You Only Live Twice (1967)

Of all the James Bond films, this is the one that ‘bothered’ me the most. Now I understand why. Past life memory can be a spur to look deeper, but it took something else to make me dig into this James Bond story.

Japan is an inscrutable country. The rules are that socially one must appear to like everything, while hiding one’s actual feelings. This makes it confusing for a Westerner.

The film suggests a whole different level of chauvinism, with women being primarily caterers to all male egos. Even in the 60’s this seemed too much, at least to me.

Now, after the knowledge of “Ramsay” and his relationship to Hanako Ishii, I can see why he would have been so attached to that livestyle. He sought love, and only ever really found it in her arms. That’s why he protected her from the authorities, and essentially sacrificed himself to do so. He never imagined that they would execute him.

Such a sad way to be separated from the woman he loved.

(And now I can comprehend John Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono.)