When the decision was made to adapt Modesty Blaise, the critically acclaimed and extremely popular comic series by Peter O’Donnell, which focuses on a career criminal employed by the government to help bring other criminals to justice, Joseph Losey was neither the obvious pick to direct, nor was he the first choice. However, through a twist of fate and severe challenges with the original choices, the film fell into his hands, and even as someone whose career is defined by more off-kilter, alternative works that don’t quite fit into any genre, or show any conceivable pattern, this seemed like an odd choice, especially with the approach he chose to take with the material. Yet, Losey was never someone who would step away from a film based on the risk associated with it, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for the director to do something more playful and entertaining, a welcome change of pace from his more dour, disconcerting dramas and psychological thrillers that mainly populated his career. A colourful and provocative film that essentially dared to be a more eccentric alternative to the recent wave of spy films (with characters like James Bond and Harry Palmer representing the more intellectual side of the genre, while this panders more to the absurd), Modesty Blaise is certainly not a film that we can underestimate in terms of both form and content, and while it is far from perfect or immune to criticism, it has firmly established itself as a cult classic, a film that is appreciated by a much smaller group of vocal admirers, who don’t pass on any opportunity to point towards this film’s subversive brilliance. Exceptionally well-directed and driven by a sense of off-the-wall entertainment more than anything else, it is difficult to argue with the status that this film has amassed over the years, especially from a contemporary standpoint where we have seen every conceivable genre subjected to pastiche, homage and parody, meaning that these earlier attempts may be slightly thornier and rough around the edges, but undoubtedly carry themselves with a lot of charm, enough to propel this absurd premise further than anyone could have imagined.

If we break down the spy film genre into the narrative format (especially focusing on that very rare but fascinating concept of the “spy-fi” narrative, which includes films such as Modesty Blaise), we find that this is actually quite a bizarre style of storytelling, even without the additional elements. These are stories focused on individuals that are usually hypersexualised career criminals that manage to frequently get away with any level of violence and debauchery, all under the general perception that they have “a licence to kill” (to borrow a very famous phrase), and as long as it is done for the good of their country, it is perfectly acceptable. It’s hardly a surprise the peak of spy narratives was in the aftermath of the Second World War, right until the very peak of the Cold War, where paranoia eclipsed the logic of nearly every individual, leading us to view these stories of international espionage as far more relevant than they perhaps ought to have been. Essentially, this just serves to prove that, despite the popularity of other characters that were perhaps slightly more grounded, Modesty Blaise was one of the few characters that actually reflected the absurdity of these stories. Whether this was an intentional choice on the part of the original author remains to be seen, but it was the foundation of Losey’s vision, with the director putting in a lot of effort to take the comic books on which the story was based and finding new ways to subvert the genre as a whole. This was famously the source of a lot of conflict between Losey and O’Connell, with the latter feeling like this film was making a mockery out of his more sombre and serious work – but considering the reputation this film has achieved over the years, it is clear that the director was working from a solid conceptual foundation, making a film that is wickedly funny and brilliantly inventive, far more than a more sober, straightforward adaptation of the source material may have been able to accomplish. This film just proves the value in giving more eccentric filmmakers the chance to realize their vision without obstacles, since even at its most imperfect, Modesty Blaise is still incredibly entertaining.

Arguably, Modesty Blaise is not a film that is going to appeal to everyone, especially since the more abstract vision guiding it meant that it was working from a far more eccentric point of view, and that it was not playing towards populism in any way. This is a film that requires the viewer to get on its wavelength, or risk being entirely alienated from the story. While most filmmakers will work laboriously to ensure every aspect of their film makes sense and isn’t at all confusing, Losey seems to actively embrace the inherent absurdity of both this story and the genre in which it exists, intentionally placing misleading elements such as non-sequiturs and MacGuffins into the story, with the express purpose of stirring up bewilderment amongst viewers. This approach is actually very effective, since those who understand what this film is doing will quickly realize how brilliant it is, while those who go in expecting something more logical will be entirely confused, leading to discourse that proves the importance of gonzo filmmaking as a whole, and how some of the more experimental approaches to the storytelling process can be very interesting when done right. Perhaps claiming that every off-kilter aspect of this film was an intentional choice seems like an overly generous attempt to cover up very common shortcomings, but Losey was not an incompetent filmmaker and had quite a bit of experience, enough to earn the benefit of the doubt. Conversely, we can argue that this was a film designed to condense the 1960s into a single project, with every choice made in Modesty Blaise, both visually and narratively, done to record the maximalism of this decade, an era known for its colourful eccentricity and adoration for excess, at least at its most iconic. Whether it be in the fashion (which is gorgeous but still very peculiar) or the way the film intentionally refuses to draw the line between moral behaviour and sexuality makes Modesty Blaise a terrific experiment in capturing the spirit of an era, which is doubly impressive when you realize it was all done internally in real-time, rather than in hindsight, with Losey’s ability to capture the elements that would define the present moment proving that he was not only a great filmmaker, but an oddly brilliant cultural prognosticator.

