Entertainment & James Bond
WHo know it James Bond 007
60 years of James Bond
There are very few movie characters that are as iconic as James Bond. The actor who is playing Bond is secondary because the audiences are already familiar with the character and know what they are going in for — a handsome man donning a sharp suit with an attractive woman on his arm or a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred) in his hand and doing incredible stunts using some hi-tech gadgets and swanky wheels, channelling his suave attitude. Created by British author Ian Fleming in 1953 in a series of 12 books and two short collections, the character of Bond has gone on to become one of the most popular on-screen characters ever and the film franchise has become the longest-running in the history of cinema. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the release of the first film of the franchise, Dr. No, in 1962. Let us revisit all the things that made the franchise iconic.
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Connery was the one who created the mould for Bond and the others had to more or less emulate it. He played Bond in five films — Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965) and You Only Live Twice (1967). Due to the coolness with which he played Bond and his wry humour, he will always be the quintessential 007.
George Lazenby
Lazenby, an Australian model, played Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. His portrayal of Bond met with much criticism as the movie explored a more vulnerable version of the iconic character. However, his understated approach later became a fan favourite and some even consider it to be the best film of the franchise.
Roger Moore
Moore essayed the role of Bond in the most number of films — Live And Let Die (1973), The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View To A Kill (1985). With his campy sense of humour and witty one-liners, Moore brought a much-needed lightness to the franchise.
Timothy Dalton
Dalton did two Bond films — The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence To Kill (1989). However, his version of Bond was never really loved by the audiences. His approach was devoid of the charm and suaveness Bond is known for. Critics even said he lacked the magnetism and wit that truly makes for a great Bond.
After a hiatus, the Bond franchise returned in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan playing the titular role in GoldenEye. He later went on to do Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002). Brosnan’s character not only combined all the elements loved by the fans but was also truly modern and slick.
There was a huge uproar when Craig, a blonde, was cast as Bond. However, the initial reluctance soon vanished with the release of Casino Royale (2006). The refreshingly gritty tone of the movie reinvigorated the franchise and brought back its fans. With Quantum Of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time To Die (2021), Craig gave more layers to the character and made it more human.
Bond girls and the inherent sexism
It is hard to imagine a Bond film without a Bond girl. The movies have always been criticised for their inherent sexism as the only job of a Bond girl was to look glamorous and make brief appearances with the leading man. These characters were highly interchangeable and more often than not were given some ridiculous names. In most films, a Bond girl either dies or fades into nothingness to be forgotten by the time the next film arrives. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what the makers do in the future as they have promised a “complete reinvention”.
Why does Bond prefer his martinis shaken, not stirred?
Ideally, vodka martinis should be stirred, not shaken. However, Bond likes it the other way round. This is probably because author Ian Fleming liked it this way. There are many character traits of Bond that are similar to that of the author. For instance, just like Fleming, Bond enjoys golf and gambling. Fleming’s biographer Andrew Lycett said that the author preferred his martinis shaken because he believed it preserved the flavour of the drink. After ordering a drink in Casino Royale, Bond says, “I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold, and very well made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad.”
Iconic Bond villains: From Auric Goldfinger to Ernst Stavro Blofeld
From drug dealers trying to gain a heroin monopoly to billionaires trying to steal nuclear warheads, James Bond has squared off with a lot of bad guys in the last 60 years.
However, there were a few memorable villains in these films — Auric Goldfinger in Goldfinger, Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun, and Ernst Stavro Blofeld who popped up in the series eight times.
Did you know James Bond has an India connection?
Major parts of Octopussy were shot in Udaipur. Some of the scenes were shot at Lake Pichola, Lake Palace Hotel, Jagmandir and Monsoon Palace. Besides that, Skyfall was supposed to be shot in India, but a variety of factors, including a list of conditions laid down by the railway ministry, forced the producers to drop the idea. Eventually, the train sequence was shot in Turkey, and a market chase sequence in Istanbul.
What is the future for 007?
James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently said that it will be at least two years before the next 007 movie begins filming and that the task of finding an actor to replace Daniel Craig hasn’t begun because it will be a “complete reinvention” of Bond. Meanwhile, fans wanted Idris Elba, a Black actor, to reprise the role for the first time. However, he said that “playing Bond won’t satisfy some of my personal goals”. “It will definitely satisfy the will of a nation, I’m not going to lie,” he added. Besides, fans are also hoping that a female actor will someday be cast as Bond.
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