In Octopussy, a mad Russian General, Orlov, is stealing the state jewelry from the Kremlin Art Repository. High-class forgeries are replaced in the Repository and the originals are smuggled into Western Europe and sold by one Kamal Khan, a freelancer who employs a clever means of transporting the gems across the border. Khan is in cahoots with a mysterious, beautiful woman known as Octopussy, who is never without her band of Octopussy Girls. Octopussy and her troupe deal in a number of enterprises, but most notably they work as a traveling circus. Octopussy smuggles the jewelry for Khan on her private railway. But why is General Orlov committing such a huge crime against the Soviet Union? The smuggling act is in fact a cover up for the madman's actual scheme. At one point in the smuggling operation, Orlov and Khan doublecross Octopussy and secretly replace the jewelry with a nuclear bomb set to explode during a performance by Octopussy's Circus at a NATO base in West Berlin. The bomb's detonation, it is hoped, will appear to be an American nuclear accident. A call for an immediate disarmament of Western Europe will most likely ensue, leaving General Orlov free to strike with ground forces and ignite World War III.
British Intelligence is alerted at the beginning of the film when agent 009 arrives fatally wounded at the British Embassy in West Berlin. He is dressed as a circus clown and has stolen a forgery of a Fabergé egg from Octopussy. James Bond's assignment is called "Operation Trove"; the agent must find out why 009 was killed. After investigating the sale of an original Fabergé egg at Sotheby's, Bond is put on the trail of Kamal Khan.
As a basic plot, there is quite a bit of potential here. What goes wrong is that the action scenes, as has often been the case in the later Bond films, grow increasingly illogical. For example, it is painfully obvious that the filmmakers wanted to shoot a sequence involving a spectacular Indian tiger hunt, complete with elephants, Indians in turbans, and a zoo of jungle animals—so a scene was written to accommodate. It is unnecessary for the advancement of the plot—in fact, it's damaging. In the previous sequence, Bond escapes from his cell at Kamal Khan's headquarters by nightfall and eavesdrops on Khan and Orlov's meeting. Suddenly, Bond's absence is discovered, and Khan organizes a tiger hunt to track him down. There are editing problems in this sequence as well, for the jump in time to dawn is confusing and creates the illusion that the tiger hunt was organized in the middle of the night and the party was ready and waiting for 007 to make his escape from the castle.
Another unnecessary scene is the final attack on Khan's fortress by Octopussy's women. It is anticlimactic after the terrific sequences on the train and Bond's disarmament of the bomb at the circus. It seems to have been written in simply to deliver the traditional army clash at the picture's end. This particular instance of the formula device is ludicrous—scantily clad women attack tough Indian guards with exotically choreographed gymnastic feats. And to top it off, James Bond and Q appear from nowhere in a hot air balloon (decorated with a Union Jack) to lend the women a helping hand. Such sequences mar the interesting and complex plot of Octopussy.
James Bond disguised as an Argentine officer. Roger Moore in the latest United Artists 007 picture, Octopussy. (Wide World Photo.)
Two of the better scenes in the film incorporate good examples of a Fleming situation. The first is the Sotheby auction where Bond quickwittedly doublecrosses Kamal Khan in the bidding and also manages to switch the original Fabergé egg with a stolen forgery in front of the spectators. The second scene is when Bond challenges Khan to a game of backgammon. Although this sequence never existed in Fleming's work, it recalls the gambling scenes which the author was so fond of writing. Here, Khan is using a pair of loaded dice against an unsuspecting Englishman. Bond takes over for the Englishman, states the player's privilege rule, grabs the loaded dice from Khan, and proceeds to win the game using the villain's own trick. 007 then reveals his possession of the original Fabergé egg to Khan, thus igniting a moment of truly Flemingesque dramatic tension.
As usual, there are the many witty one-liners and asides (which have too often been sexually oriented in the Roger Moore films). For instance, when Bond asks Magda about the octopus tattoo on her back, she replies, "Why, that's my little octopussy." A running joke is established after Bond tells an eager female bellhop, "Later, perhaps." The joke is carried until Q himself says it to an exuberant member of Octopussy's army. One funny line is set up when Bond asks Magda for her proposition. She says, "The Fabergé egg for your life." Bond says innocently, "Well, I heard the price of eggs was going up, but don't you think that's a little high?"
