Abstract
The most invisible among James Bond’s female opponents belongs to Rosa Klebb: the elusive, former KGB/SMERSH agent, third-in-command of the criminal syndicate SPECTRE. While she first appears in Ian Fleming’s 1957 novel From Russia With Love, Klebb is best known to wider audiences as portrayed by Austrian actress/singer Lotte Lenya in the 1963 film version directed by Terence Young. It is the complete character, synthesised from both novel and film, that is the subject of this paper. I will examine Klebb’s mysterious origins and motives, her personality profile - relating, specifically, to her sadism and sexuality - that is critical to her character’s development, and how her “invisibility” is achieved both intentionally and unintentionally, until her eventual demise.
Presenter Biography
SHANA BETH MASON is an arts and culture critic based in London. She has served as Editor-In-Chief of FRONTRUNNER  Magazine (New York/London) since 2018. Her critical work includes contributions to Art In America, FlashArt International, Kunstforum.as (Oslo), The Brooklyn Rail, The Miami Rail, San Francisco Arts Quarterly (SFAQ), thisistomorrow.info (London), and Whitehot Magazine. She divides her time between London and Siena, Italy.