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James Bond's facial scar

OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
in Bond 26 & Beyond Posts: 202
In Ian Fleming's Bond novels 007 is described as having a thin vertical scar on his right cheek, something that no Bond actor has had to endure in the movies (probably out of fear of making him look like a thug).

However, seeing as as the Craig films are not afraid to really put Bond through the wringer I wonder Bond could pick up a permanent facial scar? Perhaps if the main villain tortured Bond? For all we know it could happen in SPECTRE!

The literary Bond carried several permanent scars on his body (such as the skin graft on his hand after a run in with SMERSH) so it would certainly be interesting to have the Craig-era Bond to carry over something so visible for a film or two. I think it would make him even closer to Fleming's original creation.
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Comments

  • Pajan005Pajan005 Stockholm, Sweden
    edited March 2015 Posts: 432
    Interesting. Didn't know about that

    Although I don't think it'll happen in the era we are in now. Next actor perhaps
  • OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
    Posts: 202
    Bond's wikipedia page has Fleming's commissioned image of Bond (which looks rather like a romanticised version on Fleming). This is the guy I see when I read the books!
    220px-Fleming007impression.jpg
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    edited March 2015 Posts: 5,767
    On the one hand I would find a slightly thuggish appearance interesting for Bond, but the question is if Craig´s facedoesn´t already offer enough of that :-)).

    On the other hand, the thin vertical scar described by Fleming might be clean enough to be noticed only upon thorough examination, and not stand out like a pirate´s zipper-shaped scar (or like Blofeld´s scar in YOLT ;-) ).
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    The books and the films inspired by them are now two very different things so I don't see it would add anything to any actor portraying Bond, especially as @boldfinger suggests, the 'hardened look' of SC and DC carry off the same effect. Actually the more I think about it, I really don't like the idea of a distinctive scar. Plus It would be a right pita to have an actor 'wear' on top of every other production consideration. Hell, people aren't particularly happy about the clothes DC wears let alone a distinctive scar. I'd say leave it in the book.
  • Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
    Posts: 4,410
    I don't think you're ever going to see the scar and nor am I particularly bothered. However, what I do find very interesting about the Daniel Craig iteration of 007 is how we often see him roughed up. The filmmakers behind all Craig's films love to show him looking beaten-up and scarred. More often than not he keeps the scars over the course of the film.

    It's a neat touch to see Bond a little scratched up a day or two after a fight and was clearly a conscious move from the filmmakers that if they show Bond bleed he becomes less of a superman figure and more human. It's a small detail but it's interesting to see the wounds slowly heal and I think subconsciously makes the audience relate to Bond as a person.

    casino-royale-462.png
    casino-royale-475.png
    Quantum-of-Solace-0726.jpg
    Quantum-of-Solace-2043.jpg
    skyfall-981.png

    Personally I hope they continue down this road with Spectre and into Bond 25. If the Comic Relief sketch was filmed on some downtime from SP then I think Bond is definitely in a sore state.

    video-undefined-269EA6F100000578-599_636x358.jpg
  • OnlyManWhoCanOnlyManWhoCan Greater London
    Posts: 202
    Pierce2Daniel wrote: »
    I don't think you're ever going to see the scar and nor am I particularly bothered. However, what I do find very interesting about the Daniel Craig iteration of 007 is how we often see him roughed up. The filmmakers behind all Craig's films love to show him looking beaten-up and scarred. More often than not he keeps the scars over the course of the film.

    It's a neat touch to see Bond a little scratched up a day or two after a fight and was clearly a conscious move from the filmmakers that if they show Bond bleed he becomes less of a superman figure and more human. It's a small detail but it's interesting to see the wounds slowly heal and I think subconsciously makes the audience relate to Bond as a person.

