The Future of Sex in the Bond films

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  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited March 1 Posts: 5,970
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    Yeah, I get you, especially what you mention about Silva, no matter what way you spin a character like that, you end up coming to those same conclusions I think. I also don't have a huge issue with the scene as is to be honest, these are just what I think could've been done in response to what I know was a real problem for some more casual viewers.
    But I really love that entire sequence from entering the Casino, Severine on the staircase, the discussion of buying a drink, to their deadly conversation about killing her “employer” (I wasn’t a fan of the fight— I get it’s a little bit of comedy, but I’d have rather have seen a more grounded punch up), and I love how Bond enters the shower (it’s uncomfortable, but I love it!).
    Oh for sure, it's one of the best sequences in the franchise in my opinion just because of how it's operating on so many levels to create something quintessentially James Bond.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Denbigh wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    Yeah, I get you, especially what you mention about Silva, no matter what way you spin a character like that, you end up coming to those same conclusions I think. I also don't have a huge issue with the scene as is to be honest, these are just what I think could've been done in response to what I know was a real problem for some more casual viewers.
    But I really love that entire sequence from entering the Casino, Severine on the staircase, the discussion of buying a drink, to their deadly conversation about killing her “employer” (I wasn’t a fan of the fight— I get it’s a little bit of comedy, but I’d have rather have seen a more grounded punch up), and I love how Bond enters the shower (it’s uncomfortable, but I love it!).
    Oh for sure, it's one of the best sequences in the franchise in my opinion just because of how it's operating on so many levels to create something quintessentially James Bond.

    Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s the type of sequence we’d all love to write or direct, or be a part of. It really was fantastic because of the depth and what it explored.

    It’s this type of material, also found in Fleming’s own work, especially his latter novels, that elevates the Bond brand. He’s not just some hard boiled one dimensional spy in the latter novels (he’s dealing with the loss of a loved one, melancholy , alcoholism, finding his path again, after wandering off of it), and he’s not some Fast and Furious one dimensional hero in sequences like the one we’ve been discussing.
  • FeyadorFeyador Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 735
    One of my regrets with the Craig years is that we hadn't had more of the Severine character in SF. Her scenes with Bond in the casino are among my favorites in the entire series. I really hated the way the filmmakers had Bond coldly dispatch her humanity with that comment "a waste of good scotch," followed close on by the arrival of the helicopter and the triumphalist use of the JB theme. She may have had her own reasons for doing so, but Severine died helping Bond and deserved something a little more dignified. She seemed a real character and not just a cypher in service to the greater glory of Bond.

    BTW, that scene is almost certainly influenced heavily, if not stolen outright, from a Sartana spaghetti western from the late '60s. But all's fair, as the Sartana films themselves were heavily influenced more generally by Bond.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    edited March 2 Posts: 5,970
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    Yeah, I get you, especially what you mention about Silva, no matter what way you spin a character like that, you end up coming to those same conclusions I think. I also don't have a huge issue with the scene as is to be honest, these are just what I think could've been done in response to what I know was a real problem for some more casual viewers.
    But I really love that entire sequence from entering the Casino, Severine on the staircase, the discussion of buying a drink, to their deadly conversation about killing her “employer” (I wasn’t a fan of the fight— I get it’s a little bit of comedy, but I’d have rather have seen a more grounded punch up), and I love how Bond enters the shower (it’s uncomfortable, but I love it!).
    Oh for sure, it's one of the best sequences in the franchise in my opinion just because of how it's operating on so many levels to create something quintessentially James Bond.
    It’s this type of material, also found in Fleming’s own work, especially his latter novels, that elevates the Bond brand. He’s not just some hard boiled one dimensional spy in the latter novels (he’s dealing with the loss of a loved one, melancholy , alcoholism, finding his path again, after wandering off of it), and he’s not some Fast and Furious one dimensional hero in sequences like the one we’ve been discussing.
    💯

