Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117

This was director Andre Hunebelle's third crack at OSS 117, the hero of Jean Bruce's novels, and we consider it probably his best effort. OSS 117 Mission For a Killer has a lot going for it. Among them is Frederick Stafford. He's just right as the smart and tough Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath. He has an easy air of capability about him and we were surprised to learn that this was his first film credit. Stafford, who died in a plane crash in 1979, played the same role in OSS 117 From Tokyo With Love and he made one other spy flick in the sixties; Agent 505 - Death Trap Beirut.

After four political assassinations occur inside a month, all perpetrated by drug-induced innocents, Stafford is sent to Rio to track down the source of the narcotic. Since it's Rio, we are treated to the prerequisite Carnival footage but it doesn't take up too much time. The Latin-inflected score by Michel Magne is just fine and in fact, blends well with the Rio and Bahia area locations. The film has plenty of action, good fights and intentional humor. Overall this is a superior example of the genre and well worth seeking out.

A secret agent (Frederick Stafford) is called to investigate a series of suicide attacks. However, he soon learns about a drug (a toxin derived from flowers) created by an organisation that has the ability to control a person.

Great location shots, plenty of action, more than the previous OSS 117's, though it still grounded espionage work, and some impressive hand to hand combat; they are well choreographed ( there's no picking up furniture and smashing it over some one - just pure hand to hand; cool judo throws and inventive blocking techniques - there an especially impressive fight scene involving a flame thrower and a cool jungle showdown.

Of course, the story is good, has enough intrigue mystery and danger to keep your attention. The production values are slick- Frederick Stafford is very good, suave but sly and intelligent. Amazing that this is his debut film and did nothing before ... the finale is a humdinger!!

According to Frederick Stafford "I married an Austrian girl in Bangkok in 1964 and among the bouquets at the wedding was one from a French film producer. He said "How would you like to make movies with me?" and I replied "Why not?"

"I was rushed off to Brazil to make my first film in Rio de Janeiro, and have been busy ever since."

So here we are then

This is another polished OSS production, with a decent screenplay and Rio as a great exotic location, but somehow lacking a certain "je ne sais quoi" (as the French might say).

There's seems to be a feeling of "ennui" about many of the proceedings for me, a lack of "panache", which seems surprisingly thing to say about something French. They are following the formula established by the Bond franchise, perhaps even trying to be more "realistic" than Bond, but, in doing so, losing some of that element of the "fantastical" which made the Bond movies such a huge success.

However, after some consideration, I have decided that the fault lies with the soundtrack, which consists of either jaunty Samba inspired travelogue music or laid back Bosa Nova style jazz. Don't get me wrong, those styles definitely have their place in a movie set in Brazil, but in this case the makers don't seem to know when to stop. Although the standard of on screen action is excellent, the music rarely provides any assistance to help generate suspense or tension before, after, or during. Other Eurospy sound tracks are often melodramatic and overwrought, but they at least bring some energy and help set the appropriate mood for dramatic moments, while the music in this one is often either non-existent, played too quietly, or in a style inappropriate for the moment and lacking the punch and drama required.

Fred does pretty well considering it's his first acting gig, cool and suave. There are three beautiful girls, one bad, one dies and one for Fred. There is a nasty blond henchman with a prominent scar and the fight choreography is exceptional (in particular the operating room scene and the blow torch scene).

The villain wants to become the Dictator of the whole of South America (the ultimate "Junta"? A form of government which South America was infamous for in the 1960s and 70s). His lair is located in the jungles of Bahia and I found it a bit drab and underwhelming. Now, if they had located it on San Martin Island, in the middle of Iguasu Falls, it would have been much more spectacular and "Bondesque". As it is, they do attempt to make use of the falls in the finale, but in a very cliché and underwhelming way. I mean why would anyone try to escape by paddling a canoe toward the edge of the largest waterfall in the World when the guy's has had his secret base located there for some time? He's hardly going to be unaware of its existence )It's just a Eurospy movie, I know, but the OSS films aspire to be better than that.)

Bondesque moment

Fred is dining with a beautiful girl on a terrace overlooking Rio

The waiter arrives with the ice bucket

Fred - "Oh, what's that?"

Waiter - "Mexican champagne sir"

Fred - (Giving him a look of distain) "Have you any whiskey?"

Waiter - "We have Portuguese Scotch sir"

Fred - (Frowns, then looks away and ponders for a moment) "Bring us two Brazilian vodkas then"

1965's French-Italian "OSS 117 Mission for a Killer" (Furia a Bahia pour OSS 117 or Fury in Bahia for OSS 117) finds the completely unknown, Czech-born Frederick Stafford replacing Hollywood's Kerwin Mathews in the role of Colonel Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, better known to international audiences as secret agent OSS 117, cast only after a chance meeting with director Andre Hunebelle on location in Bangkok for previous entry "Shadow of Evil" ("how would you like to make movies with me?" "why not!"). Stafford acquits himself well considering this was his screen debut, similar to George Lazenby when called upon to use his fists in various well choreographed encounters, shooting in both Rio de Janeiro and the neighboring state of Bahia (hence the original title). A series of suicide deaths by hand grenade are perpetrated against political figures by trusted associates of each victim, under the evil influence of some type of mind altering drug, putting Hubert on the trail of a Brazilian organization seeking world domination. There's no shortage of action or pretty girls, and its production values are on par with the early James Bond titles. One hair breadth escape finds Hubert fending off a lighted blowtorch, while locations like Sugarloaf Mountain and the Iguazu Falls foreshadow the 1979 "Moonraker." It may be the best of Hunebelle's three OSS 117 films thus far, though perhaps a bit too leisurely at 99 minutes. Stafford only completed one other OSS film ("OSS 117 Mission to Tokyo") before starring in Alfred Hitchcock's "Topaz," whose box office failure was typically placed at his feet.

The third entry in the French OSS 117 movie series in the 1960s should have worked a lot better than it actually does. It had what looks like a decent budget, and much of the movie was shot on location in Brazil. But this attempt to emulate the world wide popular British James Bond movies falls flat for the most part. The biggest reason the movie fails is that it is really boring. The movie's story moves at a snail's pace, and you never get the feeling that lives are at stake. There is also very little action, and while there are a couple of okay hand to hand combat sequences, otherwise the action is flatly staged and directed. Even the climatic sequence feels slow and unexciting. Another reason why the movie fails to engage the viewer is the casting of Frederick Stafford as the secret agent. While some of the blame has to do with how the director told him to act, he has to share some of the blame for coming across as annoyingly smug. This is the weakest OSS 117 movie so far in the series, but I have two more entries to watch, and I won't be surprised if the quality continues to weaken as it goes along further.