Due to the greater prosperity that British people were enjoying as the Second World War was over, there was an increased interest in the leisure and convenience industries, and more demand for fashionable clothes, popular music and consumer durables to make life easier and more pleasant. The topic of consumerism was, therefore, an important one at the time of the film’s release, and this is reflected in the closing sequence, which opens with a wide, establishing shot of Venice, a typically romantic and popular holiday destination. We see Bond and Tania on the balcony of an obviously expensive hotel room and learn that they are travelling back to England by plane, which represents the more affluent lifestyle that many Britons were beginning to live, as flights became more affordable and people began to holiday in more distant and ambitious destinations. The idea of tourism is further emphasised when we see a couple by the river eagerly taking photos.
At the beginning of the 1960s, technology was also significantly advancing, and this is reflected in the way From Russia With Love is entirely focused around the Lektor, which is only vaguely described and kept in a black box throughout the film, creating a sense of mystery, so that the audience becomes almost in awe of it and it retains a lot of power over the narrative. This dominance that the Lektor also has over the characters in the film means that it is desired by all the nations and organisations involved in the narrative, but also feared, and this could symbolise how Britain was feeling about nuclear war during this time in history, as many nations wanted to develop nuclear weapons but were terrified of the consequences. The film is perhaps indicating a negative effect of Britain’s fervid advance in technology.
The Lektor takes centre-shot for a lot of the closing sequence, emphasising its centrality to the narrative. A class issue is also implied when Bond closes the box upon Rosa Klebb’s entrance, implying that a maid is not worthy enough to see it. Later on, there is also a close-up of the blade on Rosa Klebb’s shoe, further emphasising the importance of technology.
Because From Russia With Love was produced during the height of the Cold War, the theme of espionage is a major one in the film. This can be seen in the closing sequence when Bond talks on the phone, but the door is made to stand out in the background because of how its colour dramatically contrasts with that of the wallpaper. Sure enough, Rosa Klebb enters through it, and we are given the impression of Bond being attacked from behind. Deceit and trickery are represented by the fact that Klebb is disguised; however, when Tania attacks her, she takes her hat off, reflecting how her true identity has been exposed.
The theme of not knowing who one’s enemies are also stems from the Cold War and has been important throughout the film. It comes to a head in the closing sequence when both Bond and Klebb think that Tania is working for them, and subsequently both think that Tania has betrayed them. Tania also has to decide whose side she is on, and the moment in which she waves the gun between Bond and Klebb would have created so much tension at the time of the film’s release because of how betrayal and distrust were such pressing issues at the time.
During the 1960s, women were beginning to become more independent; however, the issue of patriarchy is approached quite interestingly in the closing sequence of From Russia with Love. At the beginning of the sequence, Tania is smoking, representing the freedom that she perhaps now feels, although she is sitting down and Bond is standing over her, clearly in a position of more power. Bond is also represented as having control over Tania, when she is expected to obey him at the words, “Don’t go away.” Bond is quick to assume that Tania has betrayed him when he realises who Rosa Klebb is, suggesting that if women are not ugly and villainous like Klebb, they are untrustworthy and weak. Additionally, when Klebb attacks Bond with a seemingly very threatening weapon, all he requires is a chair to restrain her, suggesting that even the villainous women do not hold any real power over men.
Women’s growing power and independence is represented, however, by Tania killing the villain, but this is undermined by the way Bond immediately takes the gun off her, as though it does not belong with her or she is not safe with it. Tania also appears weaker than Bond by how obviously distressed she is by the fight, contrasting with Bond’s simple, light-hearted, witty comment, “She’s had her kicks.” The fact that Tania is not told the content of the film that Bond gets out on the boat also represents her subservient position. It is also obvious that Tania sides with Bond because of her love for him; she sacrifices everything for him, is prepared to begin an entirely new life in England with him and even risks her life to save him, yet there is no evidence that he feels the same way about her or that he sees her as anything more than a sex object.
All these features give the impression that as the gender roles begin to equalise, men feel threatened and want to contain women’s power and independence. The way that Bond is always able to control Tania’s actions and quickly regains dominance when she seems to take his role by shooting Klebb, suggests that women are, and will be, only as powerful as men let them be. The fact that From Russia with Love has not embraced gender equalisation as it has the advance in technology in the sixties, may be to maintain the image of Bond films. The Bond franchise relies heavily on the creation of an enormously dominant male role model, and if it was going to be possible to produce many more films, it may have been necessary to subvert the trend of the time on this topic. This reveals how Bond films mix traditional messages and values with forward-looking ones.
Another example of traditional messages and values in From Russia with Love is the film’s stance on Britain and Britishness. The events in the closing sequence represent how, at the time of the film’s release, Britain was losing its status as a world power. At one point, Bond is stripped of his weapons, has his hands up and seems overpowered, revealing how Britain may have been seen as struggling and weak by other nations. However, despite him being the underdog, he is ultimately triumphant, and there are subsequently a lot of low-angle shots of him, demonstrating Britain’s hopes and ambitions of once again having an incredibly powerful and influential empire.
On the whole, then, it seems apparent that From Russia with Love heavily reflects the sociological issues of the time of its production, as it seems to promote and reflect most major current issues of the early 1960s, despite the occasional challenge of contemporary topics in order to ensure the survival of the Bond franchise.
Liz Cooper - A 22 year old media graduate from northern England, Liz now lives in London where she undertakes freelance television and writing work. A ...
Join the Conversation