    Not to generalise in a more focused conversation, but I think that's why I like Skyfall as a whole. For me, it was able to incorporate all the different versions of the James Bond character and his world. It incorporated in the more Fleming-esque elements whilst also keeping it modern, which is what the Craig-era set out to do, but I also think it managed to capture that feeling you got from the earlier films in the series.
  • edited April 18 Posts: 1,993
    deleted
  • Posts: 4,162
    Denbigh wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    Denbigh wrote: »
    Yeah, I get you, especially what you mention about Silva, no matter what way you spin a character like that, you end up coming to those same conclusions I think. I also don't have a huge issue with the scene as is to be honest, these are just what I think could've been done in response to what I know was a real problem for some more casual viewers.
    But I really love that entire sequence from entering the Casino, Severine on the staircase, the discussion of buying a drink, to their deadly conversation about killing her “employer” (I wasn’t a fan of the fight— I get it’s a little bit of comedy, but I’d have rather have seen a more grounded punch up), and I love how Bond enters the shower (it’s uncomfortable, but I love it!).
    Oh for sure, it's one of the best sequences in the franchise in my opinion just because of how it's operating on so many levels to create something quintessentially James Bond.
    It’s this type of material, also found in Fleming’s own work, especially his latter novels, that elevates the Bond brand. He’s not just some hard boiled one dimensional spy in the latter novels (he’s dealing with the loss of a loved one, melancholy , alcoholism, finding his path again, after wandering off of it), and he’s not some Fast and Furious one dimensional hero in sequences like the one we’ve been discussing.
    💯

    Not to generalise in a more focused conversation, but I think that's why I like Skyfall as a whole. For me, it was able to incorporate all the different versions of the James Bond character and his world. It incorporated in the more Fleming-esque elements whilst also keeping it modern, which is what the Craig-era set out to do, but I also think it managed to capture that feeling you got from the earlier films in the series.

    I agree too.
    CrabKey wrote: »
    When you say 'whilst also keeping it modern,' can you elaborate on the modern part.

    At risk of sounding flippant, it could be the fact that it takes place in contemporary times.

    But apart from that it could also be how it incorporates things like cyberterrorism, the idea of M/Bond being in a ‘changing world’ etc.
  • DenbighDenbigh UK
    Posts: 5,970
    CrabKey wrote: »
    When you say 'whilst also keeping it modern,' can you elaborate on the modern part.
    Well I suppose there’s many ways you could interpret what I mean, obviously you have the specifics that @007HallY mentioned, but more generally I just mean that everything about the film feels timely in its attempt to capture and explore James Bond’s place within the modern world and the way it’s framed around Bond’s mental and physical state at a certain time in his life - like Fleming kinda did in the book but again with a more fresh and updated approach.
  • Posts: 342
    Bond is fundamentally about sex and violence. The idea that Bond should not have sex is like saying he should not kill people.

    The 60s were a special time, where the Pill meant that women could enjoy sex on their terms. In some ways, it’s sad that 21st century prudism is trying to ban people having fun.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Troy wrote: »
    Bond is fundamentally about sex and violence. The idea that Bond should not have sex is like saying he should not kill people.

    The 60s were a special time, where the Pill meant that women could enjoy sex on their terms. In some ways, it’s sad that 21st century prudism is trying to ban people having fun.

    I don’t know if anyone is banning people having fun.

    Blame the phone.

    Kids have everything on their phone, including instant access to porn. I just listened to a podcast with a social psychologist and his research finds that when young people, especially young straight people, and then more specifically young straight men, are supposed to be meeting the opposite sex, engaging with the opposite sex, trying to develop relationships with the opposite sex, and, learning about sex, with the opposite, all through trial and error, making mistakes and learning, kids are, instead, on their screens and getting all kinds of access to pornography.

    His studies, and others, seem to show a trend where young adults are having less and less sex, are coupling later, and, if they want kids, are also doing this later in life.

