directed by Terence Young
written by Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham
original screenplay by Jack Whittingham
screenplay by Richard Maibaum and John Hopkins
starring Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rick Van Nutter, Guy Doleman, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn
In this, the fourth installment in the Bond mega-franchise, the Bahamas play as the backdrop for a great number of intense, physical encounters.
Bond is back as an emissary of style, calm, and impeccable timing. He’s dutiful to the cause and controlled in a languid fashion that allows him to remain on top of his game at all times. In this one, a sinister plot is underway to uses stolen nuclear weapons to blow up a major city either in Europe or the United States. Naturally Bond is dispatched to the Bahamas in order to track a woman he is interested in named Domino (Auger). He learns that this woman is hooked up with Emilio Largo (Celi), the man behind the plot.
The film focuses on the cold relationship between Largo and Bond. They toy with each other for much of the film and this leads to a grand confrontation under water where the United States Coast Guard and Bond battle Largo’s henchmen in a stunning battle that seems to go on for hours. As I’m watching all the Bond films in chronological order I can only speak for the first four films. But, this is so far the single greatest scene in the series as it captures Bond at his best and also involves the outside forces of the Coast Guard. The only thing missing is a coy smile and a tossing back the sheets to bed one of the infinite beauties on display throughout the film.
Bond is a cad, for sure. He even tries to kiss his physiotherapist named Patricia Fearing but she fends him off after a fashion. It seems as if no woman is safe with him and most of them give in to him eventually. The only one he hasn’t put the moves on is Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) and he really ought to give it a whirl. I suspect he cannot because he actually respects her and he can only sleep with women for whom he has a quiet disdain for. It is a temporary situation as he ultimately falls softly at their feat and gives them the ride of their lives. His promiscuous nature works the same way his spy skills do; it feeds his sense of importance and provide him with a cover lest he ever feel inadequate or unnecessary. Indeed, he rarely feels anything but motivated to do the job or do this or that woman. There doesn’t seem to be another mode to this character as he builds upon each conquest with an expert precision and sublime timing.
There is nothing like seeing a man take full charge of his physical attributes and wipe out someone who is bearing down on him. Bond does this with more style and flair than any other such character and it’s what has driven the franchise for forty six years. His charisma is what sets him apart from the rest and it is a driving force in this film. It sends him out into the world as a beast out looking for his prey to devour. Many times this comes in the form of a sexy girl just aching to have the top agent in the bureau buried deep inside her. Otherwise he’s fighting the forces of what passes for evil. It’s a charmed life that is built around Bond’s impossible charm and elegance. The way he moves is charged with a furious energy that comes through in his posture and the way he presents himself. Impeccably dressed and fully engaged with the world that meets him, he conquers every dilemma with ease and purpose.
In this film Bond is forced to play a little game with Largo and it lasts for a great part of the film. His sole intention is to find the missiles in order to avoid a terrible catastrophe that would shake up the known world. This threat hangs over the entire film although one knows emphatically that Bond will solve everything and look impossibly dashing doing it. Naturally Bond manages to bed Domino and gets her to tell him what she knows about the missiles. It’s a case of losing your head to pleasure and forfeiting your loyalties for a piece of ass even if it is James Bond’s.
Bond has a way of throwing himself on women that has been described as akin to rape. It is true that he doesn’t seem to take no as a definitive answer and in today’s soft climate he would be deemed a rapist of sorts assuming he immediately takes them to bed which seems to be the case. Of course once they go Bond they don’t really need any other man because he’s the consummate lover along with the rest of his many skills. He’s a force of nature who kills as easily as he devours women. It’s interesting to consider if he sees much of a difference between the two.
The performances in this film are all stellar. Sean Connery continues his graceful and debonair turn as the ultimate agent and procurer of information. Bond really seems to enjoy killing in this film as much as he does screwing the various women who throw themselves at him. Connery has mastered the necessary calm and pristine posture which make Bond so memorable. Claudine Auger is delectable, aggressive and mean for much of this film before her character caves to Bond’s immaculate charms. Adolfo Celi conveys all the mystery and hostility of his character while hiding behind an eyepatch which accentuates the uncertainty with which one approaches him.
Overall, this film captures the essence of Bond without going too far over the top. It manages to give Bond enough room to glide through and the character does so sublimely. This is a magnificent display of form and style that is exceedingly rare in cinema. Most often the hero is a brash, culture-deprived behemoth who wouldn’t know his way around a Dom Pérignon ‘53 and certainly wouldn’t be seen dead wearing an expensive tailored suit. Bond remains an impeccable icon who kills with a clean conscience and a fundamental ability to wreak serious damage on those who get in his way.
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