After You Only Live Twice, the producers of the James Bond films found themselves faced with a serious problem. The departure of Sean Connery from the main role made the future of the series doubtful. Like many producers in such desperate situations, they decided to try something different. The result was On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a 1969 film directed by Peter Hunt, which initially became one of the most controversial films in the series and, to a certain degree, divides James Bond fans to this day.
The plot, based on the eponymous novel by Ian Fleming, begins when British secret agent James Bond (played by George Lazenby), while on a mission in Portugal, notices a beautiful woman (played by Diana Rigg) who is about to commit suicide by drowning at the beach. He rescues her, only to have to deal with mysterious thugs while the woman disappears. He later finds her in a casino, where he discovers that her name is Countess Teresa “Tracy” di Vincenzo. The two are immediately attracted to each other and begin a passionate romance. Afterwards, Bond is abducted by thugs and brought to Marc-Ange Draco (played by Gabriele Ferzetti), a rich businessman who also happens to be the head of Unione Corse, a.k.a. the Corsican mafia. He explains to Bond that Tracy is his daughter, who needs a husband at this stage of her life, and that Bond happens to be the most suitable candidate. Bond initially rejects the offer, but agrees to continue the romance if Draco helps him with his assignment – locating the whereabouts of Ernst Stavro Blofeld (played by Telly Savalas), head of the criminal organisation SPECTRE. Using Draco’s help, Bond traces Blofeld to a health research facility at the top of a Swiss mountain. He infiltrates it using the cover of a genealogy expert who is supposed to find proof of Blofeld’s noble ancestry. There he also discovers that Blofeld has developed a virus that makes crops and livestock sterile and that he plans to use it in a global blackmail scheme.
The most important change in comparison with the previous film is the film’s down-to-earth realism and a plot which is clearly within the limits of real life. In this film there are no vast underground lairs or spectacular displays of futuristic technology (apart from the somewhat clumsily introduced motif of hypnosis and mind control). On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is actually the most faithful of all adaptations of Fleming’s work, and the James Bond presented here is supposed to be the closest to his creator’s original vision. The film features some real-life practical solutions to the problems clandestine operatives could expect in real life. Even the action, which includes spectacular car, ski and bobsleigh chases, is grounded in reality, with stunts being performed either by actors or by athletes. One of the most spectacular scenes, featuring an avalanche, was actually made by starting a real avalanche (with some stock footage). Finally, Blofeld’s impressive mountaintop headquarters is actually Piz Gloria, a real-life restaurant that was being opened during the production and today serves as a popular tourist destination. The change of direction can also be seen in the soundtrack by John Barry, whose main theme is the first to use synthesisers and electric guitar, but also features “All the Time in the World”, a powerful melancholic ballad which was the last song recorded by Louis Armstrong.
The more important change is, however, in the character of Bond. In the previous five films he was portrayed as a hedonistic playboy and womaniser, but in this one the audience can for the first time see some genuine emotion, such as fear or the tears during the devastating finale. Furthermore, by making Bond more human, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service makes his embrace of a monogamous lifestyle and marriage more believable. This change is helped by Diana Rigg, an attractive but also accomplished actress (best known for playing the character Emma Peel in the popular 1960s spy series The Avengers) who plays one of the most complex Bond girls. Tracy Bond looks and acts just like the character Bond would spend the rest of his life with.
However, the most important casting – that of Bond himself – proved to be the most problematic. Australian model George Lazenby looked the part and handled action scenes competently, but he simply wasn’t an experienced actor. Despite his doing a good job at certain moments, Lazenby is far below the high standards set by Connery, who would return to the series in the next film, Diamonds Are Forever. Another problem was created by the producers’ decision to make You Only Live Twice before this film, despite Fleming’s novel being a direct sequel to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. That meant that some elements of the plot and characters had to be changed, but even with such interventions, this film was left with huge holes in continuity. One example is Blofeld not recognising Bond despite having met him in the previous film. Blofeld is here played by Telly Savalas, who does a somewhat solid job and displays Bond’s arch-villain as a person who likes to get his hands dirty, but who nevertheless lacks the menacing charisma of Donald Pleasence. Although its reputation has risen through the years and although it represents a very good entry in the series, it is understandable why On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is still rejected by certain segments of Bond fandom.
RATING: 7/10 (++)
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