You Only Live Twice 4K 1967

The six degrees of separation theory guarantees that any film is connected to me by a chain of no more than the same number of links. The hustle and bustle of Bondiana usually cuts this small volume short. Here, too, it turned out to be quite concise—the screenwriter of You Only Live Twice, Roald Dahl, wrote a story called “Skin,” in which he mentions the small Belarusian town of Smilovichi, where I come from. Just two steps—you have to admit, not every overseas project has such a simple connection.

Like any epic film about a fan of the Vesper cocktail, Lewis Herbert's work is tied up with a canonical bow. A certain omnipotent and therefore evil organization has decided to throw a big spanner in the works of peaceful humanity (in this case, SPECTRE steals the space vehicles of two nuclear sumo giants, unobtrusively pushing them towards direct and decisive action, hoping to gather a luxurious teremok from the scattered chips). The world has already practically looked into the icy eyes of the apocalypse, but Her Majesty's service has once again reshuffled the deck, throwing a double zero joker on the table. Gadgets, dazzling girls, a tailored tuxedo, and Dr. Evil come as a set.

The fifth film in the spy series was set in Japan. Minimalist interior decorations were replaced by passages alternating between volcanoes and the sea. James Bond, intoxicated by Asian politeness, prefers exotic sake to his beloved martini, learns to eat while squatting, tries on a characteristic wig, and even ties the knot in a Japanese wedding. Bonuses such as national massage, hotel geisha, and katana sword fights are included. But to stand out from the double-digit ranks of similar gentlemanly spy films, you need some highlights.

Without a doubt, the biggest treat is named Sean. The tall Scotsman with wicked eyes and a hairy chest left his competitors in licensed killings far behind. Having settled all financial matters in advance, the classic Bond (James Bond) once again energetically stacked up followers of aikido, kendo, and other kendo. In his occasional moments of leisure, he paid gentlemanly attention to the beauties Aki, Kissy Suzuki, and the cunning Helga. He flew on a gyrocopter, casually crushing the Kawasaki combat vehicles that happened to be in his way. He plunged into the depths of the ocean like a mummy and returned home with a torpedo salvo from a submarine. Convertibles, fashionable offices, secret laboratories in the middle of boiling lava — who would doubt that Connery earned every penny of his fee?

Fans of the franchise will undoubtedly note the presence of the Great and Terrible Blofeld. The mere fact of the camera shifting from the villainous cat to the vertical scar raises the film above the average in the eyes of fans. But the obligatory M and Q flashed by in a light dotted line. Agent Tanaka's assistant and renegade Osato are given more attention, but given the secondary nature of the characters, the focus does not particularly affect them.

The Hollywood bait at the beginning of the film (Bond's abduction into space and death by shooting through a mattress) is swallowed in an instant. The tension is skillfully maintained throughout the film and competently builds to a climax in the final showdown at the secret base. Not many films from the 1960s, with their naive special effects and old-fashioned script clichés, offer a similar warm, analog sound and color. Especially if you filter out the obvious technological blunders and the rape of common sense on screen in advance. If you've signed up to watch this highly intellectual action movie, then you need to adjust your settings accordingly.

The saga of the spy who conquered half of humanity, which began in the year of the Caribbean crisis, is not about to end its wild cinematic journey. And if you intend to find a bunker where you can wait out the new wave of Bondiana, you will be disappointed. The six degrees of separation theory will inevitably catch up with you in any corner of the planet. After all, you only live twice!