    I’m sure there are other contributing factors to all of this, but the phone, especially in young hands, is a very addictive device. Throw in porn, especially for men, and, it could turn into a very dangerous device.

    Blame the phone (after all, there have always been prudes not wanting people to explore and have fun— but they never stopped us before. So what’s different in today’s world? The damn phone).
  • edited April 18 Posts: 1,993
    deleted
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    peter wrote: »
    Troy wrote: »
    Bond is fundamentally about sex and violence. The idea that Bond should not have sex is like saying he should not kill people.

    The 60s were a special time, where the Pill meant that women could enjoy sex on their terms. In some ways, it’s sad that 21st century prudism is trying to ban people having fun.

    I don’t know if anyone is banning people having fun.

    Blame the phone.

    Kids have everything on their phone, including instant access to porn. I just listened to a podcast with a social psychologist and his research finds that when young people, especially young straight people, and then more specifically young straight men, are supposed to be meeting the opposite sex, engaging with the opposite sex, trying to develop relationships with the opposite sex, and, learning about sex, with the opposite, all through trial and error, making mistakes and learning, kids are, instead, on their screens and getting all kinds of access to pornography.

    His studies, and others, seem to show a trend where young adults are having less and less sex, are coupling later, and, if they want kids, are also doing this later in life.

    I’m sure there are other contributing factors to all of this, but the phone, especially in young hands, is a very addictive device. Throw in porn, especially for men, and, it could turn into a very dangerous device.

    Blame the phone (after all, there have always been prudes not wanting people to explore and have fun— but they never stopped us before. So what’s different in today’s world? The damn phone).

    True. In my day, if you were a kid and you wanted to see porn, you had to find it the old-fashioned way, by tracking down a physical copy of Playboy or whatever.
  • edited April 18 Posts: 1,993
    deleted
  • Posts: 342
    If we are going to talk about GF and TB, what about FRWL? Tania was forced to sleep with Bond, or would have been shot. That is more serious than GF or TB.

    And what about Bond himself? He was specifically instructed by M to romance and satisfy Tania. In other words, to have sex with a woman he had never met. Clearly Bond is a sex victim.
  • Posts: 4,162
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)

    😂 @CraigMooreOHMSS , I was always a lover, not a fighter!!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited April 8 Posts: 24,183
    peter wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)

    😂 @CraigMooreOHMSS , I was always a lover, not a fighter!!

    Yes, @peter is a lover. If he were James Bond, this is what would happen.

    A) James Bond would solve every problem with his magic penis. That includes smuggling the Lector into Europe and defeating OddJob in the Fort Knox vault. And blowing up things, that too.

    B) James Bond would not be the last person standing. He'd be the first one laying down.

    C) James Bond would have looked at Honey, retired, and there would have been no more movies since '62.

    D) James Bond wouldn't take his pleasures shaken, not stirred; he'd take them shaven, not furred.

    (I'm out of line... I'll go now.)

    ;-)
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)

    😂 @CraigMooreOHMSS , I was always a lover, not a fighter!!

    Yes, @peter is a lover. If he were James Bond, this is what would happen.

    A) James Bond would solve every problem with his magic penis. That includes smuggling the Lector into Europe and defeating OddJob in the Fort Knox vault. And blowing up things, that too.

    B) James Bond would not be the last person standing. He'd be the first one laying down.

    C) James Bond would have looked at Honey, retired, and there would have been no more movies since '62.

    D) James Bond wouldn't take his pleasures shaken, not stirred; he'd take them shaven, not furred.

    (I'm out of line... I'll go now.)

    ;-)

    “Would have happened”? Switch a few names and this is basically my 20s!!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    peter wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)

    😂 @CraigMooreOHMSS , I was always a lover, not a fighter!!

    Yes, @peter is a lover. If he were James Bond, this is what would happen.

