You Only Live Twice
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You Only Live Twice is the twelfth novel by Ian Fleming featuring James Bond, secret agent 007; it was published in 1964, around the time Fleming died. It was adapted by screenplay writer Roald Dahl as the fifth entry in the James Bond movie series, which was released in 1967, starring Sean Connery as James Bond. The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and was made by EON Productions. This film is the first Bond movie to deviate from the source material. Other than the Japanese setting, and several characters, the two stories are very different.
The novel
You Only Live Twice is the concluding chapter in what is known as the Blofeld Trilogy. The trilogy began with Thunderball and after the interlude novel The Spy Who Loved Me, resumed with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
It has been suggested that Fleming had chosen to retire the Bond series with this novel, but later changed his mind and wrote The Man with the Golden Gun.
You Only Live Twice also marks the final appearance of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and references to his criminal organization, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in Fleming's novels. A later novel, For Special Services, by John Gardner, features a rebirth of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. as well as Role of Honour and Nobody Lives For Ever.
In the 1990s, Raymond Benson wrote a short story sequel to You Only Live Twice, titled "Blast from the Past", although the story falls into neither Gardner's or Benson's Bond continuum.
The title of the novel is often mistaken as being the work of a Japanese poet named Matsuo Basho; however, the unique title comes from a haiku that James Bond wrote for his friend Tiger Tanaka. It is also mentioned in the novel that it isn't a haiku at all, that in actuality it is a failed attempt by Bond after being taught the basics for creating a haiku.
In the epigraph (and explained in the novel), the haiku is listed as being "after Basho", meaning written in the poet's style.
- "You only live twice:
- Once when you're born,
- And once when you look death in the face."
Plot summary
James Bond, his career fading after the wedding-day murder of his wife Tracy Bond, is promoted by M to a special branch of MI6. M, was actually going to offer him dismissal from the secret service, but later changed his mind as a "last chance" opportunity for Bond to shape up. Bond is subsequently re-numbered as 7777 ("four sevens"), and assigned an impossible mission: Convincing the head of Japan's secret intelligence service, Tiger Tanaka, to provide information about an informant within the Soviet Union, information referred to as Magic 44. In exchange, Tanaka asks Bond to kill Dr. Guntram Shatterhand, who operates a politically embarrassing "Garden of Death" where people go to commit suicide, whether they want to or not. Bond accidentally discovers that Shatterhand is his nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and gladly takes the mission, keeping his knowledge of Blofeld a secret so that he can exact his revenge. Aided by former Japanese movie star Kissy Suzuki, and, with make up and training, James Bond learns to live and think as a Japanese in order to penetrate Shatterhand's castle. Bond is renamed by Tiger while on this mission as Taro Todoroki.Bond ultimately exacts revenge on Blofeld in a sword fighting duel, but, on escaping, suffers a head injury leaving him an amnesiac living as a Japanese fisherman with Kissy, while the rest of the world believes him dead. While Bond's health improves Kissy conceals his true identity so as to keep him forever to herself, even going as far to marry him in a Japanese ceremony (Kissy never officially becomes his wife). At the novel's end, however, Bond finds a paper slip with the name Vladivostok written on it, making him wonder if the far-off Russian city is the key to his missing memory. Unbeknownst to Bond, Kissy reveals, in thought, that she is pregnant.
At book's end, is an obituary written by M for Commander James Bond, C.M.G., R.N.V.R., featuring the majority of his biography, per Fleming. It includes his parents' names, their fate, and Bond's Royal Navy service. Most notably, the obituary refers to a series of sensational novels about his exploits — a post-modern/metafictional reference to Fleming's work; this gave rise to rumours that James Bond might have been based upon a real person. The book, is based upon this premise. Additionally, the same chapter includes an epitaph by Mary Goodnight (M.G.).
| Author: | Publisher: | Hardback: | Paperback: | Alternate titles: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Fleming | Glidrose Productions | UK) 1964 | UK) 1965 | |
| Preceded by: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | ||||
| Followed by: The Man with the Golden Gun | ||||
Trivia
- This is the only Fleming novel in which Bond is given a designation other than 007. He was never again referred to as 7777, and by the next novel had returned to double-oh status.
