NO TIME TO DIE Countdown: ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE Revisited

In the No Time To Die Countdown, Jake Tropila takes a look back at every Bond film – official and unofficial – in anticipation of the release of the latest entry.

“It’s okay to be different.” This adage can be applied to the entirety of the film in this entry of the No Time to Die Countdown. It’s okay to be different. The Bond franchise had become a speeding train with no functioning brakes, but this proved to be untenable for its leading man, the one who started it all and put a face to the character.

Sean Connery’s departure following You Only Live Twice was a major blow to the franchise, but it was not quite the death knell feared by many. The show must go on, as they say, and for producers Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli, the quest to find a suitable replacement was tantamount to keeping the franchise afloat. They determined that Bond simply could not die without Connery.

Enter George Lazenby, an Australian model-turned-actor and an unconventional choice for the next 007 if there ever was one. Boasting very minimal acting experience (his largest credit to date was arguably a chocolate bar commercial), Lazenby essentially conned his way into meeting Saltzman and Broccoli, who were charmed enough by him and his screen presence that he was basically offered the job on the spot. Production for Bond #6 was a go.

The result is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and I’m just going to say it: this is quite possibly the greatest Bond film ever made, full stop. Different does not necessarily have to mean bad; different can be f*cking great. Perfectly thrilling, emotionally satisfying, handsomely mounted, and with a genuine kicker of an ending, Secret Service is James Bond at his very best. Let’s take a chairlift into 1969 to find out why.

The Other Fellow

One can practically smell the producers’ desperation behind the scenes as the pre-title sequence immediately ushers out M, Q, and Moneypenny, as if to assuage any potential audience concerns that they were not about to watch a Bond movie (“Look! See! The gang’s all here! You can calm down now!”). Bond’s intro is proper cool, though, all shadow and mystery as he spies a suicidal woman heading out into the waves on a beach. But this is not just any woman; it’s Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, better known as Tracy. As portrayed by the formidable Diana Rigg, she would be the woman who would marry Bond.

Bond’s rescue of Tracy establishes the strong emotional core of the film, and Secret Service is truly about their relationship, occasionally orbited by Blofeld, SPECTRE, and a bonkers scheme of world domination. The first hour of this 142-minute film (our longest yet, and longest for a while) is dedicated to the two falling in love, which includes a fantastic romantic montage set to Louis Armstrong’s masterful “We Have All the Time in the World.” Secret Service moves at a leisurely pace, but it carries itself confidently and with style to boot.

I’m getting ahead of myself. Back to our pre-title sequence, where Lazenby drops the famous “Bond, James Bond” line. Frankly, I’m not bothered by it. His reading is more amiable than Connery’s, if not as memorable (let’s face it, nobody’s gonna top the latter’s impeccable delivery in Dr. No). Armed guards appear out of literally nowhere to take Tracy away. But Bond is quick to act and easily dispatches the lot of them (note Lazenby’s fighting style: he’s more of a brawler than Connery, and can throw a wild haymaker of a punch).

Tracy flees the scene, and we then get Lazenby’s most famous line, delivered straight down the barrel of the camera: “This never happened to the other fellow.” Many scoff at this moment, and there is an undeniable winking quality to it, but I feel it’s appropriate in this context: Broccoli and Saltzman are merely addressing the elephant in the room, and hope you’ll play along with them. With so much of the supporting cast returning, Secret Service never clarifies how Lazenby fits into all of this: is he the same man as Connery, or is he someone else completely?

If you ask me, Bond is a character “frozen” in whatever era his film is made in, and Connery though Brosnan are essentially the same man (Craig’s a reboot, he’s his own guy). I think the opening titles affirm this, as they feature footage from all of Bond’s previous adventures (all scored to John Barry’s spectacular instrumental piece, which features amazing use of a moog synthesizer). But because Bond is played by a different actor throughout the series, you get asinine theories that “James Bond is a code, not a name.” I shun it all. Anyways, best not to dwell on such matters, you’ll have a better time that way.

So, Lazenby. I keep bringing him up, but it’s important to note that Lazenby establishes something crucial: Bond as a reflection of the Actor. With each successor, there’s a shorthand placed on their personalities for quick identification (i.e., Moore is the silly one, Dalton is the serious one, etc.). But not so with Lazenby. The lack of subsequent entries contributes to this, but he is more difficult to pin down. So allow me to pitch you this identity: the human Bond. Throughout the film, Lazenby is shades of warm, cordial, brutal, scared, and vulnerable. We tend to perceive Bond as superhuman; Lazenby plays him as a man. He makes mistakes, he runs from danger

For those who can’t bring themselves to love Secret Service, the blame is placed squarely on Lazenby’s shoulders. He either brings the film down entirely, or it would be a good film had it not starred Lazenby. I think it works perfectly precisely because of this particular iteration of James Bond, so let me say this: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is great, and George Lazenby is great in it. Come at me!

