The mythical spot of the rock of From Russia With Love has been known for many years. This site, which is somewhat difficult to access, has undoubtedly allowed the film crew to enjoy all Scottish tranquility during the summer 1963.
Beyond this emblematic plan — and a few others frequently shared on social networks by the community — many angles Never been photographed. The whole chase between the van and the helicopter was filmed on the heights, and our goal was to reconstruct the entire sequence, including aerial plans, thanks to our little drone.
The rocks of Bond – Leckuary (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★★☆ (a small walk)
The day before, after our magnificent adventure in the area of Crinan and on the advice of Ross, we had dinner in this fish and chips. an address to recommend!
From our campsite in Oban, it takes about an hour to reach Leckuary. At the exit of the town, you leave the main road to take a stony track, before parking in front of the property barrier.
We pass the gate, then follow the winding path between the sheep to the last house. By the way, one scarecrow supposed to represent Sean Connery makes us smile... without much conviction.
The owners of the premises are now used to seeing the visitors bondiens. Unfortunately, there was no one on the day we came. I hear they're very welcoming and sometimes accompany the less experienced visitors to the rock.
As with the Loch Laggan and Pattack River, the right of passage is public You can access the site legally. The trail then becomes a little more pentuBut nothing difficult. We reach the famous rock in about 30 minutes from the parking lot.
When arriving at the scene, it is impossible not to think about The atmosphere of the filming of summer 1963.
After traveling all the south of England in search of convincing landscapes, the team ends up packing here, Leckuary. The technicians disembark on 30 Junethe following day, the first take are launched.
But not everything happened without darkness. From the first day, the famous « Flower van » — a Chevrolet C10 Apache — exited the road at the first take. Lhelicopter had to go back again while the wheel of the vehicle was being repaired. The bad weather, faithful companion of Scottish filming, did not facilitate anything either.
Despite this, Terence Young and his team managed to capture several action plans between two showers, until 4 July, where everything was interrupted again... this time because of a clutch problem On the helicopter!
When you know these anecdotes, you even better measure the team's merit and the complexity of the final sequence. This peaceful setting has, in fact, been the scene of a rather chaotic shooting.
The rock is therefore the first Bond rental of the day. We quickly realize that the whole sequence was filmed fairly logically from a point of view Geographical, since highest point of the site.
Arriving on the spot, we find that the oblique rock is no longer there — or even broken nearby. Was he fake ?
All Connery's close-ups having been shot in studio (as was often the case at the time, to better control the light), it is plausible that the production has brought a fake rock, built especially for the occasion.
In one of my photos, I actually made a small comparison In between.
Taking a step back, we find plans of the burning helicopter — we distinguish well the rock next to the aircraft.
A few dozen meters away, we discover the second rock, the one which allows Bonded to escape a shave-motted passage of the SPECTRE helicopter.
Gradually, we reconstitute this the whole sequence, plan after plan.
Continued hElcopter on the set – Crinan (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★★☆ (a small walk)
For the rest, we have to go about 200 metres on the track borrowed by Bond and Tania by truck. It is now much less used than it is 1963 : entirely covered with grass, as it appeared much more earthy on the screen.
Then we get to a large plateau, an area of about 500 metres where were shot many plans: stopping the van, several helicopter catches with different mountains in the background...
As with the boat pursuit, the film team exploited to the maximum this Playground, multiplying angles and changes in outlook. It's even there. several plans « mirrors », enabling Peter Hunt to mount the sequence giving illusion of continuity, despite shots shot in opposite directions. On screen, it works pretty well — Even if the scene has, you have to admit, a little old.
Peter Hunt: « The helicopter tracking is a sequence composed of different planes shot in very difficult conditions. Terence did everything he could in these circumstances and shot a lot of images to cover the entire sequence. As all these images did not always fit well, it was necessary to show a little creativity so that it works. Our reports were excellent, and he always encouraged me, even when I was doing things unlikely with his plans. When he saw a mounted sequence, he sometimes found new ideas. This is how we Let us build and improve certain scenes. »
We went out the drone to achieve two new aerial plans. It is then perfectly realized that the surrounding vegetation has become considerably densified since the turning.
To find and frame all the plans, it took us almost an hour Nothing was obvious to spot. And, once again, midges have been particularly painful during our long tracking breaks... But this is part of the charm and memories!
A little further, we find the area where Sean Connery is attacked by the helicopter flying at very low altitude. It was not always obvious to find all the angles, because even if, at first glance, nothing seems to have changed, the vegetation has changed the atmosphere of the site.
Opening plan – Loch Crinan (Argyll and Bute)
Loyalty: ★★★★ – Access: ★★☆ (a small walk)
To conclude the day, we found, 500 meters further, angle of the aerial plane of opening of the sequence. With the drone, it took take a little height to paste almost perfectly to the framing of the film — a true satisfaction.
After a little nostalgic redescent of our last Scottish site of the stay, we took a picnic on the spot before returning to England for our last night.
Thanks to David Llewelyn Egan
• James Bond Archives – Paul Duncan
• Googlemaps
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/onthetracksof007
This blog shares my travel experiences, from unavoidable destinations to the most original and exclusive places. Each article is the result of careful work and a real time investment. If you use this information elsewhere or for your own adventures, consider citing your sources and thanking – that's what I do myself, and it's always fun.
Julien Abauzit (JaBoz)