Perhaps the most quintessentially 1960s aspect of this film are the actors cast to bring these characters to life. The combination of Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp and Dirk Bogarde alone situates this right at the peak of this decade, and even though all three actors had subsequently rich and brilliant careers, this was the era in which they were most notable, doing the work that would essentially consolidate them into cinematic history and make them some of the greatest actors of their generation. Importantly, Modesty Blaise makes the smart decision of being a comedy that casts actors known almost exclusively for drama, which adds an element of surprise to this film, since none of us may have expected these actors to be this remarkably adept at humour. Vitti in particular was known for her deeply meditative, quiet character studies (primarily working with Michelangelo Antonioni, who would frequently visit the set of this film and direct his muse, much to the chagrin of Losey and the other actors), and the fact that this was also her English-language debut is quite an achievement all on its own. Stamp is always brilliant, and as the dedicated and tough-as-nails sidekick to Vitti’s character, he is as charismatic as ever, playing the film’s most skilled character and proving that he was not always shoehorned into the part of the villain. Instead, the role of antagonist is occupied by the always brilliant Bogarde, who is having the most fun on screen that he had since his days of playing Dr Simon Sparrow in Doctor in the House and its sequels. The difference is that this role gives him something to work with – a camp, maniacal villain who is as evil as he is hilarious, the film is populated by several magnificent monologues, delivered in style, both physical and verbal. Bogarde’s stoic elegance and ability to capture every detail of his characters is truly extraordinary, and the part of Gabriel could have so easily been defined by excess, but under Bogarde’s careful command, he is extremely entertaining and unexpectedly complex. Modesty Blaise works because the cast is aware that they are in a comedy, but don’t lean too heavily into the humour, and the choice for them all to play it completely straight (with very few “winks” towards the audience) makes it even more entertaining, since it manages to be as well-acted as it is funny, which contributes to the overall experience.

You would struggle to find a film from this era more wholeheartedly charming and deeply bizarre as Modesty Blaise, which is as entertaining as it is well-constructed, which is not entirely unheard of for a genre often designed to be more enjoyable than it is thought-provoking, but still makes a difference considering how it is parodying those overly-zealous spy films that often tend to take themselves slightly too seriously. It’s an off-kilter and bitingly hilarious satire that takes aim not only at this genre, but the entire process of telling these stories overall. It is very inventive, and even at its most abstract (which is essential when it tends to lean into its absurdities, inserting unnecessary elements that are designed to mislead the viewer), there is something valuable to be found embedded throughout this film. Anchored by marvellous performances, and defined by its biting sense of humour that is enough to keep the viewer engaged and entertained, Modesty Blaise knows how to make the most of every moment. It is neither the funniest spy film, nor the one that is most subversive – but as a product of its time, it does have a lot of strength that is difficult to overstate, especially in the more peculiar moments. It is an acquired taste, and it is as likely that there are just as many people who find this film hilarious as there are those who see it is as insufferable and excessive – but this is the nature of cult cinema, and while it is likely it was made in the hopes of being an enormous success (and it is clear the seeds were being sewn to establish this as the start of a series, based on the worldbuilding and development of the characters), the fact that it managed to instead become a cult classic is equally impressive. Funny and strange, Modesty Blaise is one of the more bizarre efforts from this era of action filmmaking, but with its remarkable sense of humour and wonderfully off-the-wall tone, it is far more exciting than perhaps anyone else could have possibly imagined.