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"
