Bond, James Bond : Who, What, and How

It's been 50 years since the launched of the first James Bond Film titled Dr. No in October 5th 1962. This franchise has made 23 official films with all ups and downs, starred by six different leading actors. In the 50th anniversary of the franchise, I'd like to reflect and refresh you about who is actually James Bond and everything there's to know about him. it maybe trivial things, but I hope you like it and also this information can enlarge your knowledge about one of the most successful film franchise in the world. 

James Bond, Who is he?

The name of James Bond, which was taken by Ian Fleming actually comes from the ornithologist (a bird expert) and the author of the field guides Birds of The West Indies. Flemming was stuck upon giving the simplest and dullest name for the character, so when he read that book, as Flemming also a keen bird watcher too, he got it, and now we know him as James Bond. The book which came as the inspiration can be seen in the 2002 James Bond Film Die Another Day. Bond is depicted working for British Secret Service (MI6). He got his code number 007, which maybe as Flemming thought it's the perfect combination (double 0 with 7 as lucky number). His last title before employed by MI6 was Royal Naval Reserve Commander, hence in some movies, he is occasionally called as Commander Bond. Bond has Scottish and Swiss decent; his father is a Scottish called Andrew Bond, and his mother is a Swiss called Glencoe. Both of his parents died in a tragic accident while mountain-climbing in Aiguilles Rouges near Charmonix, France. By then James Bond is orphan at the age of eleven. 

For education, he went to Eton College in England, then after being sent down from Eton, he went to Fettes College in Scotland, which was his father's former school. In James Bond education background, there are some similarities which was deliberately include by Flemming himself, such as briefly attending the University of Geneva and taught to ski in Kitzbuhel. In 1941, Bond Joined the Ministry of Defense and became lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves, which ended him holding the title as Commander. He got his 00 (double 0) code after killing two enemies agent; a Japanese Spy on the thirty-six-floor of RCA Building in Rockefeller Center in New York, US and a Norwegian Double Agent who betrayed British Government. 

James Bond Actor

In the series, James Bond character has been portrayed by six different actors, starting from 1962 Film Dr. No up to recent-released Film Skyfall in 2012. All of the actors can be summarized as follow :

 

   Let's go to the details of the actors

• Sean Connery (1962-1967+1971)

His portrayal as James Bond maybe best remembered. He's considered as the best James Bond actor for the entire films of the series.  He's cold, calm, charming, and professional. His first outing as James Bond in Dr. No praised many film goers. One thing trivial about casting him is that Ian Flemming, the James Bond author didn't like him at the first place, but then Connery finally won Flemming. His tenure as James Bond reached the peak in these three films, From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), and Thunderball (1965). He's beginning to step down in 1967 Film You Only Live Twice, as he got so many press interference at the shooting places, in which he considered as a metamorphosis that he didn't want to get. He also didn't want to be much type-cast as James Bond. In 1971, after failing to lure George Lazenby back to the series, EON Production had to ask again for Connery to return to the series for at least two or three films. For that case, EON had to spend large sum of money to pay Connery and agreed to finance two films of his. He's finally back in Diamonds Are Forever and finally stepped down from the series for good. 
 

• George Lazenby (1969)

As of the franchise, he's known as the only actor to play the film once. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the only James Bond film he starred in. He's also the youngest actor to play James Bond at the age of 30. The story behind the casting is somewhat funny. Both the producers, Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, was impressed to Lazenby after seeing him in one of the TV Commercial. Lazenby then cast and finally got the part. He's portrayal as James Bond is quite mixed with the critics; he portrayed bond as a hard man, a little cold, but quite romantic. It's somehow a little bit different as how Connery portrayed James Bond. In his outing, he's the second James Bond actor to marry in the film, (the first was Connery in You Only Live Twice, although this wedding considered as a fake). In his only outing, Lazenby married Tracy di Vicenzo, played by Diana Rigg. His wedding is a disaster because the arch-enemy, who was considered death, actually alive and revenge Bond. On Her Majesty's Secret Service wasn't commercially success. This failure is also worsen by the script and plot problem which caused continuity error. Lazenby didn't want to continue his tenure as Bond, because his agent think that tuxedo-secret-agent would be archaic in 1970's era, though later, Lazenby regret his decision. 

