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You Only Live Twice (film)

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For the Ian Fleming novel, see You Only Live Twice.

Template:Infobox Film Bond You Only Live Twice is a 1967 spy film. It is the 5th film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and lightly based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name.

In the film, Bond is dispatched to Japan after American and Russian spacecraft disappear mysteriously in orbit. With one side blaming the other, and an American moonshot just a few days away, Bond goes undercover on a remote Japanese island to find the perpetrators, bringing him face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. This film reveals the features of Blofeld, who was previously a partially-unseen character.

After its release in 1967, Connery stepped down from the role, leading to the hiring of George Lazenby for 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Connery later returned officially, one last time, in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). You Only Live Twice is the first Bond film to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, who later directed 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me and 1979's Moonraker, both starring Roger Moore.

You Only Live Twice became the quintessential example of the spy film particularly with the supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his aspirations of world domination and extravagant lair in a volcano. As a result the film has been parodied greatly perhaps most prominently by the Austin Powers series and the scar-faced Nehru suit wearing Dr. Evil but also in music. The backing soundtrack to the film was used by British singer Robbie Williams in his hit Millennium .

Plot

In outer space, a mysterious spacecraft captures and steals manned space capsules, of both the United States and the Soviet Union, in mid-orbit. With each country thinking that the other is the cause of their loss, the Cold War world is thrown to the brink of World War III. The United Kingdom's government, however, believes the mystery spacecraft landed in the Sea of Japan. This indicates that a Japanese element may be involved.

James Bond had participated in a charade faking his murder in Hong Kong. According to his superior, M, this is to give James Bond "more elbow room". He is then sent to Japan to investigate the British suspicion, in conjunction with the Japanese secret service leader "Tiger" Tanaka, to stave off a possible nuclear war.

At a Tokyo sumo wrestling match Bond makes contact with female agent Aki who takes him by car to meet with the local MI6 operative, but before the latter can give his findings on the case, he is murdered. Bond chases the assailant, kills him, takes his clothes as a disguise and feigns being wounded so his accomplice would take him back to his headquarters, which turns out to be Osato Chemicals. Once there, Bond breaks into an office safe of the Japanese corporate head, Mr. Osato (also a SPECTRE agent), but only has a few seconds to take some documents after he triggers the safe's alarm system.

File:ErnstStavroBlofeld.jpg
Donald Pleasance as Ernst Stavro Blofeld

As Bond flees the building, Aki picks him up in her car to escape. However, Bond becomes suspicious when she won't answer his questions and flees to a secluded area. When Bond chases her, he falls through a trapdoor and slides into Tiger Tanaka's office. After properly identifying each other, the spies have Bond's documents examined. The main item of interest is a tourist photograph of a cargo ship called the Ning-Po and a microdot on it containing a message that operatives killed the tourists who took the photo as a security measure. Now interested in what was worth killing for in that photo, Bond investigates the company's dock facilities and discovers that the ship was delivering quantities of liquid oxygen, an oxidizer used with some types of rocket fuel. Together, they learn that the true mastermind behind this is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his organization SPECTRE. SPECTRE was discovered to be Osato's client as well.

In order to investigate the suspicious Japanese island in the photo of the ship, Bond trains with Tanaka and his elite ninja force. Tanaka suggests that the best disguise for Bond is as a Japanese fisherman. Bond receives training in Japanese culture and is (fictitiously) married to a local Japanese woman, Kissy Suzuki.(This may be the only occasion when the legendary James Bond literally sleeps with a woman.) Bond investigates the area in the air with Little Nelly, a heavily armed gyrocopter supplied by Q. While in mid-flight and having no luck finding the SPECTRE base, Bond is suddenly attacked by four mysterious armed helicopters, but he fights them off. While this obviously means the base is nearby, Bond and Tanaka are stumped as to the exact location.

To make matters worse, they learn that the United States has moved up their next space mission, which means it will likely be hijacked by SPECTRE and a world war will likely be triggered before they can stop the plot. However, they gain a major clue when Kissy mentions that a local woman had just died mysteriously after rowing her boat into a local cave. Bond and Kissy set out on a reconnaissance mission and discover that SPECTRE has a secret rocket base hidden in a hollow volcano. Bond slips inside while Kissy returns to alert Tanaka. Bond steals an astronaut suit in an attempt to board the rocket set to steal the latest American rocket to be launched.

File:Akiwithbondandtanaka.jpg
Tanaka, Aki and Bond plot their attack on Blofeld by examining Tanaka's gadgets and weapons

Bond makes a mistake and is caught by Blofeld. Meanwhile, Tanaka and his elite ninjas attempt to enter the volcano's crater hatch. Unfortunately, they are spotted before entering, and Blofeld shoots at them with the crater's sentry guns. All is hopeless until Bond asks for a cigarette, which is secretly a tiny rocket launcher given to him earlier by Tiger. Killing the guard by the crater hatch controls, Bond manages to reach them to open the door, allowing Tanaka's troops to storm the rocket base.

