001. The story
Bond-San is off to Japan to team up with a group of ninjas and find out who is behind a series of space-jackings that may kick-off World War 3. It’s a mystery that’ll lead him to a hollow volcano and a certain hairless head honcho.
002. The villains
1967’s You Only Live Twice sees the first full appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and Donald Pleasence is the quintessential incarnation; perfecting the villainous empty stares, icy vowels, and cat-stroking skills that would make the SPECTRE chief such a memorable (and oft-parodied) foe.
Then there’s Karin Dor as sexy but short-lived henchwoman Helga Brandt, who finds out the hard way about SPECTRE’s harsh employee contract termination policy (there’s no P45).
003. The girls
Cubby Broccoli had his hand forced when it came to casting, as Japanese officials would only co-operate with filming if the two lead female roles were played by Japanese girls.
Akiko Wakabayashi is Aki, the plucky Japanese spy who aids James for a good portion of the film, before lucky Kissy (Mie Hama) takes over and becomes the first Bond girl to ‘marry’ James, all so he can go undercover.
004. Best moments
007’s fake-death is just the start of the movie’s memorable moments, as we’re later treated to an aerial battle in Little Nellie that’s like a violent Pilotwings mission. There’s also an exciting bout of fisticuffs at the docks, Tanaka’s giant magnet swinging from a chopper, Helga Brandt’s ‘snappy’ death, and a magnificently epic battle inside SPECTRE’s volcano lair, which to this day still stands as one of the franchise’s greatest final acts.
005. Trivia
» You Only Live Twice is the only Bond film where Bond drinks a stirred martini rather than a shaken one
» Little Nellie was flown by its creator Wing Commander Ken Wallis. Wallis performed 85 take-offs and landings and spent 46 hours in the air… all for about 7 minutes of screen time.
» The film was released in China under the title ‘007 Seized the Rocket Base’, which is a bit of a spoiler really.
» The volcano set alone cost £350,000 – more than the entire budget for Dr. No.
» Originally the famous Czech actor Jan Werich was hired to play Blofeld. However, he only managed a week’s filming before the producers decided he looked too much like Father Christmas to play an evil villain. He was dismissed and Pleasence took the role. (The role of the cat was unchanged.)
006. Best quotes
» Blofeld: “This organisation does not tolerate failure.”
» Bond: “Why do Chinese girls taste different from all other girls?”
» Bond: “Well I’ll just settle for this little old lady here.”
Tiger Tanaka: “Good choice, she’s very sexyful.”
» Blofeld: “I shall look forward personally to exterminating you, Mr Bond.”
» Bond: “Well if I’m going to be forced to watched television, may I smoke?”
Blofeld: “Yes. Give him his cigarettes. It won’t be the nicotine that kills you, Mr. Bond.”
007. The verdict
This is another one of those Bond films that proved seminal for the entire franchise (as well as pop-culture parody), with plenty of its motifs and story beats being reused again and again across the years, and being especially noticeable in The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and Tomorrow Never Dies.
Though Connery had tired of the role (he announced his departure from the franchise during filming), his fatigue doesn’t show as he’s catapulted around Japan. Some have criticised Roald Dahl’s script for being too fantastical and outlandish with its space hijacks, faked deaths, and amateur plastic surgery performed by women in bikinis, but this is a prime slice of Bond that hits all the beats fans expect a 007 film to hit, while exceeding expectations in scope and action.
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