    You're right, I had forgotten how refreshing it was to see Bond carry a brace of scratches on his face during CR. Up until that point all the Bonds would get a little dirty, or perhaps have a little blood leak from the corner of their mouths, but nothing more.
  • ChiefTannerChiefTanner Wilmington, DE, USA
    edited March 2015 Posts: 34
    OnlyManWhoCan wrote: »
    Bond's wikipedia page has Fleming's commissioned image of Bond (which looks rather like a romanticised version on Fleming). This is the guy I see when I read the books!
    220px-Fleming007impression.jpg

    That is so interesting that you said "This is the guy I see when I read the books!" I think about who I see when I read the books too. I think when I read the original novels and short stories I see a mix between Sean Connery and that above picture as per Fleming. It's really that 1960s feeling for me that shows me him. When I read Carte Blanche I think I pictured a Craig-like Bond.

    McLusky007.jpg

    I'm currently reading John Gardner's continuation novels and I think of his Bond more like this McLusky sketch from the comic strip.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Me too. I don't visualise any of the actors when reading Fleming. Highlights the strengths of the writing I suppose?
  • ChiefTannerChiefTanner Wilmington, DE, USA
    Posts: 34
    Suavejmf, I would agree with that.
  • ChiefTannerChiefTanner Wilmington, DE, USA
    edited May 2015 Posts: 34
    Here is another depiction with the scar by George Almond

    https://facebook.com/95915333105/photos/a.10151614821723106.1073741828.95915333105/10151614873593106/?type=1

    https://facebook.com/95915333105/photos/a.10151614821723106.1073741828.95915333105/10151614941558106/?type=3&theater
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Have to say personally I always found Horak's rendition of Bond to be my favourite. McClusky's looks like he works on a fishing trawler (I can almost picture the 'Mum & Dad' and 'Scotland Forever' tattoos!) and the one Fleming commissioned looks a tad fey and a bit too much like Sherlock Holmes for my liking.
  • ChiefTannerChiefTanner Wilmington, DE, USA
    Posts: 34
    I can see your point. Horak's reminds me of Jimmy Stewart
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    I think there's a reason why the scar never showed up in the movies: scars are used to distinguish villains, who cannot easily look like their novel's counterparts.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    ChiefTanner wrote: »
    Here is another depiction with the scar by George Almond

    https://facebook.com/95915333105/photos/a.10151614821723106.1073741828.95915333105/10151614873593106/?type=1

    https://facebook.com/95915333105/photos/a.10151614821723106.1073741828.95915333105/10151614941558106/?type=3&theater

    Bond is a bit fat in the first one! He was 'lean' in Fleming's books.
  • ChiefTannerChiefTanner Wilmington, DE, USA
    Posts: 34
    Suavejmf. I noticed that too
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited May 2015 Posts: 18,343
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I think there's a reason why the scar never showed up in the movies: scars are used to distinguish villains, who cannot easily look like their novel's counterparts.

    Yes, but are things really that simple? See several Fleming print interviews, the morality chapter in Casino Royale and the dark side of James Bond theme in the film version of The Man with the Golden Gun for more details.
  • SirHilaryBraySirHilaryBray Scotland
    edited May 2015 Posts: 2,138
    When I read Bond for some strage reason I picture George Lazenby even though he is my least favourite Bond. Odd eh! I think it is because in the novels, the time that they are set in history, and the human side of Bond. In the novels he's not an invincible bruit, he feels pain, he gets hurt, he fears when he is in danger. I think because I started with OHMSS as my first novel and continued on, Lazenby has stayed in my head, although he was not my favorite Bond I think he was the one most like the Charachter in the novels.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    Blofeld stole his scar in an attempt to look like him! ;)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited May 2015 Posts: 15,229
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I think there's a reason why the scar never showed up in the movies: scars are used to distinguish villains, who cannot easily look like their novel's counterparts.

    Yes, but are things really that simple? See several Fleming print interviews, the morality chapter in Casino Royale and the dark side of James Bond theme in the film version of The Man with the Golden Gun for more details.

    Things are not that simple, but this is one of the reasons why Bond never had a facial scar IMO: it is difficult to cast actors having even a remote resemblance to their novels' counterparts, so they have to use "short cuts": scars, eyepatches, etc.