    A) James Bond would solve every problem with his magic penis. That includes smuggling the Lector into Europe and defeating OddJob in the Fort Knox vault. And blowing up things, that too.

    B) James Bond would not be the last person standing. He'd be the first one laying down.

    C) James Bond would have looked at Honey, retired, and there would have been no more movies since '62.

    D) James Bond wouldn't take his pleasures shaken, not stirred; he'd take them shaven, not furred.

    (I'm out of line... I'll go now.)

    ;-)

    “Would have happened”? Switch a few names and this is basically my 20s!!

    Can't imagine where "blowing up things" comes into play then. :D
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    It's rather an odd quirk of Bond's job that he's occasionally ordered to go off and have sex in order to get his mission done. There's that example from FRWL, and M even seems to encourage Bond to 'pump' Paris for information in TND. Both are handled quite well to be fair and Bond seems understandably a bit conflicted about both.

    Espionage and sex go hand in hand. They always did. Unfortunately it's usually followed closely by death.

    Yeah, when I realized that death would be so tied to the sex part of being a secret agent, that’s when I left the service…

    We miss you, @peter. ;)

    😂 @CraigMooreOHMSS , I was always a lover, not a fighter!!

    Yes, @peter is a lover. If he were James Bond, this is what would happen.

    A) James Bond would solve every problem with his magic penis. That includes smuggling the Lector into Europe and defeating OddJob in the Fort Knox vault. And blowing up things, that too.

    B) James Bond would not be the last person standing. He'd be the first one laying down.

    C) James Bond would have looked at Honey, retired, and there would have been no more movies since '62.

    D) James Bond wouldn't take his pleasures shaken, not stirred; he'd take them shaven, not furred.

    (I'm out of line... I'll go now.)

    ;-)

    “Would have happened”? Switch a few names and this is basically my 20s!!

    Can't imagine where "blowing up things" comes into play then. :D

    It was a little messy, @DarthDimi … this is a family site, so I’ll have to leave this story here….
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Well, all joking aside, I don't necessarily need sex in my Bond films, but I want them to be sexy, if that makes sense.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Well, all joking aside, I don't necessarily need sex in my Bond films, but I want them to be sexy, if that makes sense.

    😂 me too, absolutely… I find what Monica brought to Spectre was class and sexiness all the way, and when Bond leaves her company, the way she looked and the way she was dressed, left my heart thumping for another ten minutes afterwards, @DarthDimi
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited April 8 Posts: 24,183
    peter wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Well, all joking aside, I don't necessarily need sex in my Bond films, but I want them to be sexy, if that makes sense.

    😂 me too, absolutely… I find what Monica brought to Spectre was class and sexiness all the way, and when Bond leaves her company, the way she looked and the way she was dressed, left my heart thumping for another ten minutes afterwards, @DarthDimi

    I agree, @peter. The Bond x Jinx love scene in DAD, for example, is one of the more obvious "sex acts" in the Bonds, yet I barely find it sexy. After all, the seduction preceding these events came down to an awful scene about mojito, ornithology and being a mouthful. To move from such silliness into an intense sex scene, especially one so dramatically scored by Arnold, raises more questions than body parts, frankly. My point is that sex isn't always sexy. There's something more sexy, at least in my opinion, about Frost undressing before Bond so they can keep up the act, even if they don't have to. The whole bloody thing is ridiculous to begin with, and feels closer to a "Dear, Penthouse" story than anything else, but somehow that scene oozes more sexiness to me than Bond and Jinx sharing a piece of sweet fruit while chasing the forbidden kind.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    peter wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Well, all joking aside, I don't necessarily need sex in my Bond films, but I want them to be sexy, if that makes sense.