Roger Moore with co-star Maud Adams on the set of Octopussy. Maud plays the title role. She also appeared as Scaramanga's mistress in The Man With the Golden Gun. (Wide World Photo.)
DIRECTION
John Glen's handling of Octopussy does not exhibit the same unity of style present in For Your Eyes Only. Although many of the dramatic scenes and several action scenes are treated seriously, too often the film's tone shifts into comedy. As a result, believability is lost along with suspense. It would seem that the producers did not know what type of film Glen should make—a more serious, realistic picture like the early Bonds, or a slapstick-oriented action comedy like some of the later ones. This dichotomy runs throughout Octopussy and the result is a confused mixture of styles.
At times, the film moves with that familiar Bondian tone of unsuspecting danger (enhanced by John Barry's familiar stalking music), such as in the beginning scene in which 009 is murdered, and in the sequence in which Bond spies on General Orlov and Kamal Khan in the Monsoon Palace. But when camels begin doing double takes at leaping Indian taxicabs (which look like golf carts) during a chase through a crowded street, how can the plot be taken seriously? At one point, Bond's ally in India, Vijay (portrayed by tennis star Vijay Amritraj), fights an opponent with a tennis racket. During the previously mentioned tiger hunt, Bond swings on a vine a la Tarzan. Director Glen has chosen to accompany this image with an authentic Tarzan yell, pushing the sequence farther into burlesque.
The climax of the film is very exciting, though, and could be one of the best sequences in any of the later Bond films. Bond learns that Octopussy's train is carrying a nuclear bomb. Racing against time, he avoids General Orlov and his men; makes it onto the speeding train with daredevil acrobatics; fights with Khan's henchmen on the top of the train; steals an auto to speed to the NATO base where the circus is performing; dresses in a clown outfit to gain entry into the tent; and finally convinces the commanding officer and a shocked Octopussy that there is a bomb inside the Human Cannonball's fake cannon. Moore's performance here is particularly sincere, and for once we feel that there is indeed a danger. Glen's handling of this section is masterful and well-paced.
ACTORS AND CHARACTERS
Roger Moore shows his age even more in Octopussy than he did in For Your Eyes Only. His approach to the role is no different, although the tougher characterization established in the previous film is carried over into this one for the most part. The trouble here is that Moore seems to function only as an occasional stand-in for the stuntmen. Because of the weakness of the straight dialogue scenes, Moore is rarely given an opportunity to act at all. He does use the humorous parts of the film to advantage, something that has always been Moore's trademark in playing 007. At one incongruous (but funny) point during the tiger hunt, Bond impersonates Barbara Woodhouse and orders a Bengal tiger to sit like a dog (which it does). Of course, only James Bond could possess the charisma necessary to accomplish such a feat! Roger Moore does manage to create the illusion that the character does indeed possess such mastery of wild animals.
Beautiful Swedish actress Maud Adams portrays Octopussy (this is her second role in a Bond film, having played Andrea in The Man With the Golden Gun). The actress' striking good looks and statuesque bearing automatically give her a commanding presence in a role which is underwritten (as is usually the case with Bond film heroine parts). The character of Octopussy is especially undeveloped; we have no idea why she has such power, whe
re she got it, and why the ruthless Kamal Khan respects and fears her. Octopussy is the leader of an all-woman band of brigands, apparently supported by the Russians. If the scriptwriters had given the character some background beyond the fleeting reference to her deceased father, Miss Adams might have had the opportunity to create a truly mysterious and engaging character. The film makers also erred in allowing Octopussy to become Bond's ally too early in the picture, thereby losing any dramatic conflict which might have occurred between the characters. The Bond/Octopussy seduction scene in her boudoir makes no sense whatsoever. Octopussy tells 007 that they're "two of a kind" and offers him a job with her circus. Bond refuses and she becomes angry. But never fear—all Bond has to do is tell her that they are two of a kind and kiss her, and they fall forthwith into bed. Of what kind are they two? What happened to logical cause-and-effect dialogue? Nevertheless, Maud Adams fills the screen with beauty and grace and further perpetuates the adage that Bond films exist only for looks and form, not content.