- David Niven is specifically mentioned by Kissy Suzuki as the only respectable man in Hollywood. Niven later played "Sir James Bond" in the 1967 spoof, Casino Royale. Niven had also been considered for the role officially for Dr. No in 1962''.
- Bond quips to Blofeld that his plot should be made into a Broadway theatre musical, set by Noel Coward. Coward was a long-time friend of Ian Fleming's, and they both spent the latter part of their lives living in Jamaica. Coward had also been invited to play Dr. No in the first Bond film, but had declined.
- The first volume of The Moneypenny Diaries by Samantha Weinberg (published under a pseudonym) covers some of the events occurring between On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice.
- Fleming did not resolve the issue of Kissy's pregnancy in the remaining Bond stories he wrote before his death. Bond's son appears for the first (and only) time in Benson's sequel, "Blast from the Past".
Comic strip adaptation
Ian Fleming's novel was adapted as a daily comic strip published in the British Daily Express newspaper, and syndicated worldwide. The adaptation ran from May 18, 1965 to January 8, 1966, was written by Henry Gammidge and illustrated by John McLusky. It was the final James Bond strip for Gammidge, while McClusky returned to illustrating the strip in the 1980s; the strip was reprinted by Titan Books in 2004.In the segment featuring Bond's obituary there is a reference to "sensationalistic novels" written about Bond's adventures (as in the novel's plot summary, above), wherein artist McLusky uses actual covers of Fleming's books.
The film
Plot summary
In outer space, a mysterious spacecraft captures and steals manned space capsules, of both the United States and the Soviet Union, in mid-orbit. Thinking that the other government is the cause of their loss, the Cold War world is thrown to the brink of World War III. The United Kingdom's government, however, believes the mystery spacecraft landed in the Sea of Japan. This indicates that a Japanese element may be involved.James Bond had participated in a charade faking his murder in Hong Kong. According to his superior, M, this is to give James Bond "more elbow room". He is then sent to Japan to investigate the British suspicion, in conjunction with the Japanese secret service leader "Tiger" Tanaka, to stave off a possible nuclear war. After Bond infiltrates Osato Chemical, he discovers that the company has been delivering quantities of liquid oxygen, a component of rocket fuel. Together, they learn that the true mastermind behind this is Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E., with China financing him in their effort to have the superpowers destroy each other so they may rule supreme over what survives. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. was discovered to be Osato's client as well.
Bond infiltrates S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'s secret rocket base, hidden in a hollow volcano, while his female partner, Kissy, returns to alert Tanaka. Bond, however, is caught before stopping the final phase of the plan, and is taken before Blofeld. Meanwhile, Tanaka and his élite ninja force attempt to enter the volcano's crater hatch. Unfortunately, they are spotted before entering, and Blofeld shoots at them with the crater's sentry guns. All is hopeless until Bond manages to open the crater hatch, allowing Tanaka's troops' entry in force to the rocket base. In the ensuing battle, Bond enters the rocket launch control room and destroys the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. spacecraft before it could capture a second U.S. space capsule and spark a war with the U.S.S.R.
Although this film is not the series' first wholly original James Bond film adventure (Bond's infiltration of the Japanese fishing village, and the characters of Blofeld, Tanaka, and Kissy are from the novel), the screenplay by Roald Dahl is the first James Bond screen story to substantially diverge from the original novel's story and plot, due, in part, to having been produced before On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Cast & characters
- James Bond — Sean Connery
- Aki — Akiko Wakabayashi
- Kissy Suzuki — Mie Hama
- Ernst Stavro Blofeld — Donald Pleasence
- Helga Brandt — Karin Dor
- Tiger Tanaka — Tetsuro Tamba
- Mr. Osato — Teru Shimada
- M — Bernard Lee
- Miss Moneypenny — Lois Maxwell
- Q — Desmond Llewelyn
- Henderson — Charles Gray
- Ling — Tsai Chin
- Hans (Blofeld's bodyguard) — Ronald Rich
The cast also included Alexander Knox in a small role as the unnamed President of the United States. Knox had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1944 for his performance as another President, Woodrow Wilson, in Wilson.