    Mind you, it could have worked, but then it would have needed to be established early on, either during DN (he gets it during his mission or he already has it at the beginning from a previous one) or say had CR been their first movie. Then the scar could have been one of Bond's trademarks, just like the PPK and the martini.
  • Vic_MakeyVic_Makey
    edited May 2015 Posts: 14
    I'm interested to see if Bond has those bullet wound scars from Skyfall in SPECTRE. I wonder if having those scars would seriously compromise his work as a field agent. I watched the London spy series Hunted the other night and one character had to explain a bullet hole away as part of a car accident.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I often wondered if Fleming also had in mind with Bond's scar, the old German
    Dueling system with swords, the idea was not to kill your opponent, but scar his cheek ( on his face :D ) which was a great sign of honour and bravery ?
    Might have no Connection whatever, but I'm sure it would have been well known.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I often wondered if Fleming also had in mind with Bond's scar, the old German
    Dueling system with swords, the idea was not to kill your opponent, but scar his cheek ( on his face :D ) which was a great sign of honour and bravery ?
    Might have no Connection whatever, but I'm sure it would have been well known.

    Well, it is explained how he got the facial scar in John Peason's biography of Bond and of course Blofeld sported a duelling scar in the film version of YOLT.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    John Pearson's biography is non canon though.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited May 2015 Posts: 18,343
    Ludovico wrote: »
    John Pearson's biography is non canon though.

    Well, yes, but I just wanted to point out that there was already a text on this matter that has been unassailed by anything else, including a duelling scar.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    I could easily imagine Connery, Lazenby and Craig with a facial scar. Dalton to a lesser extend. But not Moore or Brosnan.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited May 2015 Posts: 18,343
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I could easily imagine Connery, Lazenby and Craig with a facial scar. Dalton to a lesser extend. But not Moore or Brosnan.

    Yes, they were more the "pretty boys", weren't they?
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I often wondered if Fleming also had in mind with Bond's scar, the old German
    Dueling system with swords, the idea was not to kill your opponent, but scar his cheek ( on his face :D ) which was a great sign of honour and bravery ?
    Might have no Connection whatever, but I'm sure it would have been well known.

    Well, it is explained how he got the facial scar in John Peason's biography of Bond and of course Blofeld sported a duelling scar in the film version of YOLT.

    I wouldn't Blofeld's scar in the film version of YOLT is a duelling scar. You wouldn't get the skin obscuring the eye like that. Looks more like a burns injury.

    Would we like to see Blofeld end up getting injured so he has a similar scar at the end of SP or the next film?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    TheWizardOfIce wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I often wondered if Fleming also had in mind with Bond's scar, the old German
    Dueling system with swords, the idea was not to kill your opponent, but scar his cheek ( on his face :D ) which was a great sign of honour and bravery ?
    Might have no Connection whatever, but I'm sure it would have been well known.

    Well, it is explained how he got the facial scar in John Peason's biography of Bond and of course Blofeld sported a duelling scar in the film version of YOLT.

    I wouldn't Blofeld's scar in the film version of YOLT is a duelling scar. You wouldn't get the skin obscuring the eye like that. Looks more like a burns injury.

    Would we like to see Blofeld end up getting injured so he has a similar scar at the end of SP or the next film?

    Yes, but that's exactly what they look like. I've seen it referred to as a duelling scar in some sources too. Perhaps he's had more than one, though or there were complications with plastic surgery a la Sir Hugo Drax in MR?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_scar
  • DariusDarius UK
    edited October 2015 Posts: 354
    The facial scar was always an enigma in the Fleming novels. Several of the inheritance writers have tried to explain its antecedents. John Pearson wrote that it had been gained in a car accident when Bond had been thrown through the windscreen of his Bentley. I think it was Anthony Horrowitz that said that it was caused by hot shrapnel -- an injury presumably gained during WWII.

    Either way, we'll never know now.
  • patbpatb
    Posts: 4,617
    Any common feature that has to be passed from one actor to another is really going to draw attention that its actually a different person. Continuity of appearance can't work
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