On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
(dir. Peter R. Hunt)
By: Tarek Fayoumi
The Only Time That George Lazenby played James Bond Remains a Classic:
Classic Cinemas has scheduled multiple weeks of numerous 007 films with the Chicago Film Critics Association. I had the opportunity to revisit On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), an experience that reinvigorated my dazzling love for 007. Even though this is the only film in which George Lazenby (Gettysburg, Play for Today) played the iconic British secret agent., it is still a classic. That is because it is written where the action and adventure does not have to be taken seriously. At the same time though, the context of espionage and danger is still attention-grabbing. As one who took a class on 007 back in my college days,, I felt a sense of nostalgia while revisiting On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on the big screen.
The Biggest Cinematics Always starts with the Villain:
Watching On Her Majesty’s Secret Service with an audience, the enemy in a 007 flick is always where the jaws are dropped. Telly Savalas (Capricorn One, Kelly’s Heroes) plays the iconic antagonist Blofeld. The clashing of dynamics and power is what creates the characterizations of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service to feel like a treasure of power. The enemy is always the biggest aspect to the thrills of a 007 film. That is because 007 always is written to be licensed to kill, but also written to be a bluffer. Whoever plays 007 always has a moment of misdirection with their enemy. The bluffing sells in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There are a lot of good guys, bad guys, car chases, and skiing. The fundamental building blocks of what makes a 007 adventure a winning one.
Worth the Time?
This was well-worth the time and money. Especially with a pre-discussion by retired Chicago film critic, Jeffrey Westhoff. He has written for the Northwest Herald, and has written book reviews for the Chicago Sun-times. He has also written for RogerEbert.com. On top of that, he is also the author of the novel The Boy Who Knew Too Much. Westhoff offered several great insights into the making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service including insider insights into how Lazenby got involved in the project in the first place. Each Bond film coming up with Classic Cinemas will have a different critic running the discussions. Each of which will make the 007 moments more spellbinding. They will be taking place at Classic Cinemas in Elk Grove, Illinois. Link below to secure tickets to any of the upcoming 007 films in the series.