Crew
- Directed by: Lewis Gilbert
- Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
- Based on the Novel by: Ian Fleming
- Screenplay by: Roald Dahl
- Cinematography by: Freddie Young
- Music composed by: John Barry
- Production design by Ken Adam
- Second unit director: Peter R. Hunt
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Bond veteran, John Barry. At the time, this was his fourth credited Bond film. The theme song, You Only Live Twice, was sung by Nancy Sinatra. In 1998, Robbie Williams sampled the title song "You Only Live Twice" for the chart-topper "Millennium". A rock version of You Only Live Twice was covered by Coldplay when they toured in 2001, and was covered by Natacha Atlas for her 2005 compilation album The Best of Natacha Atlas.
Track listing
- You Only Live Twice (Title Song) — Nancy Sinatra
- Capsule In Space
- Fight At Kobe Dock-Helga
- Tanaka's World
- A Drop In The Ocean
- The Death Of Aki
- Mountains And Sunsets
- The Wedding
- James Bond - Astronaut?
- Countdown For Blofeld
- Bond Averts World War Three
- You Only Live Twice (End Title) — Nancy Sinatra
- James Bond In Japan
- Aki, Tiger And Osato
- Little Nellie
- Soviet Capsule
- Spectre And Village
- James Bond - Ninja
- Twice is the Only Way to Live
Vehicles & gadgets
- Main articles: List of James Bond vehicles and List of James Bond gadgets
- Toyota 2000GT convertible — Owned by Aki. Two 2000GT coupes were turned into convertibles for the film. One is displayed at Toyota's headquarters today, while the wherabouts of the other are unknown.
- Little Nellie — A heavily armed autogyro that could be transported in several suitcases for quick field assembly. Based on the real-life Wallis Autogyro, Little Nellie was actually flown by Wing Commander Wallis in the film.
- Shooting Cigarette — Tiger gives Bond a rocket-shooting cigarette with an accurate range of 30 yards; he uses it against a guard in Blofeld's volcano to reach the control to open the crater hatch, allowing Tanaka's forces to storm the base.
- Safecracker — A small, pocket-sized device that attaches to a safe lock the secret agent wants opened. When properly positioned, the user needs only to turn the combination lock's dial, and the device lights as each correct combination digit is found until the safe is opened. However, Bond learns the hard way that the gadget does not defeat a safe's other security measures, such as alarms.
- Gyrojet rocket guns — prototype guns using a small rocket-propelled projectile rather than conventional ammunition. A limited number were made in real life for trials by the US and British militaries, but the design never caught on and the guns and ammunition are now very collectible (and therefore highly sought after and expensive!)
Locations
Film locations
- Outer Space
- Hong Kong
- Tokyo, Japan
- Himeji castle, Japan
- Akime, Japan
- Hawaii
- Cape Cod
Shooting locations
Trivia
- When the Russian and American rockets tilt 180 degrees over to return to Earth, it is easy to see that there is no thrust involved because the rockets don't move. If you watch, you'll see that the lighting on the rocket stays the same, making it a given that it is the camera that in fact is doing all the tilting.
- This is considered to be one of the most cultured Bond films to date. Unlike most Bond epics featuring England, Russia, or America as prime locations, almost the entire film is set in Japan, and several minutes are devoted towards an elaborate Japanese wedding in the middle of the movie. This is in keeping with Fleming's original novel, which also focused a number of pages (more than the usual for a Bond book) to the discussion of Japanese culture.
- The film is unusual in the degree that it illustrates a comraderie between James Bond and Tanaka, a.k.a. Tiger. The two are seen cavorting about in several scenes during the movie, and seem to form a genuine friendship, and not simply a business association through the course of the movie. This is also in keeping with Fleming's novel. Tiger even seems to have come up with a nickname for Bond in this film, at one point calling him "Zero Zero".
- James Bond is married in this film, although controversy exists over whether it is a legitimate marriage because he chose a fake name to go undercover when the marriage occurred. Since his wife, Kissy, survives it leaves open whether he was still married under Japanese law when he wed Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
- During the movie, James Bond tells expatriate Henderson he has never been in Japan. It contradicts the scene in the earlier From Russia with Love in which 007 tells Tatiana (Tania) Romanova that "once when I was with M in Tokyo, we had an interesting experience."
- Dr. Evil (from Austin Powers), a spoof of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, was inspired by, more than any other actor, Donald Pleasence's portrayal in You Only Live Twice. Both share the same grey suit, bald head, pet kitty, facial scar, and bulging eyes.