Kamal Khan is played by the suave Louis Jourdan, and it is his performance which gives the film much of its buzz. Jourdan's characterization is smooth, cunning, and funny as well. It certainly ranks with Julian Glover's Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only. The inflection in Jourdan's speech exhibits not only menace and intelligence, but a bit of self-parody as well. This self-parody never dips too low into broad comedy—Kamal Khan remains a villain throughout the film. The filmmakers have also endowed Khan with certain Flemingesque qualities. There is even a scene in which Bond is wined and dined by Khan, who promises that the meal will be followed by a painful method of extracting some answers from the agent. (But Bond escapes before what might have been a grisly torture scene using hallucinogenic truth serums.) During the meal, Khan cooly plucks the eyeball from a stuffed sheep's head and munches it as he speaks, not only nauseating Bond, but the audience as well. One of Jourdan's funniest moments is at the end, when he orders his henchman Gobinda to climb out of the cockpit of a small aircraft and "get" Bond (who is hanging onto the plane for dear life). The incredulous look on Gobinda's face when he realizes that Khan is serious is priceless!
Gobinda is played by Kabir Bedi, a noted Indian actor. The character is another obligatory strongman/ henchman typical of the series and offers nothing new. There is, in fact, one bit which is a direct steal from Oddjob in Goldfinger. After Bond has beaten Khan in backgammon, Gobinda grabs the pair of dice and crushes them with his bare hand, just as the Korean bodyguard did with the golf ball after 007 defeated Goldfinger on the course. But Bedi manages to appear threatening in most of the sequences, and is no more or less successful at the role than other actors playing this type of character in earlier films.
Lovely Swedish actress Krishna Wayborn plays Magda, a villainess in cahoots with Octopussy and Kamal Khan. A former track star, Waybom possesses a sleek athletic build which comes in handy for the gymnastic feats the women in the film must perform. Waybom has a striking screen presence which works well for the role, but her lack of screen time is disappointing. She also functions as an early sex interest for Bond. At one point, while Bond and Magda are in bed, she lifts her empty wine glass into view and tells him that she needs "refilling." Bond mischievously raises his eyebrow.
As mentioned earlier, Indian tennis star Vijay Amritraj portrays Bond's ally in India, and also becomes the film's Obligatory Sacrificial Lamb. Posing as a fisherman while staking out Octopussy's island, poor Vijay is murdered by one of Khan's thugs by an ingenious yo-yo-like contraption with a table-saw blade. Amritraj delivers the necessary good-humored qualities typical of all Bond-allies, and comes off quite well in the role.
General Orlov is played by Steven Berkoff, a talented writer, actor, and director who is the founder of the London Theatre Group. Orlov, who sits on the Soviets' security council, is reminiscent of George C. Scott's radically right-wing general in Dr. Strangelove. Orlov wants the council to forget about peace talks and launch a massive attack on Western Europe just to satisfy his lust for military power. Naturally most of his colleagues think he's crazy. Berkoff delivers a fine performance which is both intense and engaging. But the entire Russian security council is depicted, for the most part, as a bunch of buffoons.
M is portrayed by a new actor, Robert Brown, a fine British character player and a contemporary of the late Bernard Lee. Brown is an adequate replacement in the role. But in Octopussy, M is once again underwritten, and Brown is not allowed the opportunity to explore and reveal his character traits. For example, none of M's testiness, crabiness, or even his persona of uncontestable authority is seen here. We see only his fatherly side. The character is altogether too nice. M's disagreeable qualities appear to have been inherited by the Minister of Defense (Geoffrey Keen), who sits in the office with M during the scene with Bond and grunts his approval and/or disapproval.
The series' other regulars all return: Desmond Llewelyn does a bit more than usual as Q (he participates in the climactic battle at Khan's fortress); Walter Gotell as General Gogol exhibits the "good" qualities of a Soviet officer (he despises the antics of General Orlov); and Lois Maxwell displays her usual charms as Miss Moneypenny. An addition to the Bond/Moneypenny scene is the introduction of a new secretarial assistant, Penelope Smailbone (Michaela Clavell). In this amusing scene, Bond enters the office with a bouquet of flowers, prepared to hand it to Moneypenny. After seeing the pretty new secretary, Bond gives one flower to Moneypenny, but the bouquet to Penelope, saying, "Welcome to the office."
