![]() ![]() He’s a guy you wouldn’t necessarily want to be, or be romanced by - though obviously his dangerous bluntness has a lot of appeal, including sex appeal. The misogyny and amorality glossed over in most of the films is frankly acknowledged here.įor the first time, Bond isn’t presented as a putative embodiment of every man’s ideal fantasy self and every woman’s ideal fantasy lover. He is more prosaic and limited than the hero we expect: a “blunt instrument,” “M” calls him to his face. He’s a man who can get hurt and deal with it, but who can also get his ego bruised and have a harder time dealing with that. He isn’t supremely in control, either of the situation or of himself. In fact, this Bond is a rookie, and makes rookie mistakes. “How the hell could Bond be so stupid?” Judi Dench’s “M” demands in the midst of a crackling monologue. He takes an enormous risk, and crashes and burns spectacularly. For one thing, Craig is working a lot harder than other actors had to this Bond really has to break a sweat.įor the first time, Bond isn’t presented as a putative embodiment of every man’s ideal fantasy self and every woman’s ideal fantasy lover.įor another, not only doesn’t he get his man (at least not the way he was meant to), he screws up badly. (The second kill, as Bond and his own victim acknowledge, is “considerably” easier.) The post-credits opening set piece, a brilliantly choreographed and staged foot chase through a construction site and an embassy that did more than any other film to make “parkour” a household word, makes it clear that this is not your father’s 007. The Bourne films follow their hero on a trajectory of redemption Casino plots the opposite trajectory for its antihero.Ī striking black-and-white prologue in which Bond earns his “00” license to kill with his first two kills - one in flashback, brutal and harrowing, the other quick and efficient - establishes just how much of his soul Bond has lost already. As such, it’s the story of how James Bond lost his soul, or whatever was left of it, at the very moment when he dared to hope for redemption. Casino is more than a reboot: It’s also a kind of origin story, based on the first Ian Fleming novel. Perhaps the most overt wink to the audience is Bond snapping “Do I look like I give a damn?” when asked how he wants his martini prepared. In Casino, if Bond has a winking line (“That’s because you know what I can do with my little finger”), it’s Bond himself who is winking at the other person, not Craig or the movie winking at the audience. The Bourne films follow their hero on a trajectory of redemption Casino plots the opposite trajectory for its antihero. (Desmond Llewellyn, who had played “Q” opposite every Bond actor starting with From Russia With Love, died shortly after the penultimate Pierce Brosnan entry, The World is Not Enough, in which he introduced his putative successor, John Cleese - a role Cleese reprised only in Brosnan’s final outing, Die Another Day.) Gone are Moneypenny and “Q,” with their bantering relationships with our hero. Gone are the camp humor and silly gadgets of earlier incarnations, the winking double-entendres and comic/fantasy sexiness. When The Bourne Identity opened, some critics pronounced James Bond obsolete - and he was, as he had been for years, until Casino Royale. Perhaps it was the Jason Bourne films, with their grim violence, chilly realism, and broken protagonist, that helped Bond find a new direction. It is also almost the only film ( On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is another, to a degree) that treats Bond as an actual character, not just a glamorous, romantic action hero.Ĭasino Royale breaks sharply with the previous direction of the franchise - rut, really - which the series’ producers had been trying to do for years without success. Without prejudice to the Connery/Craig debate, I consider Casino Royale, directed by Martin Campbell, possibly the best Bond film, and certainly the most indispensable - the one that offers moral and psychological perspective on all the others, playing as a kind of commentary and critique of the whole franchise. (Some aficionados may push for Lazenby’s lone offering, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.) Which 007 film is the best? Connery fans might pick Goldfinger or From Russia With Love, while Craig fans will go with Casino Royale or Skyfall. ![]() ![]() Who is the best James Bond? Most fans tend to pick either Connery or Daniel Craig. How James Bond lost his soul: Casino Royale SDG Original source: Crux ![]()
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