Ferry Boat Encounter

Ferry Boat Encounter – In this clip, Bond is clandestinely meeting with Tatiana Romanova on a ferry boat in Istanbul, on the Bosphorus. Here, he has a camera gadget that conceals a tape recorder and pretends to be taking pictures of Tatiana. But in reality, he is recording her describing the physical attributes of the LEKTOR, the Russian decoding machine.

Bond is calm, cool, and very directive – completely in control of the encounter. Watch his face, listen to well-written dialogue. He is in command.

She also describes where it is kept in the consulate, when it is used, and so on. Clearly, Tatiana is starting to fall for Bond. We will see, of course, in many more Bond films, and certainly in other spy movies along the way – where the spy wins over a key ally in a woman. This has happened in spy movies since the first one, The 39 Steps in 1935.

So check out the beautiful scenery, the Ferry Boat Encounter, as Bond advances the opportunity to get the LEKTOR. We must call-out Daniela Bianchi, who is stunning as Tatiana, both in beauty and in her role. She is voiced by British actress, Barbara Jefford. Bianchi , an Italian actress, was 1st runner-up in the Miss Universe contest of 1960. She steals lots of scenes in our opinion, and was perfectly cast.

As a way to see Istanbul, this Bosphorus River Ferry is a very good way to do it according to many who have traveled to Istanbul.

Russian Clocks are Always Right – Escape with the Lektor

Russian Clocks are Always Right – The Lektor is the reason Bond is in Istanbul, and here he receives clearance from M to proceed with the mission. Note Bond tells Kerim Bay that they will execute the plan for getting the Lektor out of the Russian Embassy on the 14th: after Bey asks the 13th?

Did he change the date just in case? Or was this a precaution on Bond’s part in case there were any bugs planted? Even Tania, as we see, thought it was going to be the 14th.

Bey is to explode a bomb at 3 PM, and here Bond asks if the clock is correct as he checks his watch as well. The gates when Bond walks through to access the Russian Embassy are still around, but not near the other filming locations.

When the bomb goes off, chaos ensues, and Bond gets into the room where Tania has the Lektor, with tear gas in the air, mask on Bond, and she says that she thought it was going to be the 14th but today is the 13th. The question is why did Bond tell Karim in his office that it would be the 14th, but then they executed it on the 13th?

Perhaps they were being cautious in case anyone overheard, but it is not absolutely clear in the clip. But the fact that it happens the day before it was expected to, indicates perhaps that Bond trusted no one, and maybe Tania would leak out the plan, or someone in Bey’s organization would. And if it leaked out that it would be the 14th, well, too late. Bond gets the Lektor on the 13th. Obviously, Bey knows the exact date and time since he explodes the bomb precisely at 3 PM… on the 13th!

And yes, Russian Clocks are Always Right!

Klebb’s Final Assault

Klebb’s Final Assault – Just when you think it’s safe…Kleb shows up once again, in Venice, as Bond and Tania are ready to depart.

Rosa Klebb draws a pistol on Bond and directs Tania to open the door. Twice Tania reassures Bond that she knows nothing about Klebb being there, by shaking her head left and right while looking directly at Bond – twice – to show Bond her loyalty is to him. Look for this subtle gesture in the clip. We all feel relief that Tania is on the “good” side.

In real life, there are spy defections and good guys going to the bad side, or bad guys going to the good side – depending on your perspective. As Mathis says in Quantum of Solace, in Talamone, Italy: “When one is young, it is very easy to distinguish between right and wrong, but as one gets older, it becomes more difficult. The villains and the heroes get all mixed up.” That sums up the spy business.

Klebb then, for some reason, takes Bond’s pistol out of his shoulder holster and throws it on the floor. Why not just shoot him right then and there? She took a chance that Bond may overcome her as she reaches for his pistol. And why take the pistol if you are just going to shoot him anyway? But she does.

But at least she was going to shoot Bond and not have some elaborate scheme for him to die. Then she backs to the door, and is about to shoot him – and Bond is pretty calm. Of course, Tania to the rescue.

The thing to note here is that Klebb now has the poison shoe blade device that killed # 5 in SPECTRE # 1’s office. Here, she is willing to use it to kill Bond and retrieve the Lektor. She knows the price of failure. Here in the film, Bond escapes the poison blade, and Tania – who Kleb still thinks is on her side, foils Klebb’s plans to kill Bond. Here in the film, Bond escapes without injury. However, in the novel by Ian Fleming, Bond is punctured by the poison blade/needle, and his fate is unknown.

In the film, as below, Klebb’s attempts to kill Bond with a pistol and with the poison shoe blade are foiled by Tania as she shoots Klebb, and Klebb, evil incarnate. Klebb’s final assault is her final assault – and she is finally dead.

As in many Bond films, you never know when it’s over – but now, the danger is over at least!