From Russia With Love (1964)
91%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Award
3 wins & 6 nominations total
The second James Bond film, From Russia with Love is a razor-sharp, briskly-paced Cold War thriller that features several electrifying action scenes.
From Russia with Love is the perfect movie for anyone who wants to see Sean Connery in his prime, kicking butt and taking names. Sure, it’s a bit outdated and the plot can be a bit slow at times, but who cares when you have all the classic Bond elements like exotic locations, beautiful women, and thrilling action sequences? Plus, it’s always fun to see Bond use his gadgets and charm to get out of sticky situations. Overall, From Russia with Love is a must-watch for any Bond fan or anyone who just wants to enjoy a classic spy movie with a touch of humor.
Production Company(ies)
Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production Orly Films,
Distributor
CBS/Fox, Warner Home Vídeo, MGM Distributing Corporation, United Artists, Criterion Collection
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Yerebatan Saray Sarniçi, Sultanahmet Square, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1964
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:1h 58m
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Language(s):English, Russian, Turkish, Romany
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 1963 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2006
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendáriz, Bernard Lee, directed by Terence Young, written by Ian Fleming, Johanna Harwood, Richard Maibaum, action, Cold War, James Bond, SPECTRE, decoding device, Lektor, Istanbul, espionage, thriller, spy, adventure, electrifying action scenes, PG, Albert R Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, Sean Connery’s favorite Bond movie, John F Kennedy’s favorite Bond book, reviewed by Richard Roud, Derek Adams, Dominic Wells, Peter Bradshaw, Karl French, Variety Staff, Matt Brunson, Josh Larsen, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, Jake Tropila, Dwight MacDonald, PG, box office success, budget, MGM Distributing Corporation, United Artists, Criterion Collection, James Bond 007
Worldwide gross: $24,808,792
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $268,984,620
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 549
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 29,333,110
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $21,684,621
Production budget ranking: 1,331
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,677,168
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $235,622,831
ROI to date (est.): 706%
ROI ranking: 176
Daniela Bianchi – Tatiana Romanov
Robert Shaw – Donald ‘Red’ Grant
Lotte Lenya – Rosa Klebb
Pedro Armendáriz – Kerim Bey (as Pedro Armendariz)
Bernard Lee – M
Director(s)
Terence Young
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Johanna Harwood, Richard Maibaum
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
3 wins & 6 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (59) | Rotten (2)
A highly immoral film in every imaginable way but it sure is fun…
September 29, 2021
Richard Roud
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
The film lacks the exotic, colourful flamboyance of the best of its successors. So shoot me.
April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
Derek Adams
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The stylish second Bond film From Russia With Love now looks as if it was shot yesterday.
April 24, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Dominic Wells
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
FRWL has character and dash, and even something of a conventional plot, all worth revisiting for this pin-sharp restoration.
April 24, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
The narrative is plodding, time has not been kind to set-pieces that were once so thrilling and now seem oddly perfunctory, and 007’s misogyny and casual slapping of several women is more than faintly repellent.
April 24, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
Karl French
Financial Times
TOP CRITIC
From Russia with Love is a preposterous, skillful slab of hardhitting, sexy hokum.
April 15, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Sean Connery’s favorite Bond movie is based on John F. Kennedy’s favorite Bond book, and who are we to argue with their tastes?
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The second Bond film was already too self aware to remember to be itself.
July 30, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
The story moves too slowly, fattened up with activities that are inconsequential and not action oriented.
August 24, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
From Russia with Love is just an exciting film from start to finish.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
From Russia with Love is a complete and total success as both a Bond film and a spy film, loftily enjoying the best of both worlds as it further establishes an indomitable template for more adventures to come.
April 29, 2020
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
A comedown from Dr. No, whose brisk parody here slackens into a queasy compromise with the real thing that tries to have it both ways and so fails to have it either way.
August 13, 2019
Dwight MacDonald
Esquire Magazine…
Plot
James Bond 007 is on the search for a Russian decoding machine, known as “Lektor”. Bond needs to find this machine, before the evil S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization discovers it. While being romantically linked with Russian girl, Tatiana Romanova, Bond sneaks his way around Istanbul, while each S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent tries to pick him off, including the over powering Donald “Red” Grant and ex K.G.B. Agent Rosa Klebb, who knows all of the tricks in the book, and even possesses an incredible poison tipped shoe.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sean Connery stars as James Bond in From Russia with Love, the second installment of the iconic spy series.
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