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bobsleigh
The action scene is a harder call. I will go with bobsled because it's tense and a really good physical confrontation between the arch enemies. The DAF pre-titles action is too brief with Bond and Blofeld, so this one has so much more on the line.
However, the scene also has one of the biggest questions in the series that I don't think gets discussed enough: After Blofeld is hit by the tree branch, why is Bond puttering around worried about drinking brandy instead of getting to him. He just somehow escapes to haunt Bond once more. Was Bunt nearby with a getaway car or what?
Barn Scene. The romantic equal of the “We Have All the Time In the World” montage with the added payoff of Bond’s marriage proposal (and Tracy’s tender “..do you mean it?” reply gets me every time I watch it). In fact, the dialogue during this entire scene is (IMO) top tier Bond writing. According to Charles Helfenstein’s “The Making of OHMSS”, Peter Hunt also used the 1934 movie “It Happened One Night” (with Clarke Gable and Claudette Colbert) as inspiration for this scene.
Avalanche Scene. In addition to Michael Reed’s stunning cinematography, the back in London shot of Lazenby’s “inner thoughts” on seeing Blofeld’s men dragging Tracy away, is – again – perfection. Without, saying anything, Bond’s thoughts say everything.
Personal observation: Diana Rigg elevates any scene that she is in and I love her :-).
As always: “Dear EON - can we please… pretty please, have limited 4K run of OHMSS for its’ 50th!?”
To pick between these scenes isn't easy for me, either. But don't forget that the vote is maybe less important than to think about scenes in a new perspective and hopefully have a good time by doing so.
That’s so true @goldenswissroyale thats why I really enjoy taking part in these fun threads, it’s a great way to celebrate, revisit and re-evaluate all the classic Bond moments! 👍
Yes. I am voting move on.
My favorite Bond movie.
I choose:
Barn scene, for the proposal. I find the montage a bit cheesy, despite the song.
Avalanche scene. Pure Fleming. And "he had lots of guts!"
And I choose the barn scene and the avalanche scene, too.
I love all four scenes. I'm happy that bond films usually don't have montage scenes, but it works nice here. The song is nice, too. Anyway, the barn scene is it for me: it is a very special scene (proposal, emotional, funny) and it is even more special for me because I could visit the barn two years ago.
I first thought that my vote would go to the bobsleigh scene. I love the fast and "wild" editing/camera work and it is very exciting. The idea that he falls out and catches Blofeld's bob later is cool stuff. However, the avalanche scene is also fantastic stuff: very intense! The scene didn't stick in my mind the same way as the other action scenes but it isn't weaker at all.
Barn scene beats the montage 10 : 5
Avalanche scene wins against the bobsleigh action 8 : 6
There are some intense death scenes in Bond movies. Some of them are without an appearance of James Bond. Two great scenes (imo) are part of Bond movies with a lighter tone for most of the running time: The victim is hunted through the forest in both cases.
A) Which assassination scene do you prefer? Corinne is hunted and killed (MR) vs. 009 is hunted, injured and finally dies
Some megalomaniac main villains didn’t shy away from mass murder.
B) Which scene do you prefer: Goldfinger gases the mafiosi vs. Zorin shoots his mine workers
Are these scenes strong because they show how cold-blooded and crazy the villains are? Or is it too brutal (AVTAK)? Is it a classic scene or illogical (GF)?
If you want to compare the scenes from question A) once more:
GF— iconic.
B. Zorin
Goldfinger - 'hey, what's up with that trick pool table?!' Despite some awful dialogue and performances from the gangsters, this is all Gert Frobe. Because his dialogue on the other hand is delivered with gusto...'except crime!' monolgue is memorable.
His monolgue is great, no doubt. But this part doesn't really count here. I only mean the "gas" scene.
and
Zorin
The second match up I have to go with Zorin, gunning down his mine workers.
Goldfingers speech to the 'hoods convention featuring Mr. Solo' is truly a great scene. Gert Frobe completely owns the scene. It's great to see his plan explained with such passion and vigour. But why explain it all, to then murder the hoods involved. Obviously he cant have any lose ends or witnesses too his plan. But why tell them? It's a great scene, but a little weird.
Zorin on the other hand is completely brutal. A real madman, who has no regard for others lives. He gleefully mows down his loyal employee's, laughing as he does so.