• Roger Moore (1973-1985)

He's best known as the actor who portrayed the most James Bond Film of the series, seven films, starting from Live and Let die in 1973 up to A View to a Kill in 1985. Another thing about Moore is that he's the oldest actor to both start and end his outings. For his first outing he was already 46 years old and his last outing he was 57, marking the oldest actor ever to portray James Bond. This thing somehow very unorthodox.  It' because in the literature, James Bond is actually in his mid 30's, and in his outings, Bond is in his mid 40's and continue to almost 60's. He got his success when starring his third James Bond Film in 1977 The Spy Who Loved Me with Barbara Bach as Bond girl (Anya Amasova/Agent XXX). His third outing is considered as the best film in his tenure as Bond. As he's getting older, he had intention to step down as Bond. He'd shown his intention to retire in 1981 James Bond Film For Your Eyes Only. In the next outing Octopussy (1983) the role of James Bond was cast with different actor James Brolin. This casting can be watched in Special Edition DVD of Octopussy. Brolin fail to get the role as Bond after Moore agreed to back to the series in the last minute. After the release of Octopussy, Moore said that he'd want to again retire from the series, considering that he's old for the role as Bond. The producers, then again finally could persuade him to stay for the seventh outings A View to a Kill released in 1985. His last outing was quite heavily mixed up with critics as Moore was 56 at that time. Many fans considered he's too old for the part and no chemistry with the leading Bond Girl, Tanya Roberts. This even get worse when Moore knew that he was older than Tanya's mother. He even quipped that he was hundred years too old for the part. A View to a Kill is the only James Bond film in which the leading actor only has a minimum screen time. It implies so because of the Moore age. After the release of his last Bond film, he finally settled down to retire from the series. Nevertheless, in his tenure, he gave Bond more soft approach and character. He's charming, funny, reasonable, and a little hard. This character is a very totally different from the previous actors.

• Timothy Dalton (1987-1989)

To continue the series, the producers had to find another actor to wear the James Bond Tuxedo. Finally in 1986, EON announced that the successor had been found. He's Timothy Dalton. He's the first Welsh actor to be James Bond. Dalton finally agreed to play James Bond part after the script issue is done and also after being offered for the third time. The first time he's offered the part was when EON had to find Connery replacement, in which went to Lazenby. Dalton, who was 25 years old at that time considered himself too young for the part. The second time was when Connery stepped down from the series in 1971. Again, Dalton considered himself still too young and also the script wasn't finished. In the series, he's the one who portrayed Bond closest to what Flemming wrote in the novel, dark, dare, hard, tough, and energetic, with a little careless. His first outing was in 1987 titled The Living Daylights. He starred with Maryam d'Abo as the Bond girl. This film wasn't quite successful; the script in which the screen writer made was still penned for Roger Moore, as he was expected again to back to the series. The theme of the film dealt with music, as the shooting place took on Czechoslovakia and Austria, esp Vienna. He actually got the success in his second outing in 1989 Licence To Kill. This film show the true character of Bond which matched as how actually Dalton portrayed Bond. Many critics and Bond fans considered this is the best James Bond film in Dalton's tenure. On the contrary, the marketing strategy was lackluster. This film was firstly titled Licence Revoked, but later changed because many US watchers didn't understand what 'Revoked' means. Another thing is that, this film released at the same time of another big-hits films such as Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, in which Sean Connery starred,  Lethal Weapon 2, Back to the Future Part II, and Batman. The last thing about the lackluster is that many fans didn't accept that Bond dealt with personal vendetta. Licence To Kill is actually the most 'hard' James Bond film, in which it got 'R' Rating. Dalton was planned to star in another James Bond films, but due to the hiatus and the takeover of the Production house which lasted almost six years, Dalton finally stepped down from James Bond Franchise in 1994 while shooting TV Movie Scarlett. 

