Tuesday, August 30, 2016

James Bond Revisited #1 Dr No



It’s no surprise that I’m a lifelong fan of James Bond, both the original novels by Ian Fleming, and the film productions which have entertained countless millions of people since way back in 1962. Like any long-running series, the James Bond films divide the fans, and so I’ll say up-front that all these reviews are are just my personal opinions of the films and I know many will disagree with what I’m sure will be seen as some controversial decisions! I’ll add as a chaser to that shot that for me the reasons the films have had such successful longevity is because of the way they have so deftly weaved humour into the action-thriller element.

I’ll also add that these reviews are of the films not the novels, and there are many important differences. While some of these may come up, I want to focus on the movies. I’ll give them a rating out of 10 and at the end sort that into a definitive rank! Finally, these reviews are not about trivia and won’t contain spoilers (well, maybe a couple...). They’re just my impressions of the movies and how they influenced me as a writer, so this is a list of my personal favourite Bond films, and why.

So without further ado, we’re going to start in the logical place, which is the first James Bond movie ever made – Dr. No (1962).

Even looking back over the incredible 54 years since Dr. No first hit the screens in 1962, the film still doesn’t disappoint and has aged extremely well. Often with franchises as massive as Bond it’s almost blasphemous to criticise the series-starter (same goes for bands and their first albums) but we don’t have to go there with Dr. No because the film delivers (nearly) everything you want from the genre.

The original novel was Fleming’s sixth in the series, and producers originally wanted to make Thunderball as the first movie, but a legal dispute had tied things up so Dr. No was chosen instead. Considering some of the iconic moments in the film, perhaps this was fate intervening.

The plot starts with the traditional ‘call to adventure’, in this case Bond being briefed by M to investigate the disappearance of an MI6 asset in Jamaica. After a series of twists and turns Bond hooks up with the CIA’s Felix Leiter and later on the now legendary Honey Ryder and they find their way to Crab Key, an island owned by Dr. No, and there the final act unfolds. (Hmm – secret island bases... what a good idea - someone should tell Joe Hawke ;)

No one had played Bond before, so Sean Connery had the advantage of being able to shape him the way he wanted and be compared only to the original literary character. Such was Connery’s commanding performance of the role that subsequent Bonds are measured up against him, and rarely the original character created by Fleming.

Being the first outing, the gadgets made so notorious in later films are missing here, and instead our hero must save the world with nothing more a Walther PPK and his wits. Later films would give Bond flame-throwing aerosol cans, wheelchair missiles and even x-ray vision (in fact the gadgets started to get ridiculous – but that’s a later review), but when Connery is attacked by a tarantula in Dr. No he must improvise and bash it to death with the heel of a quality slip-on loafer. Presumably SIS issue, of course.

Joseph Wiseman also leads the way for countless international villains in his icy depiction of Julius No, pulling off the Nehru jacket and metal hand with grim poise. Also, the stunning cinematography which brings Jamaica to life on the screen deserves a mention, as does Terence Young’s measured but classy direction.

Many argue that Dr No is more a mystery, or whodunnit than a straight-forward action-adventure thriller and looking back they make a good point. But it was 1962, and they were establishing a character and a franchise. An endless series of explosive set-pieces wouldn’t have allowed for this important groundwork. Also we have to remember the more conservative time – the Vatican condemned the film when it was released – anything raunchier or more violent might have ended up on the cutting room floor. Another consideration is the high cost of producing action movies, but luckily writers can make set-pieces as explosive as they like without destroying expensive sets, as my readers will know...

For me what’s so important about Dr. No is that it lays out a solid path for the escapist action-adventure thriller genre but importantly includes humour as a part of the package. I want to talk more about the role of humour in this genre (and the increasing lack of it) but that’s me wrapping up for now.

My rating: 9/10

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