The fact that he murders them, even though they would all die in the resulting explosion that would occur minutes later, makes him even more evil. He literally enjoys killing people and takes real delight in doing so.
Seconded
I am with the boss.
I love all the Goldfinger explanation of the dastardly plan, but the gassing itself is a bit daft, whereas the Zorin incident is a brutal and shocking display of his sociopathic traits, so AVTAK it is.
I prefer AVTAK to Goldfinger. The slaughtering of Zorin's men is a more powerful moment, not just because of the violence, but also because of Zorin's sadistic enjoyment of the situation --which is explicitly shown, unlike in Goldfinger-- and because the miners, while not necessarily innocent, come across as utterly helpless and one feels sorry for them, while in Goldfinger, the hoodlums come across as fairly unlikable --brash, a little dumb-- and so their death doesn't have the same impact. The scene in AVTAK increases the stakes, dramatically speaking --Zorin is an absolute menace, and we want Bond to stop him--, more than the scene in Goldfinger, which constitutes an enjoyable little twist, but is not a truly outstanding moment from the film.
The second matchup is easy and it's got to be Zorin gunning down his men. Although GF is superior overall to AVTAK, the gas scene is one of the worst parts of the movie. The hood's convention aspect is extremely grating and it makes absolutely no sense why he would explain the plan beforehand. I mean, it's because of his ego, yes, the downfall of many a Bond villain, but still. Zorin's brutality perfectly captures his psychosis. It's just a great moment that Walken sells beautifully.
I love OP and that scene stands out. It is one of the best follow-up scenes to follow to credits in the series and gets it off on a rousing and mysterious note.
But the Corinne death scene is jolting as she's just a girl who made a mistake and makes Bond more of a cad as he led to her death, whereas 009 is, to borrow a line from Dr. Kauffman, a professional doing a job and makes Corinne's all the more tragic. It's one of Barry's most underappreciated pieces. I like the album version as it doesn't cut off and ends on an ominous repeated four-note tone.
The gangster scene is one of the things that make GF hard for me to take as one of the very best films. The goofy accents that make the gangsters seem like they wandered in off the third season of The Man from UNCLE, which had one of its worst episodes, The Super Colossal Affair, about similar mob types. These are bad guys, so it's not so hard to feel bad about their getting offed and as others have mentioned leads to more questions because of it, Frobe's performance aside.
Zorin's men are doing their legitimate jobs. Bob Conley even says "Mr. Zorin, those men are loyal to you." Capping it with Zorin's line of "Good, right on schedule" makes him seem even more psychotic. It's a hard to watch, but standout scene in a pretty Bond film and illustrates why the tone is all over the place.
My picks are Corinne's death and AVTAK mine scene
I absolutely love both scenes from the first batch. MR gets it because because we as the audience have gotten to know Corrine and have a reason to care. Plus the way it was shot and the music are beautiful and haunting.
The OP scene is great because it sets up the finale well (similar to the fun house in TMWTGG), not to mention it's memorable. But, we have no investment in 009 so the death doesn't feel as meaningful when it happens.
As others have said, the gangsters scene in GF is a bit grating to me mostly due to the dialogue and hammy acting. I love the when GF announces his plans, but I am not considering it as part of my vote.
Lastly the Zorin kills is just a great moment. If you weren't sure he was crazy before then, this is the moment that confirms it. Walken plays is so well too. Interestingly enough, Goldfinger also shoots his own, but in that case it's out of survival and perhaps not as interesting.
So many great comments and explanations for your votes. It's a real joy to read your thoughts.
I join the last three voters: Corinne's death and Zorin.
Both scenes are by far the most brutal scenes of the two movies. I couldn't explain it better than several voters did before me.
I just want to add that the bells are a perfect way to link the two scenes (Corinne's death and Venice). It is maybe my most beloved transition (between two scenes) in Bond history (it definitely has a strong impact).
The death of 009 would also make it in my list of the top 100 bond scenes. There aren't many Bond films with a stronger scene after the titles. (Maybe we should start one day an elimination game about the first scenes after the titles (post-title sequence?)...
If it included the monologues I'd put Goldfinger, but as it is just the gas vs. shooting I'll go with Zorin in AVTAK. The gassing doesn't make much sense within the story. The shooting doesn't serve a purpose, but it does elevate Zorin's character showing just how brutally psychotic he is.
The goldfinger scene is Iconic and a first.