Modesty Blaise
Second Sight
R2 DVD
Modesty Blaise is a British comic strip
featuring a fictional character of the same name. The world’s deadliest spy was
created by Peter O'Donnell (writer) and Jim Holdaway
(artist) in 1963. The comic strip documents the madcap adventures of Modesty Blaise as she double crosses everyone she meets, has wild
affairs and escapes from hair-raising situations through the use of the most
outlandish James Bond like weapons. The character has spawned some thirteen
novels and three film adaptations of which the first is the most memorable.
The film was directed by was directed by Joseph Losey with a true psychedelic flair with a soundtrack to
match. It combines a comedic send-up of the seriousness of the James Bond spy
genre mixed with a high sense of camp and a dose of female empowerment. The
film even includes a couple of musical numbers and the finale certainly has to
be seen to be believed.
Monica Vitta brings a truly euro-spy
feel to the character of Blaise and Terrence Stamp as
Willie Garvin works well as her sidekick. Dirk Bogarde
as the epicene villain is truly amazing, surrounded by lots of half-naked men
and the domineering Mrs. Fothergill.
Modesty Blaise has a criminal past but
since British Intelligence is having no success running its spy department it
enlists her services. Working again with William Garvin, knife thrower and
master of disguise she has to help the UK government get a large supply of
diamonds to a Middle Eastern sheik to bring about “regime change”.
Along the way she must battle against double crosses from the
British government, Gabriel, an arch villain, his sadistic female friend who
tortures and kills for pleasure and a diverse range of strange and unusual
characters. This is Modesty Blaise however and her
goals are not quite as honourable as it seems and it just may be that she will
end up with the loot through a combination of skill and female wiles!
Modesty Blaise is a superb and
marvellous romp; it is filled with psychedelic colours, outré outfits, witty
dialogue and campy jokes. It takes the spy genre and creates one of the more
memorable cult classics of the Sixties. This release from Second Sight is of superb
quality and offers the very best in terms of visual clarity and audio (Dolby
Digital 2.0)
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