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YOLT isn't one of my favourites, but it's a much more interesting film to watch than DN and TB in some ways, at least in terms of the filmmaking. It has some wonderful cinematography and set design. I really rate the climax of that film highly too. Connery's performance isn't particularly engaging however, and the film lags a bit probably somewhere after Bond is disguised as a Japanese fisherman.
TSWLM is a Bond film I've always come back to, and in recent years has become a favourite. MR, while very tongue in cheek in places, is a film I've also revisited and enjoyed despite my many issues with it.
In terms of how all these films handled Bond as a character/my preferences on that, I'd say that while FRWL provides a good balance between Fleming's creation and the cinematic Bond, it's also an improvement on DN. I know some people here claim that Young's Bond films are the most Fleming-esque of the series (I'd argue it's more that they're the most faithful to the plots of their source material) but I find that Connery's Bond in DN is less an adaptation of the literary character and more of a hybrid of Connery's wry anti-hero alongside heightened, even caricatured aspects of Fleming's character. It's not a bad thing - it's quite fundamental to the cinematic Bond actually - and Connery's performance sells it. That said I often have a hard time recognising Fleming's character when, say, Bond shoots Dent in that devil may care manner (Fleming's Bond hated killing in cold blood, and even if he had to do so would express conflicted feelings about it that aren't there in this film) or even when he smirks in that ironic, self knowing way when talking to the Professor about Crab Key (it's a great scene and Connery plays it well in the sense that it's clear he knows of Dent's involvement but is playing him. Again though, it's different to Fleming's character who was often much more blunt and dry in these sorts of situations).
TSWLM is another film that I find gets the balance right with Bond. There's a healthy dose of humanity in Moore's performance that calls back to the literary Bond (I find his reaction to the mention of Tracy's death, or how he plays the scene when Anya learns that he's the one who killed her boyfriend much more in line with the character from the novels than a lot of Connery's performance in DN), but there's also that sense of tongue in cheek irony when needed too. Moore is also very effective in this film in the sense that he knows when to play things straight and when to play it with that irony. His performance in MR leans a bit more towards that irony (and isn't as good as his performance in TWSLM I'd say) but he's still a great lead.
Ultimately it depends on my mood. It's probably a tie in this sense.
That's surprising, a hot take really, you consider YOLT superior over TB?
I mean, I can see why not everyone likes it. It's a very dull film. Just in my opinion though.
Yes, it's surprising to me too.
But yes, to be honest, I'm not also a fan of the film (technically).
For me, it's one of the films that would benefit from a remake, this film could've been remade with modern filmmaking technology.
Because it had a great plot, but the way it's filmed like the editing, cinematography and other technical aspects really let it down, so a modern remake might've helped.
I don’t think it’s that much of a hot take. YOLT and TB always seem to be placed around the middle on most rankings I’ve seen. I just think YOLT has much better pacing than TB.
It was the first one I saw (it was on television); I was just a very young boy, and when Bond punched the “widow”, and a fight broke out in the study, that led to a jet pack that led to the Aston that sprayed water…. I literally fell in love… Later I appreciated Connery’s timeless cool. He made it look effortless. And Fiona…. She’s never been bettered in this series…
I think I still must watch this film with child-like goggles firmly attached.
Thunderball, my first love. Go figure 🤷♂️…
Well, I suppose they did that and we got NSNA. But I get what you mean. I find that whenever I read the novel the descriptions of Bond going underwater are much more engaging than seeing it onscreen.
I think there's actually some good editing in that film despite the weird sped up footage and jump cuts at the end (ie. when Bond reveals to Domino that her brother died - watch carefully and you realise that Connery's raw performance is just as bored and un-engaged as it is for most of the film, but the way it's edited improves brings much more to the scene). The cinematography's quite pretty as well. But otherwise it's just a film I find boring.
YOLT > DN
FRWL> TSWLM
MR>TB
Well, that's a statement I can accept (especially the second and third one, which I share). But I don't consider YOLT better than DN, so I'll stick with Young here.
This is a controversial take! I've seen enough TB remakes--and read enough script almost-remakes--for a lifetime!
PS: Based purely on my top 2 films for either director, it is extremely close.
You've got Young with a prime Connery and Gilbert with Connery and Moore. One could argue that Moore was never better than in either Gilbert film. However you have a strong group of ladies with Connery in TB. TB and MR feature Bond being put through the ringer (TB "the rack), (MR the centrifuge machine). It makes for a more difficult decision.
I can't overlook DN and FRWL as two great films. YOLT, Spy and MR have the spectacle going for them. I think I lean more towards Young than Gilbert, but like many have already stated this is closer than I thought.
I agree! But for me, it's not even close, only few films could be compared to Terrence Young's trilogy (CR, OHMSS or maybe GE), and not any of Lewis Gilbert's Bond films are one of them (tone wise).
Terrence Young just belonged in a different league, the Terrence Young Bond films had the balance of everything, the spectacle in his films leans towards more pulpy (but not outright cartoonish), his versions of Blofeld, for example, are menacing, not the cartoonish bossy type that Gilbert invented, and of course, there's the groundedness and underlying mystery and thrill that of course, one may expect in the Fleming Books (the tone, I'm speaking of here).
The Bond films of Lewis Gilbert just focused on the spectacle and the over the top grandeur of the character, that it's almost a caricature (his version of Blofeld was the inspiration for Dr. Evil in Austin Powers, then so the lairs, the girls and all).
I think, I can safely say that Lewis Gilbert did borrowed some elements from Guy Hamilton's direction, and just made some improved versions of it.
That's why I've said that the better comparison would be between Guy Hamilton and Lewis Gilbert because both have similarities.
I just looked at Lewis Gilbert's Bond films as more improved versions of Goldfinger, typical like Goldfinger 2.0, you have a megalomaniac villain, a typical Bond girl with a double entendre name, gadgets and etc.
Lazenby new director Hunt
Moore returning director Hamilton (third Bond Film)
Dalton returning director Glen (fourth Bond film)
Brosnan new director Campbell
Craig returning director Campbell (second Bond film and second time directing a new actor in the role)
Based on this track record, or any other logic,
Would you rather the director for the next film be a new person, or a returning veteran?
Although, if there's one director I would've liked to return, it's probably Sam Mendes (whatever the shortcomings of his films are, it's mainly on the script), I think he did fine, he had a bit of art house flair in his Bond films.
Okay another fun one here:
Would you rather do the TSWLM parachute jump OR the Bungee Jump from GE?
Although the GE bungee jump seemed a bit more realistic for a stunt, and I think the GE Bungee jump seemed more cooler in the GE N64 game (I haven't played the game yet, but just seeing it on YouTube Gameplays).
It goes down on the location, I'd rather be on the ski slopes than infiltrating a Russian camp!