Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117

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.

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"

Wow, so much to like here! Frederick Stafford (a Slovakian by birth, came late to acting) is lean and handsome. I count three gorgeous ladies in the cast. I watched it on the recent dvd release--print looks very good. Our story begins in Europe, but almost immediately shifts to an assignment in Brazil for OSS-117. Fine use of the Brazilian locations is made by the director. We see the famous beaches and the mountains. The movie has a very good look--nothing cheap or low-budget about it. 117 tools around in a cool burgundy rental car, a model I don't know. The film has a number of crazy, wild action scenes that are very entertaining! Two, in particular, are as good as anything in a James Bond movie. There is a big, no-holds barred finale. This is just a kick-ass good movie! I've seen a lot of Euro-spy films; I've never seen one better than this.

While vacationing at a ski resort OSS Agent 117 "Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath" (Frederick Stafford) is contacted and told about a series of assassinations in South America that need to be investigated. As a result, he assumes a new identity as a news reporter by the name of "Hubert Delacroix" and takes the next available flight to Brazil. Upon landing he is met at the airport in Rio de Janeiro by a pretty woman named "Consuela Moroni" (Perrette Pradier) who claims to be the secretary of the person he was told to meet. However, because of the manner in which Consuela managed to get his attention, he becomes somewhat wary and upon arriving at their destination takes the car keys out of the ignition just in case. Minutes later he is attacked by three thugs and after disposing of them finds that Consuela is no longer in the car where he left her. To further add to his suspicions, he later meets another woman who also claims to be "Consuela Moroni" (this one played by Annie Andersson) who gives him a set of keys and some valuable information. What he still doesn't know, however, is who he can trust in his search for those responsible for the assassinations. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film started off as a really good EuroSpy movie but it seemed to lose a bit of its momentum toward the end. Admittedly, this picture didn't have the financial resources that the "James Bond" films did during this time and it shows to a certain degree. Even so, it did an interesting plot, an exotic location and a couple of attractive actresses in Mylene Demongeot (as "Anna-Marie Sulza") to brighten the scenery so it definitely has some things in its favor. That being said, while not a great spy film by any means, it managed to pass the time well enough and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

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.