Meanwhile, back in communist Hollywood

October 3, 2006 6:12 AM

A russian James Bond?

A russian friend of mine (whom I've since lost contact with, alas) once told me in passing that the Soviet Union produced their own James Bond type movies, ie action packed popcorn movies in which the main protagonist fights against capitalism by any means necessary. I'd like to learn more about those, so I was just wondering if you guys could give me some titles or point me in the direction of some books or websites. The fact that I don't speak russian is probably a liability, but I'm hoping that it doesn't have to be.

Memory trigged by this article.

posted by soundofsuburbia to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

Best answer: Stirlitz
Who Stirlitz Is
Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny (1973 miniseries "Seventeen Moments of Spring ")

Also, Russia has come up with its own answer to James Bond in the shape of a glamorous all-action female spy. "In a play on his 007 code name, the actress has been dubbed 'Agent 90-60-90,' a reference to her 'vital statistics' in centimetres." From the same article:

During the early 1970s, the USSR created Stirlitz, a TV spy series set in the Second World War which featured a super-intelligent Soviet agent who infiltrated the Nazi SS. Among other adventures, Stirlitz foiled a US plan to collaborate with top Nazis and have wartime Germany surrender only to the West in order to become an anti-Soviet state.

posted by kirkaracha at 6:54 AM on October 3, 2006

Response by poster: That must have been the series my friend talked about! Lovely, thank you ever so much!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 7:07 AM on October 3, 2006

On a related note: The Russkies made their own westerns, too, with Communist-oriented themes (sacrificing one's self for the collective etc). I think they were Czech language films (for propaganda purposes) and filmed in Cuba.

I had a link to the items on Amazon.co.uk but I cannot for the life of me find it.
posted by Brian James at 7:14 AM on October 3, 2006

Found these Stirlitz jokes.
posted by hodyoaten at 7:28 AM on October 3, 2006 [1 favorite]