- Blofeld's volcano lair, complete with internal monorail system, was heavily borrowed for the 2004 film The Incredibles.
- Jan Werich was originally cast to play Blofeld. But he fell ill just before filming began and was replaced by Pleasence.
- The death of Helga occurs when Blofeld presses the footpedal and lets her fall into a piranha-infested tank. This death resembles the death of the archvillain's secretary in The Spy Who Loved Me who fell down a trap elevator into a shark tank. Both films were directed by Lewis Gilbert.
- Kissy Suzuki's last name is never mentioned on screen (even in the closing credits, she is identified only as "Kissy"). The only other Bond girl likewise unidentified is Octopussy, whose real name is never revealed (although in the movie, Octopussy gives her father's last name as Smyth).
- It has been reported that Blofeld's cat was so surprised by the loud noises in the finale that it was only found several days later cowering in the rafters of the volcano set. Evidence of the cat's shock made it into the final film, when Blofeld orders his blast shutters to be closed.
- This was the first film in which M's office is shown to be "portable", relocating to a submarine. This gimmick would be revived in The Man with the Golden Gun (in which M's office is hidden aboard the wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in Hong Kong Harbor), The Spy Who Loved Me (hidden inside an Egyptian tomb), Moonraker (located in a monastery in Brazil), and The Living Daylights (on board a C-130).
- While filming, Connery's then-wife, Diane Cilento, had to replace Mie Hama (as Kissy Suzuki) for a swimming scene, because the Japanese actress was struck with stomach cramps. Other sources suggest Cilento stepped in because it was discovered that Hama could not swim.
- Connery was involved in a minor scandal while filming when he stated that he didn't find Japanese women sexy, though he claimed that it was an accident because the question was not properly translated to him. This took place on a day when Connery had been exhausted and not really in the mood to do interviews. When the interview began, a slightly insensitive reporter was aghast at Connery's casual wardrobe (an unbuttoned T-shirt and baggy trousers with sandals) and asked "Is this how James Bond dresses?!" Connery is said to have replied "I'm not James Bond. I'm Sean Connery, a man who likes to dress comfortably."
- The manned U.S. spacecraft named Jupiter in the film are clearly Gemini vessels, flown between 1965 and 1966 with two astronauts to test various systems and procedures vital to the successor manned space project, Apollo, that would land the first men on the Moon in 1969. These procedures included EVA and spacecraft docking.
- The Soviet manned spacecraft shown — ironically named Gemini — are based on early (incorrect) U.S. speculations about Soviet Vostok and Voskhod spacecraft — the designs of which were not revealed officially by the Soviet Union until 1967.
- The launch scene of the Soviet mission was actually a Gemini launch on a Titan II rocket from Cape Kennedy, Florida (note the palm trees).
- Cubby Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, Ken Adam, Lewis Gilbert and Freddie Young were due to return to the UK on a BOAC Boeing 707 flight on March 5 1966 after scouting locations across Japan. The group cancelled their tickets when they were told they had a chance to watch a ninja demonstration. 'Inside You Only Live Twice: An Original Documentary' 2000, MGM Home Entertainment Inc. (television programme) That flight crashed 25 minutes after takeoff, killing all on board. BBC News (1966) [Passenger jet crashes into Mount Fuji] Retrieved Dec. 11, 2005
- Peter Maivia, known as "High Chief" Peter Maivia, and the father in-law to Rocky Johnson and grandfather to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Superstar and Hollywood actor The Rock, played the role of a henchman in the film.
References
External links
- [MGM's site on the movie]
- [Ian Fleming bibliography] of first editions - illustrated
| The James Bond films |
|---|
| Official films Dr. No | From Russia with Love | Goldfinger | Thunderball | You Only Live Twice | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Diamonds Are Forever | Live and Let Die | The Man with the Golden Gun | The Spy Who Loved Me | Moonraker | For Your Eyes Only | Octopussy | A View to a Kill | The Living Daylights | Licence to Kill | GoldenEye | Tomorrow Never Dies | The World Is Not Enough | Die Another Day | Casino Royale | Bond 22 |
| Unofficial films Casino Royale (1954 TV) | Casino Royale (1967 spoof) | Never Say Never Again |
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