    😂 me too, absolutely… I find what Monica brought to Spectre was class and sexiness all the way, and when Bond leaves her company, the way she looked and the way she was dressed, left my heart thumping for another ten minutes afterwards, @DarthDimi

    I agree, @peter. The Bond x Jinx love scene in DAD, for example, is one of the more obvious "sex acts" in the Bonds, yet I barely find it sexy. After all, the seduction preceding these events came down to an awful scene about mojito, ornithology and being a mouthful. To move from such silliness into an intense sex scene, especially one so dramatically scored by Arnold, raises more questions than body parts, frankly. My point is that sex isn't always sexy. There's something more sexy, at least in my opinion, about Frost undressing before Bond so they can keep up the act, even if they don't have to. The whole bloody thing is ridiculous to begin with, and feels closer to a "Dear, Penthouse" story than anything else, but somehow that scene oozes more sexiness to me than Bond and Jinx sharing a piece of sweet fruit while chasing the forbidden kind.

    Absolutely. There’s zero sexiness with Bond and Jinx . There was a lot of “fromage” that I find unforgivable, but it certainly wasn’t sexy.

    Pike, on the other hand, was brilliant and nailed her part in every way. It was like she was in another film entirely. A film that was a great James Bond pic….

    Sexiness was in Honey… Not just the obvious swimsuit/knife scene, but the way she took care of Bond when the mosquitoes were at him, and; Sylvia broke into another man’s home, stripped down, wearing only one of his shirts, and waited for him, working on her putting game! Miss Taro had a sinister sexiness about her— a man weaker than Bond would have been caught in her web!

    Tatiana and the ribbon around her neck, Jill flirting with Bond after he embarrassed her boss, and she didn’t really need any champagne, did she?

    Fiona was absolutely dangerous, and seemed insatiable; Domino, in her submissiveness (she melts in Bond’s arms when they dance)…

    Aki was a sexy, mysterious figure running away from Bond and forcing him to chase her.

    Tracy, well, Mrs Bond started off troubled, and that gave her a sexy edge; the edge defrosted, but the sexiness remained as she saved Bond from the ice rink….

    Tiffany started off with something building to sexy, but that became impotent by the end.

    Seymour I find beautiful (still do, drop dead and sexy), but unfortunately I didn’t find her character sexy. I know I’m in a minority…

    Maud brought the sexiness back in TMWTGG… and a warm sensual sexiness nine years later in Octopussy….

    There have been misses in the series. Some, like Jinx, painfully unsexy (Wai Lin was another. Zero sex appeal, and if she just remained Bond’s partner I think I’d give her far more props. But forcing the character into the main love interest was anything but sexy… it was bloody uncomfortable), but EoN usually knows the correct recipe to bring a warm blooded, sexy, intelligent and independent woman to the audiences. And it did start all the way back in ‘62.
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Being chauffeured by Tibbett
    edited April 8 Posts: 685
    Troy wrote: »
    If we are going to talk about GF and TB, what about FRWL? Tania was forced to sleep with Bond, or would have been shot. That is more serious than GF or TB.

    The difference is Tania is forced to sleep with Bond by SPECTRE. There's no limit to how nasty the villains can be. Whereas in GF and TB, the sexual violation came from Bond (the hero) himself.
  • edited April 18 Posts: 1,993
    deleted
  • George_KaplanGeorge_Kaplan Being chauffeured by Tibbett
    edited April 9 Posts: 685
    CrabKey wrote: »
    George, we must have seen different versions of GF and TB. As many times as I have seen both films, I haven't seen those sexual violations scenes.

    @CrabKey I'm sure you know what scenes are being referred to, as they've been discussed at great length, so I'm curious why you don't think they qualify as examples of sexual violation.
  • Posts: 2,270
    CrabKey wrote: »
    George, we must have seen different versions of GF and TB. As many times as I have seen both films, I haven't seen those sexual violations scenes.

    @CrabKey I'm sure you know what scenes are being referred to, as they've been discussed at great length, so I'm curious why you don't think they qualify as examples of sexual violation.

    Yeah those scenes are quite hard to miss/ignore.
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