•   Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002)

After Timothy Dalton resigned from the role, EON finally secured another James Bond successor, he's Pierce Brosnan, who starred in 4 films from GoldenEye in 1995 up to Die Another Day in 2002. GoldenEye was actually a box-office success; this outing is considered as the best film in Brosnan tenure, even though there are many uncertainty whether James Bond film would be up to par after the USSR breaks-up. In his tenure, so many ups and downs happened esp. in his last two outings The World Is Not Enough in 1999 and Die Another Day in 2002. The 1999 outing wasn't successful because the choice of the supporting Bond girl which went to Denise Richards was disliked by many Bond Fans. Many think that Richards can't be up to par as a Bond Girl. This also led the actress to get the Razzie Awards for the worst supporting actors. The last outing Die Another Day was heavily criticized because too many CGI involved. Even the former Bond Actor, Roger Moore said that the CGI is the only lackluster in this film. Currently Die Another Day is the only James Bond film in the franchise which gets the lowest rating in the IMDb, clocked only 6.0 from possible 10. Talking about Brosnan, actually, when accepting the role as Bond, it's not his first time to be offered the role. In post Moore era, both him and Dalton were offered the role by the producers. The role when to Dalton because the TV Series Brosnan starred, Remington Steel decided to continue the season in last minute. He was offered the role after his wife Cassandra Harris starred in 1981 James Bond Film For Your Eyes Only. In the history of James Bond Film Franchise, he's the only actor who, can be called is fired, rather than stating to retire. In the contract, it's stated that he played for three films, with the optional four films. As it's been fulfilled, he's reaching is 50, and the producers didn't want to end up again as Roger Moore last outing. The agreement never reached up and in 2004, Brosnan stepped down from the film franchise. While playing Bond, he give the mixture of hard and soft persona, he's hard, persistent,and tough but in the other side, he's charming, funny, and reasonable. This portrayal is quite identical to Sean Connery, if I may say. 

• Daniel Craig (2006-now)

After Brosnan stepped down from the role in 2004, the James Bond Producers start a wide search for a possible actor to wear the double-o-tuxedo. Almost hundreds actors were listed, but the choice was finally made to British Actor Daniel Craig. He's the sixth actor to play James Bond Role. For the films during Craig's tenure, it's rebooted, means there's no relations to any previously Bond Films. By rebooting, that means there's no continuity errors in the storyline. All the things is started from zero as a brand new story, although there's a part which still continue as the producer and the director feel that it's an integral part which couldn't be re-written. Craig first outing was in 2006 titled Casino Royale. As for the reboot, it's a commercially success and the most praised James Bond film at that time. It's rated at 7.9 out of 10 and stands below the new-released Bond film, Skyfall, which currently clocked at 8.1 out of 10 in IMDb. In Casino Royale, bond is portrayed as the agent who has just been promoted to earn his double 0 status. Casino Royale is a prequel for the next outing in 2008 Quantum of Solace, which stands as a direct sequel. In his second outing, Craig spent time to do more exercise and more stunt practice including driving, motorcycle riding, boating, and flying a plane. He compared his second outing as more challenging than his first outing which he considered as just 'a walk in the park'. Quantum of Solace isn't as successful as the first one, since it's just only a sequel which still carry the same story line. The third outings, Skyfall is still currently a commercial big hit and at the moment is the most praised James Bond film in Craig's tenure. His portrayal as James Bond is quite closed to what Ian Flemming wrote, dark, tough, dare, energetic, and reckless. The recklessness is the thing that attached to Craig's Bond; it can be seen in the first and the second of his outings. His portrayal stands behind Dalton's portrayal as James Bond to follow the Flemming characteristic of Bond. Currently, Daniel Craig has agreed to play at least two more Bond Film which will be released in every two years, post Skyfall. 

For me personally, those actors had portrayed James Bond as best as they could do. These actors have their own way to interpret the James Bond, which won't always be the same through the series. If I had to rank, I could do the order just like this, based on how closed they follow what Flemming has written for Bond :

1. Timothy Dalton
2. Daniel Craig
3. Sean Connery
4. Pierce Brosnan
5. Roger Moore
6. George Lazenby

This writing is the first part of my series discussing about James Bond in details. In the next writing, I'll write about the Bond Girls through the series. 

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