she's on the beach - he just makes a spot decision. This is okay I suppose, and the early morning opening has a certain something, assuming you know that is the time of day.
But generally I like the feel of the book over the film, which somehow just feels a bit heavygoing for me. Totally agree with Ricardo about Lazenby, it's almost as though he and Craig should swap roles really, Craig being way too worldy for his first assignment. What's most exasperating is that OHMSS was the first Fleming novel to be penned after the author had seen Connery in the role, even namechecking Ursula Andress in the book. And you can really picture Connery in this, especially when he explodes with rage when Draco offers to bribe him into marriage. Lazers just doesn't do this, it's a very muted peformance.
Also, the book takes place over several months, so it makes sense that Bond should gradually develop feelings for Tracy. In the film it's over a few weeks if that, and frankly I don't see much chemistry between the actors. It's a flaw the film CR suffers from to, it would have been far better to have Vesper introduced early on, even in a perfunctory 2 minute scene, so when they meet again on the train, she's been bubbling under in our conciousness.
Personally I just don't like the feel of the early Portuguese scenes in the film of OHMSS, I prefer the French vibe of the novel.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Was it a few weeks ? I could not tell but it did indeed feel like such a short period of time.
As for the additional characterizations, I think Marc Ange Draco and Blofeld suffered the most in the film adaptations. In the novel, you felt that Draco was truly at the end of his rope and he was nearly cried when Bond rejected to take Tracy's hand in marriage. Draco in the film was pleasant character but that was it, he was just pleasant. Again in the novel, Blofeld was not too interesting since he was essentially undercover but he came off as delightfully weird. In the film he was simply arrogant and though I enjoyed Telly Savalas, he was just not very interesting to play a villian as over the top as Blofeld.
I also agree about the atmosphere as well. Peter Hunt's direction was, well, rather banal aside from some noted exceptions like the PTS. He dosen't have an eye for locations. In the book, you really felt those locations.
What's more, it must be months for Bond to buff up on heraldry. Admittedly, it's not a convincing ruse for our hero anyway, but in the film it's presented as one of his amazing Connery-style know-all mannerisms, which is out of keeping with what the film is trying to be anyway.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Well it was pretty OTT - not exactly subtle. By todays standards its rather laughable. Also, when I think of Klebb I think of Lotte Lenya. As brilliant as she was, the thought of her in a nightgown trying to seduce Romanava doesn't really appeal
Well that was suppose to be down right comedy. Fleming did have a sense of humor.
I agree that the Hilary Bray masquerade was probably done too overzealously in the film. They really should not have dubbed Lazenby's voice, it almost feels he left the picture. However I did enjoy that little episode in the film with Bond pretending not to like girls and then hitting on each of them in private.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
I agree. It's really a great film and it's the only other Bond film I care about him as a character. It's on number 3 on my list for a reason.
Yeah I'll give you that
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Yes, yes, yes! I absolutely adore the first few pages of OHMSS. It and the more descriptive passages from YOLT account for some of my favorite writing, ever. I can re-read passages like that over and over and feel like my brain is being tickled, every time.
It really puts you in the setting, too. After reading one page from OHMSS, I forget where I am and no longer see my surroundings; I AM on that French beach...
Fleming always did have a knack of writing episodes of humor. I was LMAO when Bond was cursing M in Thunderball for sending him to Shrublands. Or even that brief moment when Bond ripped into Hugo Drax in Moonraker.
What about those few pages of phonetic "jive talk" in LALD??
Well "jive" is the 1970's, not the 1950's. Anyway, the scene wasn't meant to be humorous. Or at least, not on purpose.
I should have said "black talk" then.
I never thought the lesbian scene was meant to be "humorous" to be honest - more show how repulsive and flamboyant she was.
I personally can't imagine anything beyound humor of a fat, ugly Rosa Klebb in a night gown trying to hit on poor Tatiana Romanova. Maybe horror though.
Bond's heart sank. This man was tallish, yes, and, all right, his hands and
naked feet were long and thin. But there the resemblance ended. The Count had
longish, carefully-tended, almost dandified hair that was a fine silvery
white. His ears, that should have been close to his head, stuck out slightly
and, where they should have had heavy lobes, had none. The body that should
have weighed twenty stone, now naked save for a black woollen slip, was not
more than twelve stone, and there were no signs of the sagging flesh that
comes from middle-aged weight-reduction. The mouth was full and friendly, with
a pleasant, up-turned, but perhaps rather unwavering smile.