OTHER ASPECTS
Octopussy is less gadgety than usual, but the film features one particular item in the pre-credits sequence that practically steals the entire picture. This is the AcroStar Bede Jet, one of only two such planes in existence. The AcroStar is a one-man "portable" jet, only twelve feet in length and five feet eight inches high. As the world's smallest jet, it can soar at a top speed of 310 m.p.h., a cruising speed of 160 m.p.h., and can reach 30,000 feet with a climbing rate of 2,800 feet per minute. The AcroStar is powered by a single jet engine, a Micro-turbo TRS-18. The jet is owned and piloted by "Corkey" Fornof of Louisiana.
The pre-credits sequence takes place in a country resembling Cuba. Bond arrives at an airbase with the intention of blowing up a particular hangar containing some kind of spy plane. Equestrian activities are taking place nearby, allowing Bond to drive a horse trailer onto the premises. With the help of a beautiful Latin contact named Bianca, Bond boards the AcroStar, which is hidden inside the horse trailer. Bond takes off in the jet, and the audience is treated to some magnificent aerial stuntwork as the aircraft dodges a heat-seeking missile in pursuit. Bond cleverly leads the missile into the target hangar and manages to fly out sideways through the small open space of the quickly closing hangar doors. Of course, the missile doesn't make it out of the hangar and Bond's mission is accomplished. After his escape, the jet runs out of gas. Bond pulls the AcroStar up to a gas station, just like a car (the wings fold up), smiles and says, "Fill 'er up."
Other gadgets include a combination wristwatch/fountain pen/homing device and the usual assortment of gag gadgets at India's Q Branch including a coiled rope which rises like a pole up which a man may climb. Unfortunately, it bends in the middle. Bond taunts, "Having trouble keeping it up, Q?"
Peter Lamont must be credited with exotic settings and a colorful production design. Octopussy's boudoir and her bed, in particular, are magnificent. The bed, a huge circular monstrosity surrounded by what look like gold-plated tentacles, gets a big laugh from the audience. Alan Hume returns as cinematographer and gives the film the same slick look he gave to For Your Eyes Only. Costume designer Emma Porteous has created some gorgeous exotic Indian outfits, especially for the women.
The film abounds with stuntwork (the Bond films must surely prevent any unemployment in the stunt industry). Bob Simmons is back as supervisor. One breathtaking sequence involves the aerial team from Moonraker, directed by Philip Wrestler: Bond and Gobinda fight with knives on the outside of a small airplan
e—while it's flying!
John Barry returns to the series with a moderately successful score. The title song, "All Time High," with lyrics by Tim Rice, contains an elusive melody, and Rita Coolidge's rendition of it grows on one only after repeated listenings. Considering the subject of the lyrics, the song might have been more successful had it been transposed to a higher key for a soprano voice. Although a very fine singer with lovely alto voice, Miss Coolidge seems to have been the wrong choice. The rest of the score is quite reminiscent of the early Bond soundtracks, in particular From Russia With Love and Thunderball.
Most critics tended to favor Octopussy over For Your Eyes Only, probably because they were more accustomed to the style and flavor of the later Bond films. Octopussy fits more easily with the other Roger Moore pictures than does Eyes Only, despite the intentions of the filmmakers to inject more of the early films' style. The reliance on sight gags and outlandish humor categorizes Octopussy as another "James Bond action comedy" rather than a "James Bond thriller." The film is entertaining and fun, to be sure, but ultimately mediocre. Nevertheless, James Bond will return in A View to a Kill in 1985.
THE "OTHER" BONDS
CASINO ROYALE (1967)
As mentioned earlier, Ian Fleming sold the film rights of his first novel to producer Gregory Ratoff in 1955. Ratoff sat on the property until his death, after which his widow sold the rights to Charles K. Feldman in 1960. Therefore, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were unable to obtain the rights to CASINO ROYALE when they bought the remaining Fleming titles.
The James Bond Bedside Companion Page 49