On Her Majesty's Secret Service in Review

I've have always found OHMSS to be a bore. It's extremely long and tiring, Lazenby is the weakest Bond in the series, the whole romantic plot with Tracy annoys the fire out of me, there aren't very many villains, the soundtrack is pretty weak except for the theme song, and it takes forever to get to the really good action. It currently sits at #19 in my rankings, only beating Moonraker, You Only Live Twice, and Goldfinger. The only things keeping it out of last place are all the action sequences and the great location work.

I think I have figured out what the problem with OHMSS is. Now, it has been a while since have seen it, but I have been re-reading the novel, and one thing jumps out at me: the first act in the film is all wrong. Both the book and the film open with the scene on the beach, but in the film, it is the first event chronologically, whereas in the novel it is very much the product of a series of events that precede it, recounted by Bond as he is escorted from the beach. Because the film restructures everything, it loses the major appeal if the novel: the slow-burning thriller as Bond is captivated by Tracy and tries to figure her out - but just as he does, it opens up the wider plot as he pursues Blofeld.

Also, I can't help but think that both Fleming and EON missed a prime opportunity: placing Tracy in Piz Gloria as a patient, forcing Bond to try and protect her without blowing his cover.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Also, I can't help but think that both Fleming and EON missed a prime opportunity: placing Tracy in Piz Gloria as a patient, forcing Bond to try and protect her without blowing his cover.

That would have been a quite dreadful approach imo!

My favourite Bond film. ( and Novel ) I also Like Lazenby as a Young Bond, Even now
I can't imagine Connery doing it.

lachesis wrote:

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Also, I can't help but think that both Fleming and EON missed a prime opportunity: placing Tracy in Piz Gloria as a patient, forcing Bond to try and protect her without blowing his cover.

That would have been a quite dreadful approach imo!

It couldn't be worse than Bond sleeping with all of the Angels of Death to the point where the audience wonders whether he even remembers why he is there in the first place, and then suddenly deciding that he wants to marry Tracy for no other reason than because she showed up at the right time and has inexplicably broken out of her funk and regained her love for life.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

lachesis wrote:

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Also, I can't help but think that both Fleming and EON missed a prime opportunity: placing Tracy in Piz Gloria as a patient, forcing Bond to try and protect her without blowing his cover.

That would have been a quite dreadful approach imo!

It couldn't be worse than Bond sleeping with all of the Angels of Death to the point where the audience wonders whether he even remembers why he is there in the first place, and then suddenly deciding that he wants to marry Tracy for no other reason than because she showed up at the right time and has inexplicably broken out of her funk and regained her love for life.

Considerably worse imo and for the record Bond slept with one girl by design and, with due concession to the required iconic indulgences, it was in context a valid means to gather intel. The other girl that got bedded was rather more down to her own proactive desire and a product of the inferred animal magnetism the character is expected to wield.

He decides to marry Tracy after she seeks him out and saves his bacon (how long she has been there is not revealed but she has every reason to know where she needed to be given her family connection). Tracy has been reborn thanks to Bond's intervention and now she repays the compliment providing him with a much needed escape route. the story has taken the time to show them in contrasting backgrounds both with and without duress, in many ways it is the perfect combination of circumstances that demonstrates this is the perfect match and a signal that Bond's life is ready for change. Placing Tracy as one of the patients would mere paint her as just another victim and part of the mission brief, more or less undermining anything natural about their love or offering any reason to break the professional steeliness Bond is known for.

Yeah, as much potential there would have been with Tracy being one of the patients to add some tension, I liked that it was she that rescued Bond from danger. But I do agree that it would have been nice if the beginning of the film had stuck more close to the structure of the book with Bond already knowing Tracy well during that beach scene, then we see how he ended up in that situation via flashback.

lachesis wrote:

Tracy has been reborn thanks to Bond's intervention and now she repays the compliment providing him with a much needed escape route. the story has taken the time to show them in contrasting backgrounds both with and without duress, in many ways it is the perfect combination of circumstances that demonstrates this is the perfect match and a signal that Bond's life is ready for change.

The problem is that all of this happens off-screen. When Tracy exits the narrative, it's quite clear that although she has made progress, she still has a long way to go. We are naturally going to follow Bond for the remainder of the story, but in the film, he doesn't give even the slightest indication that he cares for her wellbeing. At least in the novel he considers his proximity to her during the ascent to Piz Gloria before quashing the thought because Hilary Bray does not know Tracy.

The problem is that all of this breaks the cardinal rule of story-telling: it is always better to show your audience something happening, rather than simply telling them about it after the fact. As it is, we are simply told that Tracy is all better when she reappears, and while she acts the part, this effectively turns her into a different character with the same name.