Tracy aka Diana Rigg - I had a crush on this actress just like every other boy at that time and I really enjoyed her in OHMSS. However....if they had been staying closer to the character in the novel, (blonde hair, Corisican/English), I would have liked to have seen someone like Virna Lisi in the role. She certainly would have fit Fleming's description.
I agree about Lazenby's voice dubbing. It was totally unneccesary (making Bond an expert in voice mimickery was as silly as making him an expert on butterflies!).
I also don't know why the producers have been reluctant to use French locations (or similated French locations) in the films. Having Bond slumming around his gambling grounds across the channel made more sense than hunting around Portugal, and there was no reason they could not have had Craig in CR going after Le Chiffre in France either. They must really hate the French!
One last little grit in my shoe...Lazenby's wardrobe. The producers were trying to keep the character hip and modern at the time (1969) - and did so in the seventies with Moore - I understand it, but hated it. Bond would have never worn a white suit (let alone white shoes! - hotel entrance, beginning of OHMSS), let alone the golf outfit (kidnapping sequence), ruffled tux shirt, cravat (horse riding gear), light blue ski outfit (I know he was supposed to have stolen it in the film...but what was wrong with keeping with the novel - showing him in his inadequate clothes being chased on the skis, making it more tense knowing he was freezing as well as being shot at!).
Well, they did use France in AVTAK and they were going to use the locale in MR. Still, those times that decided to shift from the France proved to be poor choices. That is a great choice for Ernst BTW. And though he ended up playing Blofeld as a comical, english, snob, Charles Gray looked like Blofeld in Fleming's OHMSS as well.
One difference with the book is that of course it's more plausible that Blofeld should ask for amnesty, as he's only one done (failed) big job - the Thunderball mission. In the films however Spectre is Bond's main nemesis, has been since Dr No and it's less likely that a career criminal like Blofeld would just trade all that in for respectibility or to be a Count.
That said, it's still pretty implausible in the novel. Fleming did such a good job of making Blofed to be a smooth, inscrutable thuggish sociapath you just can't see him being taken in by snobbery. You can see him pretending to be. In the book, Piz Gloria is set up as a posh ski resort for the well to do and titled, as well as a laboratory for allergies. It's a money making wheeze for our villain - legitimate too - that does put you in mind of that guy with the eyepatch in Austin Powers complaining that Dr Evil's legit money making exercises are more profitable than his nefarious activities.
I agree with Atticas's casting suggestions, though I do think Savalas looks like a good Blofeld. Maybe an Italian or German dubbed one would be more effective, ironically.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I like how in the book, Blofeld didn't ask for anything. He simply wanted to punish the world.
There's more suspense in the book, not least that if I understand, Bond doesn't have his showdown with Blofeld at Piz Gloria before making a break for it. It makes the whole thing creepier, as he kind of knows they're onto him and has to sneak out before they come for him in the night.
That said, two big screw-ups in a few days; Bond's character Hilary Bray being recognised up at Piz Gloria, and another agent coincidentally showing up and blowing Bond's cover by babbling away are a bit silly, like something out of a WW2 novel. And as the public are allowed access to the resort, why not post some agent undercover to venture up there as a guest, so Bond can get a message to him?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Yeah there was no public demand from Blofeld. His scheme was revealed and that was it, no "ticking clock" or anything. I agree about the suspense beause it builds up and as already been mentioned, he escapes the place with inadequate with bullets right behind him. In the book, it's a good chase sequence but it only felt really chilling when Bond was dodging the SPECTRE goons on foot before he bumped into Tracy.
It was silly but y'know, I think it worked quite well. You can just feel being in the same position. You have the perfect cover and it's just blown to hell in minutes. Worst of all, Bond had the leave the poor soul to die which is a very bitter note.
It's been a while.
To me the number one difference between the movie and novel OHMSS is that in the novel Bond is contemplating resignation because he is kept on the search for Blofeld, he feels that this could be taken care of with standard police methods and would like to return back to his regular duties. In the movie he decides to resign because he is taken of the Operation Bedlam.
Anyways; it has been 2011 on Kiribati for 2 whole hours, so back to drinking champagne with hot women!
p.s. I'm not on Kiribati, I'm in Helsinki.... before anybody asks. Merry New Year!!!
-Mr Arlington Beech