MovieChat Forums > From Russia with Love (1964) Discussion > The ethereal final scene: best Bond endi...

The ethereal final scene: best Bond ending ever!

posted 10 years ago by stevewyzard
21 replies | jump to latest

From Russia With Love is my favorite Bond movie for many reasons, but the final scene in the canals of Venice completely seals it for me. Bond and Tatiana are in the back of a gondola in the tranquil blue waters. There's an amusing attempt at light-heartedness with the tourist and his movie-camera. Cue one very passionate embrace, Bond non-chalantly tosses the incriminating film into the canal and exaggeratedly waves goodbye. The camera pans to the sun-dappled Venetian skyline, the haunted (both beautiful and sad) theme song comes to the fore, and the end credits roll. No matter how many times I watch this scene, I am still absolutely blown away: it epitomizes and encapsulates not only the whole movie, but also the entire world of James Bond in just a few magical minutes.

So what's so ethereal about this scene? In some ways, even though it's only the second film in the series, it's also the end of an era. Not only would Bond creator Ian Fleming die shortly after this movie's release, but the Bond character would begin to change from an old-world British spy to a high-tech superhero/household name. Bond's wave goodbye is a goodbye to not only the ancient Venetian buildings, but also to the past and to a world that was/is radically changing. Which is definitely NOT to say that this was the last good Bond movie, but that the series would become very different after From Russia With Love. The movie does have its faults, but the ending remains, for me, transcendent.

1) Has anyone else noticed a significance to this enraptured, enlightened final scene?

2) What are the Venetian buildings the camera focuses on in the final shot?

Always distrust a consensus.

[–] alaindiaz 10 years ago

I agree with you, it's a beautiful scene and when he waves goodbye , he is waving goodbye to his dark past, he is saying goodbye to Venice and it's buildings because that is the very same place his love Vesper died so he is signifying that he got over the death of his love, he got over his pain and sorrows it's a beautiful and sad like you said.

[–] pontevedro 9 years ago

While I agree with the general sentiment of the OP, I just wanted to quibble with this idea that Bond is saying goodbye to Venice because it's where Vesper died. Vesper didn't die in Venice until the 2006 film. In the book Casino Royale, Vesper dies on a beach in Northern France. So the 1963 Bond won't be having any bittersweet feelings about Venice on Vesper's account.

[–] necoleman 10 years ago

I am formerly known as HillieBoliday.....Member since May 2006:

Thanks for your intelligent and enlightening commentary....this is my favorite Bond Movie as well. You are right, the subsequent Bond movies after this one were very different....including the theme songs. Matt Monro's, delivery of "From Russia With Love," was so smooth, sexy, sensual and melodic, I love listening to it over and over.

I think that Sean Connery/James Bond, somewhat fell in love with his
"Bond Girl/Tanya". This movie was sooooooo romantic and the chemistry between them was so tantalizing!

Being the hopeless romantic that I am, with Sean Connery being the ultimate, and my favorite James Bond, I love all of the love scenes, and I love the ending, as there is some indication that they were going to continue their romantic liaison.

I'm ashamed to say that I have not read any of the Ian Flemming, J. B. novels; so I don't have any literary background to go on....so my view is strictly governed by the films.

"OOhhhooo....I'M GON' TELL MAMA!"

[–] Irishdrummer007 10 years ago

I also love the final scene. I can't put my finger on why. But it is one of the classic timeless scenes.

[–] beavertoof 7 years ago

I also love the final scene. I can't put my finger on why. But it is one of the classic timeless scenes.

^^This! I just watched it again after some time.

i actually just re-watched all the Bond movies (yes it took some time!), and then re-watched all Connery's first series of Bond movies and gotta say that overall FRWL is my overall fav.

there is an indefinable atmosphere and feel to the flick that really does it for me.. kinda like "Breakfast at Tiffany's".. which has alot of annoying flaws, yet nonetheless overall really has some type of timeless feel to it that i find very appealing.

[–] mrb27896 10 years ago

Very well put. I agree on all counts.

[–] Blueghost 10 years ago

I never thought much of it. He looks at the film, then tosses it into the Venice waterways. I don't think there's much more to it than that.

[–] aciolino 9 years ago

I have always thought the ending was the best of the series, but never thought of it in the terms you set. I must concur wholeheartedly, that there is more here than meets the eye. The ending of one era is spot on: not only does Bond begin to change but the world around him becomes unrecognizable. Compare the "look" and "feel," of this film to, say, "Diamonds Are Forever," and more than just the story has changed. My God, it's like a different medium a different world.

FRWL captures that pre-rock and roll era world perfectly. It is elegant, adult without being vulgar, and intelligent. Three characteristics that will soon be lost to the onslaught coming hegemony of youth culture.

Thank you for your insights!

JC

[–] monstermayhem32 9 years ago

I loved the dining with bond and Tania on e host.

[–] Spoffdarko 9 years ago

I too like the final scene.

My only gripe was that it is so obviously in a studio (I know many of them are, and that's fine) but I really wish they had stumped up and done that one on location.

"I'm leaving, i've assessed the situation, and i'm going".

[–] louiseculmer 9 years ago

My favourite ending is Dr No, where they drift off in the boat together with the Mango tree song playing.

[–] urgeking 9 years ago

OP, I'll grant you may be right about the "transcendent" nature of the ending, but I remember it for something else entirely.

In recent decades I've seen FRWL only on TBS, back when they were showing lots of movies and repeating them often. In their version we see Bond's hand and the reel of film while he's viewing some of it. Around the point where he tosses the reel in the water there is an obvious, jarring cut, as if something was censored out.

Surely they wouldn't actually have put anything on the few visible frames of that (8mm?) film that would have been too risque for a 1963 audience (not to mention a 2003 TBS audience)-- and that's IF anyone watching the movie could even see those images clearly, which is doubtful. So, why the edit? (Is it there on the DVD or Blu-ray?)

[–] kevin-bergin 9 years ago

She saves him!

"It's the system, Lara. People will be different after the Revolution."

[–] thomasm5 9 years ago

I saw FRWL on the big screen and you couldn't see anything on the film. When TV cuts films its difficult to figure out what they are thinking other than cutting time - even in minute bits like you are citing. Over the last year various cable networks have aired the Craig version of Casino Royale. Some have cut out the scene where Bond is poisoned which is fairly long. More recently they cut a scene wherein Bond invites a bad guy's wife or girlfriend to "his place" in the Aston Martin he just won from the guy. She gets in and he drives around the circular driveway right back to the spot where he picked her up. Nothing to do with the plot but a fun scene in a movie without many gags.

[–] urgeking 9 years ago

Since my post I've seen an explanation online for the edit. The claim is that earlier in the movie's original cut Bond made a remark about what could be seen on that little reel of film-- a comment that was ultimately seen as too naughty for an early-1960s movie-- and at the end Bond made another remark referencing the earlier one, so both lines of dialogue were removed from the final cut. It would be nice if someone could now find those two pieces of excised footage and restore them.

[–] chilidoggg (13053) 3 years ago

I just watched this (for the first time in like 40 years) on Amazon Prime Video and I didn't notice any comment at the end that was even a suggestion of naughtiness: He remarks "He was right" and tells her "I'll show you later."