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LEWIS GILBERT-MYSOGINIST?

OHMSS69OHMSS69
edited August 2013 in Bond Movies Posts: 2,341
We all notice that in the three films directed by Lewis Gilbert (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) He always kills a woman in a gruesome fashion. Now women have been dying in the Bond films since DN and the deaths range in various ways (shootings: Strangeways Secretary, Traci, Fiona Volpe, Rosie, etc; drowning, Vesper; Plenty, etc). The women usuallty die in a merciful way but for some reason Gilbert seems to take delight in offing female characters in horrid fashion.

Maybe we can call it his trademark like Glen with his animal scares. Olga eaten by ravenous fish, Stromberg's treacherous secretary ends up as shark food, and Corinne is torn apart by Drax' vicious doblemans. All these deaths are particuliary violent and a bad way to go.

Your thoughts?

Comments

  • PerdoggPerdogg
    Posts: 686
    Can you really lay those deaths on Gilbert for TSWLM and MR since Christopher Wood discusses both of them in his novelization?
  • Dr_YesDr_Yes
    Posts: 169
    It really goes back to the screenplays. Wood's books are novelizations based on the screenplays, not the othe way around. I doubt Gilbert had much to do with the storylines as such other than choosing how to shoot them.
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    Certainly the death of Aki, for me was a brilliant scene and one of the best in the film. Obviously referring to YOLT the scene had great dramatic effect in a uneven movie. Agree with other posters down to the screenplay.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Dr_Yes wrote:
    It really goes back to the screenplays. Wood's books are novelizations based on the screenplays, not the othe way around. I doubt Gilbert had much to do with the storylines as such other than choosing how to shoot them.

    I hate to be the one to tell you this but Directors have been known to re write and add scenes of their own. Hell, they're MR. DIRECTOR. They put their own input in and not just shoot scenes. Trust me.
  • timmertimmer
    edited August 2013 Posts: 4,622
    OHMSS69 wrote:
    I hate to be the one to tell you this but Directors have been known to re write and add scenes of their own. Hell, they're MR. DIRECTOR. They put their own input in and not just shoot scenes. Trust me.
    I think you are on to something. The gruesome death pattern at the hands of vicious fish/mammal life is unmistakeable.
    I wouldn't call it misognynist though. More a Gilbert touch. It certainly has schock value though.
  • Dr_YesDr_Yes
    edited August 2013 Posts: 169
    OHMSS69 wrote:
    Dr_Yes wrote:
    It really goes back to the screenplays. Wood's books are novelizations based on the screenplays, not the othe way around. I doubt Gilbert had much to do with the storylines as such other than choosing how to shoot them.

    I hate to be the one to tell you this but Directors have been known to re write and add scenes of their own. Hell, they're MR. DIRECTOR. They put their own input in and not just shoot scenes. Trust me.

    Perhaps, but few directors really have all that much creative control. Lewis Gilbert was hardly a Stanley Kubrick or Alfred Hitchcock, neither in talent nor influence. In a highly commercial product like the Bond series, the real power lies with the producers even if directors still might contribute notable styles.
  • GoldenballGoldenball United States
    edited August 2013 Posts: 74
    Directors are the bosses on the set and that's that. However gruesome Gilbert wanted to make a scene, he had it in his power to do it his way. Directors are paid to bring their vision to the silver-screen.

    And according to your logic, the producers must have approved.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    All I can recognize Gilbert for, is being a very decent director who gave us three fine and entertaining James Bond adventures. Granted, some of the Bond girls demises in Gilbert's pictures were a little nefarious, but they were memorable deaths nonetheless. I'll always be thankful for putting together Moonraker, one of my all time favorite Bond releases
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    fire_and_ice wrote:
    Certainly the death of Aki, for me was a brilliant scene and one of the best in the film. Obviously referring to YOLT the scene had great dramatic effect in a uneven movie. Agree with other posters down to the screenplay.

    By far my favourite scene in YOLT, beautiful and deadly. Otherwise I don't like the movie much.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited August 2013 Posts: 18,270
    Well James Bond films of this ilk are very much written by committee rather than being the work of one sole identifiable person, so there is more than one culprit in this mystery.
  • DRush76DRush76
    Posts: 533


    Since we don't know who is really responsible for the deaths of the female characters in these films, I think it's a waste of time to accuse Gilbert or the writers of misogyny.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,270
    DRush76 wrote:

    Since we don't know who is really responsible for the deaths of the female characters in these films, I think it's a waste of time to accuse Gilbert or the writers of misogyny.

    Yes, don't hold youer breath on the suspects being brought to the drawing room just yet...

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