All the Time in the World

Secret Service was helmed by Peter Hunt, who had served as the editor on all five previous entries before graduating to his solo franchise directorial outing here. That experience in post-production shows, particularly within the action: each set-piece is edited for maximum exhilaration, and Hunt clearly covered himself out the wazoo with the multitude of shots and angles on display here. Other, smaller moments sing as well: I love the day-to-night match dissolve of the hotel pool with the neon sign reflected in the water. There’s a tremendous rhythm to Secret Service, and few films have been able to emulate it since.

There’s also a magnificent stylishness that permeates in every frame of Secret Service. This is truly one of the most visually striking entries, from the immaculate design of the sets straight down to the sexy costuming (Lazenby is an asset here, as he appears to be carved out of wood and makes every article of clothing look like a killer fashion choice). The recent 4K Blu-ray restorations are immaculate as well; there are times where the film feels like it was shot on 70MM.

Once the narrative kicks in, Bond, posing as genealogist Sir Hilly Bray, heads to the Piz Gloria research institute in the Swiss Alps. It is there he discovers that Blofeld, under the guise of Count de Bleauchamp, is brainwashing a group of women with various allergies to act as sleeper cell agents who will, when activated, decimate the world via biological warfare. I have no idea how it works either.

We also get a new Blofeld to match our new Bond. Here, he’s played with great bullying gusto by Kojack himself, Telly Savalas. This is my favorite iteration of Blofeld, less a creep and more a gangster, and he’s one of the rare villains that feels like he could stand a chance against Bond if he went toe-to-toe with him (stick Connery in a boxing ring with Donald Pleasance and it immediately falls apart).

Blofeld discovers Bond’s true identity, as he must, and gives chase down the ski slopes of the mountain with a fleet of goons. One moment I love here: Bond knocks a henchman over the side of the cliff, and we’re treated to a glorious fifteen-second shot of his descent into the abyss below. Kudos to you, Peter Hunt, for not cutting away from this moment. Bond can only hold Blofeld and his men off for so long, and this is where that vulnerability kicks in: we’re scared that Bond might actually get caught.

But who saves the day? Tracy di Vicenzo, that’s who. She saves Bond’s bacon and the two make their own getaway through a particularly destructive Derby crash, followed by a tender confession of love. This victory is short-lived, as Blofeld causes an avalanche the following morning that allows him to capture Tracy while Bond escapes. Tragedy.

Secret Service offers one of the greatest climaxes in the series. Aided by Tracy’s father, Marc-Ange Draco (played by Gabriele Ferzetti, who has shades of Ali Kerim Bey in him), and his army of soldiers, Bond leads a “storm the tower” mission against the Piz Gloria to save Tracy and stop Blofeld. It’s a riveting sequence, one that ends with Blofeld wiping out in a bobsled chase. Even Tracy gets in on the action, impaling a guard on a spiky piece of post-modern art conveniently placed on the wall. You go girl.

With the day seemingly saved, and all being well, Bond and Tracy get married. It’s a great bit of merriment, feels like a fitting conclusion to a satisfying story. And then there’s the ending. Blofeld, sore from his loss, attempts to have Bond gunned down while he’s en route to his honeymoon, but the bullets hit poor Tracy instead. Bond is left broken on the side of the road.

It’s a rare downer of an ending that hits hard, even after multiple watches. The Bond series does many things well, but very rarely does it do tragedy. Punctuating a near-perfect film at your hero’s lowest ebb is a masterstroke; it is here that Secret Service affirms itself as the very best a Bond film can be. Connery could not have sold this moment. Lazenby does, and with only one film, proved that the series had legs after his predecessor’s departure.

Conclusion

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is pure poetry. It transcends the idea of a Bond film, and it’s the one that I immediately want to re-watch as soon as I finish watching it. Gorgeously photographed, thrillingly executed, and wonderfully performed, this is the franchise zenith. I do wish Lazenby had stuck around for at least one more entry; we’ll never know how his interpretation of the character had developed, particularly with the state he’s left at the end of this film. But when your lone entry is the best of the pack, it’s impossible to deny you’ve done something right.

Coming up next: guess who’s back? Sean Connery stumbles out of Bond Retirement for another go-around at the title. The No Time To Die Countdown will return with Diamonds are Forever.

What do you think? Is On Her Majesty’s Secret Service a high-water mark for the franchise? Let us know in the comments below!