History YMMV / FromRussiaWithLove

** Red Grant is very popular as a Bond villain and [[FountainOfExpies inspired many blonde, quiet, muscular henchmen in later Bond films]], such as Hans in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', Kriegler in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', Necros in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'', and Stamper in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. This also was why many fans initially reacted negatively to Creator/DanielCraig's casting as Bond in ''Film/CasinoRoyale'', as he looked more like Grant and his expies than Bond himself.

** On that note, the representation of the {{UsefulNotes/Romani}} is... Very dated. The use of the common slur term for the people rather than the more appropriate Roma, the representation of them as simultaneously filthy and backwards and the women as sexual objects of desire ([[BigLippedAlligatorMoment not to mention the weird-as-hell catfight to the death]]) definitely shows how attitudes towards the Romani have changed in the last 60 years.

* EvenBetterSequel: Is generally considered better than ''Film/DrNo'', regularly appearing on Top 10 Lists that the former doesn't appear on. Many consider that this film got its own EvenBetterSequel in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''.

** As far as Bond's one-shot allies, Kerim Bey is one of the most memorable and charismatic. His actor Creator/PedroArmandariz is also something of a MemeticBadass for delivering such a bombastic performance while dying of cancer.

** As far as Bond's one-shot allies, Kerim Bey is one of the most memorable and charismatic. His actor Pedro Armandariz is also something of a MemeticBadass for delivering such a bombastic performance while dying of cancer.

** Pedro Armendáriz dabs his arm with a red sponge to simulate being shot during the Roma camp fight.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The really long CatFight between two skimpily-dressed gypsy women has nothing to do with the overall plot and is pretty [[{{Narm}} Narmy]] in its attempts to be titillating. Toned down from the book, where both women end up completely naked.

** Pedro Armendáriz dabs his arm with a red sponge to simulate being shot during the gypsy camp fight.

** It's a throwaway line but Kerim casually notes that the Western allies and the Soviets in Istanbul have encouraged a blood feud between the Gypsies and the Bulgars through using them respectively as pawns in the Cold War.

** Red Grant is very popular as a Bond villain and [[FountainOfExpies inspired many blonde, quiet, muscular henchmen in later Bond films]], such as Hans in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', Kriegler in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', Necros in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'', and Stamper in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. This also was why many fans reacted negatively to Creator/DanielCraig's casting as Bond in ''Film/CasinoRoyale'', as he looked more like Grant and his expies than Bond himself ([[WinTheCrowd at least until they finally saw the film]]).

** As far as Bond's one-shot allies, Kerim Bey is one of the most memorable and charismatic.

* ValuesDissonance: Bond slapping Tatiana after Kerim's murder. Granted, Bond is understandably upset over his friend's death and he knows Tatiana has been lying to him, but it seems quite brutish to modern viewers.

-->'''Kerim Bey, watching over a bound and gagged criminal, with hours to kill''': I have had a particularly interesting life. Would you like to hear about it?

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While the story is very good, keeping the SPECTRE plot a mystery until Bond finds out would have made for a cool twist.

* FridgeBrilliance: During dinner aboard the train, there's another telltale sign that "Nash" wasn't who he seemed to be. When Grant "accidentally" spills Tania's wine glass, then fills it again and slips in some pills, look at how he's pouring the wine: [[https://i2.wp.com/caps.pictures/196/3-from-russia/full/from-russia-with-love-movie-screencaps.com-9974.jpg?strip=all he's holding the bottle by the neck rather than the body]], a big mistake among wine connoisseurs like Bond.
* FridgeHorror: Tatiana, a loyal Soviet clerk that's good at her job and has no malice against anyone, is manipulated by a traitor through her devotion to country to commit treason and played by Bond to defect out of infatuation as the audience fully knows Bond has no intention of settling down with her, likely leaving her to an uncertain future in an enemy country.

** Bond and Tatiana telling DomesticAbuse jokes. Even as playful banter it's doubtful this would fly today outside of a BlackComedy.

* CompleteMonster: [[PsychoForHire Donovan "Red" Grant]] has been afflicted with a burning urge to kill during the full moon since his youth. Starting with animals, he graduated to vagrants and tramps before becoming a SerialKiller who targeted young woman in his native Ireland. Escaping justice by joining the military, Grant would defect to the Russians after he realized they could offer him the bloodshed he craved. A ruthless, efficient killer, Grant rose to the position of head executioner of the clandestine group SMERSH and was indulged in being allowed to murder with impunity during the full moon. This even extended to Grant being allowed access to prisons with {{chainsaw|Good}}s during those nights. Bond's chosen executioner, Grant kills his ally Darko Kerim and proceeds to try to murder Bond and his lover, admitting that all he cares about in life is his ability to murder people.

* TearJerker: The chapter "Out of Danger," where Bond has to break the news of [[spoiler: Kerim's death]] to his son and M.

* EvenBetterSequel: Is often considered better than ''Film/DrNo'', regularly appearing on Top 10 Lists that the former doesn't appear on. Interestingly enough, this film might have gotten its own EvenBetterSequel in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''.

** Bond saying on being issued his Q gadgets, "I shouldn't think I'll need it on this assignment."
** Creator/SeanConnery would later appear in the 1974 film adaptation of ''Film/{{Murder on the Orient Express|1974}}'', another film that focuses on ThrillerOnTheExpress.
** In this film Bond faces off against what would be the first in a long line of burly blonde Aryan looking henchmen in the form of Donald "Red" Grant. A little less than 50 years after this film was made the world was given a blonde James Bond (in contrast to the usual dark haired Bonds) in Creator/DanielCraig and darn if they don't look similar.
** Speaking of which, Connery and Creator/RobertShaw would have a rematch 13 years later as Myth/RobinHood and the Sheriff of Nottingham in ''Film/RobinAndMarian''.
** Shaw would later star in ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', which also has a scene of someone inappropriately having red wine with fish, and while his character isn't present, he's definitely not the kind of guy who'd care. He also makes a big deal about the shark biting through piano wire, like he's killed with here.

%%* EvenBetterSequel: To ''Film/DrNo'' and might have gotten its own in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''.

** Bond helps a Soviet defector get away with a top-secret piece of Soviet equipment. In ''Film/TheHuntForRedOctober'', Creator/SeanConnery would star as a Soviet defector trying to get away with some top-secret Soviet equipment. At least one reviewer humorously dubbed ''Red October'' "[[IncrediblyLamePun From Russia With Sub]]".

** Red Grant is very popular as a Bond villain and inspired many blonde, quiet, muscular henchmen in later Bond films, such as Hans in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', Kriegler in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', Necros in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'', and Stamper in ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''.

** Shaw would later star in ''Film/{{Jaws}}'', which also has a scene of someone inappropriately having red wine with fish, and while his character isn't present, he's definitely not the kind of guy who'd care.

* {{Narm}}: Bond checks into his hotel room and casually walks around checking for bugs... with the ''Bond'' theme playing in the background ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqzbtcp72yk the whole time]]''. It's like the ''Bond'' canon version of [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Mike and the bots]] blurting out "BA-DA-BA-DAAAAAAAAAAA!" during the boring bits of ''[[Film/AgentForHarm Agent For H.A.R.M.]]''.

** As far as Bond Lancers go, Kerim Bey has a lot of chemistry with Bond.