A massive battle erupts and causes sufficient damage for the control room's staff to evacuate by a rear exit. Bond and Tanaka's troops notice the movement and advance to that entrance. Leading the charge, Bond fights Blofield's thug, who is holding the control key to the mission controls, and eventually throws him into the piranha tank. However, despite the fighting, the SPECTRE rocket is still on target to capture the US rocket.

Bond manages to enter the rocket launch control room and hits the SPECTRE spacecraft's self-destruct button before it could capture the second U.S. space capsule and spark a war with the U.S.S.R.. Just before making his escape, Blofeld activates the base's self-destruct. As the base's charges begin to detonate, Bond, Kissy, Tanaka, and the surviving ninjas evacuate the base. They board airdropped lifeboats as the volcano-base erupts in a fiery inferno. Unfortunately, while Bond and Kissy begin to make love in the lifeboat, they are rescued by a British submarine which surfaces under them. The sub has M and Miss Moneypenny on board who want to hear Bond's report immediately.

Cast

Main articles: List of James Bond henchmen in You Only Live Twice and List of James Bond allies in You Only Live Twice
File:Bond disguised as Japanese.jpg
Bond disguised as Japanese

The cast included Charles Gray, as Dikko Henderson, MI6 liaison with Japanese SIS; Gray later portrayed Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever. Bert Kwouk, who plays a Chinese Agent in Goldfinger also appears as a minor control room technician.

The cast also included Alexander Knox in a small role as the unnamed President of the United States. Knox had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1944 for his performance as another President, Woodrow Wilson, in Wilson.

Vehicles and gadgets

Toyota 2000GT convertible
Main articles: List of James Bond vehicles and List of James Bond gadgets

In the film, a Toyota 2000GT convertible was owned by Aki. Two 2000GT coupes were turned into convertibles for the film. One is displayed at Toyota's headquarters today, while the whereabouts of the second remains a mystery. Sean Connery's 6'2" height was the primary factor in making the car a convertible, as the 2000 GT was actually rather small with notoriously tight door openings for anyone much taller than 173cm (5' 8 ") in height. To eliminate any potential problems and to have more impact for the car in the film, Toyota made the two examples into roofless open cars with simulated top boots. After filming, one of the 2000 GTs built for You Only Live Twice was repainted red and served at Japan's Fuji Speedway as a course vehicle/safety car for a number of years.

Bond uses "Little Nellie" — a heavily armed autogyro that could be transported in several suitcases for quick field assembly. The weaponry is described by Q as: "two fixed machine guns (synchronised to a range of 100 yards), smoke emitters, air-to-air missiles, a flame thrower (with a range of 80 yards) and aerial mines."[1] 'Nellie' also has "forward-firing rocket launchers [and] smoke ejectors."[2]

"Little Nellie" is based on the real-life Wallis Autogyro, Little Nellie was actually flown by Wing Commander Wallis in the film.[3].

Little Nellie autogyro

Another weapon introduced in the film, used by Tanaka's 'ninjas' is the Gyrojet rocket gun — prototype guns using a small rocket-propelled projectile rather than conventional ammunition. A limited number were made in real life for trials by the US and British militaries, but the design never caught on and the guns and ammunition are now highly collectible.

Bond used a small, pocket-sized safecracking device that attaches to a safe lock the secret agent opened in Japan. When properly positioned, the user needs only to turn the combination lock's dial, and the device lights as each correct combination digit is found until the safe is opened.

Tanaka gives Bond a rocket-shooting cigarette with an accurate range of 30 yards; he uses it against a guard in Blofeld's volcano to reach the control to open the crater hatch, important in that it allowed Tanaka's forces to initially storm the base

SPECTRE uses a spacecraft to capture the American and Soviet space capsules, with the last mission to end with both craft being blown up. In 1963 the Soviets successfully tested their first anti-satellite system the IS-A (Istrebitel Sputnikov/fighter satellite). The craft was a kamikaze device designed to get close to an enemy satellite or spacecraft and blow it self up sending out high velocity shrapnel. [4]

Production

Blofeld's volcano base at Pinewood Studios during filming. From left, Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny), Akiko Wakabayashi (Aki), Sean Connery, Karin Dor (Helga) and Mie Hama (Kissy).

Jan Werich was originally cast by producer Harry Saltzman to play Blofeld. Upon arriving at the Pinewood set, both producer Albert R. Broccoli and director Lewis Gilbert felt that he was a poor choice, resembling a "poor, benevolent Santa Claus". Nonetheless, in an attempt to make the casting work, Gilbert continued filming. After several days, both Gilbert and Broccoli determined that Werich wasn't menacing enough, and recast Donald Pleasence in the role [5].

Connery was involved in a minor scandal while filming when he stated that he didn't find Japanese women sexy, although he argued that it was an accident and the question was not properly translated to him. This took place on a day when Connery had been exhausted and not really in the mood to do interviews. When the interview began, the reporter was aghast at Connery's casual wardrobe (a T-shirt with baggy trousers and sandals) and asked "Is this how James Bond dresses?" Connery is said to have replied "I'm not James Bond. I'm Sean Connery, a man who likes to dress comfortably."

Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, Ken Adam, Lewis Gilbert and Freddie Young were due to return to the UK on a BOAC Boeing 707 flight (BOAC Flight 911) on March 5 1966 after scouting locations across Japan. The group canceled their tickets when they were told they had a chance to watch a ninja demonstration. [6] That flight crashed 25 minutes after takeoff, killing all on board. [7]

Lewis Gilbert's regular editor, Thelma Connell was originally hired to edit the film. However, after an initial cut (which was over three hours long) received a terrible response from test audiences, Peter R. Hunt was asked to recut the film. Hunt's edit turned out to be a much greater success, and he was awarded the director's chair on the next film as a result.

Shooting locations

File:Osato Chemicals and 2000GT.jpg
Bond and Aki escape from Osato Chemicals Headquarters

Style

Unlike most Bond epics featuring England, Russia, or America as prime locations, almost the entire film is set in Japan, and several minutes are devoted towards an elaborate Japanese wedding in the middle of the movie. This is in keeping with Fleming's original novel, which also focused a number of pages (more than the usual for a Bond book) to the discussion of Japanese culture. The film is unusual in the degree that it illustrates a camaraderie between James Bond and his opposite number in Japan. Felix Leiter is frequently used as Bond's 'man in America' in other films, but their relationship is on a professional level only. In Japan, Bond meets 'Tiger' Tanaka. The two are seen cavorting about in several scenes during the movie, and seem to form a genuine friendship, and not simply a business association through the course of the movie. This is also in keeping with Fleming's novel.

It is interesting to note that when Tanaka asks Bond if he has ever been to Japan before, Bond replies "No, never." However, in From Russia With Love, when Bond is recording Tatiana, he states "once when M and I were in Tokyo..." to which M quickly turns off the recorder so that Miss Moneypenny will not hear the story.

Soundtrack

Main article: You Only Live Twice (soundtrack)

The soundtrack was composed by Bond veteran, John Barry. At the time, this was his fourth credited Bond film. The theme song, "You Only Live Twice", was sung by Nancy Sinatra. In 1998, Robbie Williams sampled the title song "You Only Live Twice" for the chart-topper "Millennium". A rock version of "You Only Live Twice" was covered by Coldplay when they toured in 2001, and was covered by Natacha Atlas for her 2005 compilation album The Best of Natacha Atlas. The Icelandic singer Björk also recorded a cover version. Also of note is the similarities of the main riff from You Only Live Twice for the Graeme Revell film score in the opening and closing of The Saint, the big screen adaptation of the popular British television series.

Interestingly, an alternative example of a possible theme song (also called "You Only Live Twice" and sung by Lorraine Chandler) was discovered in the vaults of RCA records in the '90s. Probably intended as a demo for consideration by the film's producers, it became a very popular track with followers of the Northern soul scene (Chandler was well known for her high-quality soul output on RCA) and can be found on several RCA soul compilations. A completely different "You Only Live Twice" sung by an uncredited Julie Rogers featured on a James Bond 30th Anniversary CD.

Cultural references and referrals

  • Dr. Evil (from Austin Powers), a spoof of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, was inspired by, more than any other actor, Donald Pleasence's portrayal in You Only Live Twice. Both share the same grey suit, bald head, pet kitty, facial scar, and bulging eyes. He also has a volcano lair.
  • The death of Helga occurs when Blofeld presses the footpedal and lets her fall into a piranha-infested tank. This death resembles the death of the archvillain's secretary in The Spy Who Loved Me who fell down a trap elevator into a shark tank. Both films were directed by Lewis Gilbert.
  • This was the first film in which M's office is shown to be "portable", relocating to a submarine. This gimmick would be revived in The Man with the Golden Gun (in which M's office is hidden aboard the wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in Hong Kong Harbor), The Spy Who Loved Me (hidden inside an Egyptian tomb), Moonraker (located in a monastery in Brazil), and The Living Daylights (on board a C-130).
  • The main riff from Nancy Sinatra's title song is sampled in Robbie Williams' 1998 single "Millennium".
  • The 2004 Pixar film The Incredibles borrows heavily from this film, including the concept for Syndrome's secret volcano lair, complete with a running monorail system and its secret rocket launch pad hidden in its interior. The film's score also pays homage to the suspenseful stylings of John Barry, as evidenced by the comparison of the tracks "Countdown For Blofeld" and "Kronos Unveiled," the latter of which accompanies the scene in which Mr. Incredible is accessing Syndrome's master computer. According to Film Score Monthly, John Barry was originally signed to score the film.

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ A-Z of Norfolk Science - Y - Retrieved March 22, 2007
  4. ^ http://www.strangehorizons.com/2004/20040503/shadows.shtml
  5. ^ 'Inside You Only Live Twice: An Original Documentary' 2000, MGM Home Entertainment Inc. (television programme)
  6. ^ 'Inside You Only Live Twice: An Original Documentary' 2000, MGM Home Entertainment Inc. (television programme)
  7. ^ BBC News (1966) Passenger jet crashes into Mount Fuji Retrieved Dec. 11, 2005
  8. ^ IMDB's trivia page for You Only Live Twice. Retrieved Jan. 20th, 2007
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