Perhaps there is another angle that could have been worked in the novel and the film. Blofeld's work is said to be curing allergies with psychiatry, which is pretty much quackery, since allergies are a physical reaction to an external stimuli, rather than a mental health issue. Nevertheless, he clearly has some degree of success, since the Angels of Death eat the foods they are allergic to almost exclusively. And it is strongly implied that the Angels Bond meets are not the first of their kind, so Blofeld has evidently established some kind of reputation for himself. Given that Tracy was seeing a doctor so close to Piz Gloria, perhaps her doctor could have called on Blofeld to consult on the case and Bond somehow overhear it. This could have reassured Bond as to Tracy's condition, and aroused his suspicions that something was amiss. It might also explain why Blofeld made a move on Tracy for no reason at all.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

lachesis wrote:

Tracy has been reborn thanks to Bond's intervention and now she repays the compliment providing him with a much needed escape route. the story has taken the time to show them in contrasting backgrounds both with and without duress, in many ways it is the perfect combination of circumstances that demonstrates this is the perfect match and a signal that Bond's life is ready for change.

The problem is that all of this happens off-screen. When Tracy exits the narrative, it's quite clear that although she has made progress, she still has a long way to go. We are naturally going to follow Bond for the remainder of the story, but in the film, he doesn't give even the slightest indication that he cares for her wellbeing. At least in the novel he considers his proximity to her during the ascent to Piz Gloria before quashing the thought because Hilary Bray does not know Tracy.

The problem is that all of this breaks the cardinal rule of story-telling: it is always better to show your audience something happening, rather than simply telling them about it after the fact. As it is, we are simply told that Tracy is all better when she reappears, and while she acts the part, this effectively turns her into a different character with the same name.

Perhaps there is another angle that could have been worked in the novel and the film. Blofeld's work is said to be curing allergies with psychiatry, which is pretty much quackery, since allergies are a physical reaction to an external stimuli, rather than a mental health issue. Nevertheless, he clearly has some degree of success, since the Angels of Death eat the foods they are allergic to almost exclusively. And it is strongly implied that the Angels Bond meets are not the first of their kind, so Blofeld has evidently established some kind of reputation for himself. Given that Tracy was seeing a doctor so close to Piz Gloria, perhaps her doctor could have called on Blofeld to consult on the case and Bond somehow overhear it. This could have reassured Bond as to Tracy's condition, and aroused his suspicions that something was amiss. It might also explain why Blofeld made a move on Tracy for no reason at all.

I'm not sure we are told Tracy has made a complete recovery only that she is clearly better, its from the performance rather than the script I get that notion and to my mind that's the best kind of storytelling. That she loves Bond more than perhaps he reciprocates is stated as they part, however Bond got the info he wanted from Draco and had every opportunity to exit the, apparently unwanted, relationship before it had ever a chance to begin...his chivalrous and honourable side come into play and while professionally he may have then walked away he indulged his side of the bargain in any event - that is a minor break to his professional steeliness but a significant one. When they do part in Berne I think Bond intends to go back, but once the mission takes hold he would they rvert to professional mode, traditional Bond and may have denied any real feelings. Nevertheless it is really Tracy's proactive pursuit that opens the door to the next level of involvement. I think in the context of a man who would actively work to detach himself where he can from genuine involvement these two exceptions to the rule work very well in the film and break the traditional Bond girl arc.

As to Blofeld's success in curing allergies it is really just a natural extension of brain washing, in the end these girls are broken and made to follow his instruction - to face an allergy head on is rather less of a stretch than become an instrument in germ warfare etc it is in many ways a consistent path they are controlled rather than cured.

Coincidences and contrivances in stories are already indulged too often and today we do seem to require too much anal exposition, but here I feel there is a nice balance and those things that do conspire are less about resolving the story and more about involving Bond and Tracy often when they themselves are fighting against it.

Prisoner Monkeys raises a valid point, that allergies can't be cured through hypnosis, so here's a possible rebuttal:

Ruby said that Irma Bunt told her - and presumably the others as well - that she 'had a very interesting case'. Wot if that meant she wasn't really allergic, but just had a psychological loathing (like I have for mushrooms)?

Remember, these girls were chosen from among hundreds. Hypochondriacs all, susceptible to suggestion and hypnotic manipulation. Perfect! They can appear to be 'cured' and will be so grateful to their saviour that they will more willingly follow his Machiavellian instructions.

44 years to ask the question, one minute for a fan to propose a BS answer!