Bond Is Forever: “You Only Live Twice”

A U.S. space shuttle is in orbit when a carrier of unknown origin skyjacks the shuttle and communication is lost. The American government believes that, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union is responsible, but the UK has received intelligence which suggests that the culprit is Japan. MI6 turns to its best agent, James Bond (Sean Connery), who has recently manufactured his own death while on assignment in Hong Kong. With the help of Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and Japanese SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) agent Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), 007 infiltrates the offices of Osato (Teru Shimada), who is most likely compiling the ingredients for rocket fuel. Bond and another agent, Kissy (Mie Hama), track the villains’ possible rocket launch to a small island and soon learn that the person behind the conspiracy is SPECTRE head, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence), with aspirations to incite a war between the U.S. and Russia and to establish a new world power.


You Only Live Twice (1967) was the first 007 movie directed by Lewis Gilbert, who would direct later films in the series, The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). It was partly filmed on location in Japan, with the famed Toho Company, Ltd., supplying sound stages and cast/crew. Ian Fleming’s novel of the same name, the final Bond novel published in the author’s lifetime, shares few similarities with the film version (character names and the Japan setting two minor components that survived the transfer to screen).

You Only Live Twice can be split into two distinctive parts (which seems appropriate, considering the title). The movie begins with 007’s mock murder in Hong Kong, followed by his burial at sea. His “body” is taken aboard a submarine, where he is greeted by Miss Moneypenny (the always engaging Lois Maxwell) and meets with M (Bernard Lee) in an office that looks much like MI6 headquarters. This breezy, vivacious approach is a welcome trek through coventional 007 terrain and is even maintained during Bond’s time in Japan as he works with Aki and Tanaka. Upon Q’s (Desmond Llewelyn) arrival, Bond receives one of the few gadgets of the film, “Little Nellie” (an autogyro), and flies over an island associated with a cargo ship, the Ning-Po, and, by extension, Osato.

Unfortunately, the second half of the film is little more than 007 training, in preparation of traveling to the island and locating Blofeld and the probable spacecraft. Bond “poses” as a Japanese man, with his hair dyed black and his eyebrows teased. (Despite telling Moneypenny that he’s studied “Oriental” language, the extent of 007’s knowledge of Japanese discourse seems limited to thanking people -- though to be fair, English is the movie’s primary language, even in Japan.) As Bond hones his skills in the Japanese martial arts, there are a couple of assassination attempts, one of which results in an agent being killed. Frustratingly, 007 expresses fleeting concern over the deceased person (who is, essentially, dead because of an affiliation with Bond) and focuses most of his energy ensuring that the woman pretending to be his wife is particularly attractive. Kissy is to the agent’s liking, based on his visible reaction, and it comes to no surprise that he tries to seduce her almost as soon as they reach the island.

A Bond with minimal gadgetry is not a flaw. Such an approach works to great effect in films like Dr. No (1962), For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Casino Royale (2006). However, these movies contained additional attributes, such as suspenseful scenes of investigation (Dr. No and Casino Royale) or action (For Your Eyes Only). Regrettably, Bond sans gadgets has nothing to lend support in You Only Live Twice. By the film’s second half, all Bond truly has left to accomplish is to unearth Blofeld’s base of operations, and, sadly, it takes an inordinate amount of time for the agent to make it there. Once inside, the movie still plods along until finally reaching an explosive action sequence, which is admittedly quite sensational, even if it arrives a bit late.

Wakabayashi and Hama appeared in a series of Japanese spy films in the 60s, Kokusai himitsu keisatsu (aka International Secret Police). The fourth in the series, Kagi no kagi (1965/aka Key of Keys), which starred both actresses, was reedited, redubbed and re-scored, forming the bulk of Woody Allen’s 1966 What’s Up, Tiger Lily? (some of the third entry, 1964’s Kayaku no taru -- which translates to “a keg of powder” -- was also edited into Allen’s movie). The character of Aki was originally named Suki, but, purportedly at Wakabayashi’s recommendation, it was changed, as the actress’ name in What’s Up, Tiger Lily? was Suki Yaki.

Screenwriter Roald Dahl is perhaps better known for his children’s stories, including James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. You Only Live Twice was Dahl’s first produced screenplay. He co-wrote another adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, in 1968. The film was produced by Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and featured the celebrated villain, the Child Catcher (portrayed by Robert Helpmann), a Roald Dahl creation.

The title song was written by composer John Barry and lyricist Leslie Bricusse and sung by Nancy Sinatra. “You Only Live Twice” is one of my favorite Bond songs, a beautiful, moody piece with haunting vocals from Sinatra, and Barry retains the title’s elegance throughout the film’s score. Popular British singer Robbie Williams sampled “You Only Live Twice” for his 1998 hit “Millennium.” His song helped him achieve some success in the States, and his James Bond-inspired music video garnered an MTV Music Video Award nomination for “Best Male Video.”

During filming of You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery announced that he would be leaving the role of 007. George Lazenby took over the lead in the subsequent Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), but Connery returned for 1971’s Diamonds are Forever. Though Blofeld was a character in previous Bond outings, You Only Live Twice was the first time that his face is shown. The film is also the first of the “Blofeld Trilogy,” and the last of the novels’ Trilogy, following Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (and discounting The Spy Who Loved Me between those two). Interestingly, Charles Gray, who plays Henderson, Bond’s contact in Japan in You Only Live Twice, would portray Blofeld in Diamonds are Forever.

As was typical for Bond films, You Only Live Twice was one of the top ten grossing U.S. films in 1967. While it’s not my least favorite of the series, I place it at the bottom of my list for the 007 movies starring Sean Connery. It has its moments, but there simply are not enough for the near two-hour duration, and much of the film is lethargically paced. But with capable allies (Aki in particular), Pleasence as a first-rate Blofeld (he’s my personal favorite of the actors who portray the villain), and a wonderful title song, there is always something to relish.

Bond Is Forever will return next month with Licence to Kill (1989).