SPECTRE ©2015 Danjaq, MGM, CPII. SPECTRE
International Villains
Last week Adele confirmed her new album release date and new single, “Hello”.
We all remember her famous James Bond song “Skyfall”, but why do most Bond villains seem to have an international background? When I wrote this post I thought that some of the themes would also fit in with some famous divorce cases, but having rain on your tuxedo is a pretty good reminder that you’re not James Bond.
I believe there is a passion about the Bond movies because people take it very close to their hearts and they have grown up with James Bond – and so have I.
Let’s look at my best three Bond movies, Casino Royal (2006), Goldfinger (1964) and Diamonds are Forever (1971)
Casino Royale (2006)
This was at a time when Germany hosted the Football World Cup at home and came third. A couple of days ago the German Football Association (DFB) “categorically rejected” allegations of a secret fund to secure votes to host the 2006 World Cup and German prosecutors say they are “monitoring” claims of bribery relating to the country’s successful bid to host the 2006 World Cup. But back to this Bond year.
The Bond franchise was in a dire need of a shot in the arm after the retirement of Pierce Brosnan and an over-reliance on wonky effects and poor gags. Step up, Daniel Craig, previously best known for films like Layer Cake and Munich.
GoldenEye director Martin Campbell returns behind the camera, and the script takes the character right back to the beginning—when Bond first earns his 007 licence—by drawing on Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel of the same name. Punchy, serious-faced and infused with tragic romance, this winner became an immediate Bond classic.
Villain
Le Chiffre is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Ian Fleming‘s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. On screen Le Chiffre has been portrayed by Peter Lorre in the 1954 television adaptation of the novel for CBS‘s Climax! television series, by Orson Welles in the 1967 spoof of the novel and Bond film series, and by Mads Mikkelsen in the 2006 film version of Fleming’s novel
The objective is to pay off his embarrassing debts to his SMERSH masters by winning the money at Casino Royale’s baccarat table and Bond beats Le Chiffre at baccarat.
Theme song
Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell has become the punches with his workmanlike soft – rock entry in the Bond song canon. It’s very catchy.
The bond girl
Eva Green is Vesper Lynd, an agent for the British Treasury with whom Bond falls in love. Their relationship offers a lot.
Killer moment
A parkour chase on a construction crane showed Craig’s Bond to be a no-nonsense physical presence.
Goldfinger (1964)
On October 14, 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through non-violence. In January that year a British firm, the Leyland Motor Corp., announced the sale of 450 buses to the Cuban government, challenging the United States blockade of Cuba.
The Bond series already had two films under its belt by the time 007 matched wits with Gert Fröbe precious-metal obsessive, but the third time was the charm (but he could not stop the fall of the gold price since).
However this was the movie that perfected the template for what we consider a proper Bond movie: tricked-out sports cars and spy gadgets, eccentric supervillains and quirky sidekicks (the hat-throwing Oddjob), a name-dropping opening song and a fun, flirty, tongue-in-cheek version of Fleming’s hero.
The earlier movies established Bond as Her Majesty’s most resourceful secret agent, a lover and a fighter. Goldfinger, however, made him a pop-culture icon that’s endured for decades.
Villain
Auric Goldfinger blow up Fort Knox, an American gold reserve, to render the gold bars stored there worthless and increase the value of his own gold.
Theme song
It simply doesn’t get any better than Shirley Bassey’s window-rattling tribute to the “man with the Midas touch,” punctuated by those slinky horn blasts.
The Bond girl
Honor Blackman’s rough-and-tumble romantic interest made a good match for Connery’s Bond and had a name that launched a thousand playground jokes: Pussy Galore.
The killer moment
Strapped to the laser table: “Do you expect me to talk?” “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
In 1971 Britain, Rolls-Royce went bankrupt and was nationalised and in February that year Apollo 14 (not 13) landed on the Moon. Mick Jagger married Bianca de Macías in Saint-Tropez, France, in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and their wives are among the wedding guests.
With the Playboy era still in its glory phase, you’d expect a new Bond film to reach dizzying heights of heterosexual escapism. But this entry is remarkable for its sexual weirdness: Sean Connery had to be lured back to the role he created by a huge payday. When he returned, he found a script loaded with gay innuendo—from pinkie-to-mouth bad guy Charles Gray (formerly of Rocky Horror) to doting henchmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd. Even one of the Bond girls is named Plenty O’Toole. Still, this has its moments, serving as a time capsule of the dirty old Las Vegas with no children in sight.
Villain
Ernst Stavro Blofeld steals diamonds to magnify a man-made laser platform which can target nuclear hardware. Bond smashes Blofeld’s Mini-Sub multiple times like a wrecking ball against the control room of his lair, disabling the satellite.
Theme song
Shirley Bassey’s belter has taken on new life this past decade courtesy of Kanye West and Jay Z, and the original tune still has boozy potency.
The bond girl
Jill St. John’s gem thief Tiffany Case makes a great impression.
The killer moment
A same-sex couple, the villainous Bambi and Thumper, attacks Bond with long legs, giving rise to the concept of Fembots.
Contact Us
What are your best Bond moments? If you want to talk about your killer moment from the new movie, Spectre (2015), please do not hesitate to contact Frank. Paradigm Family Law offers a free initial consultation and our fixed fee solutions cover financial proceedings from start to finish. You can call us on 0845 6020422 or email us to [email protected].
