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When I was first getting into Bondage, there were some important bibles (i.e. Bond reference books), which described GF and YOLT to have more pace than TB. I wonder if that has any bearing as to why I find GF/YOLT such a good match up, rooted in the fledgling psyche of a young Bond fan?
When I was younger, these were my two favourites of his (not any more though) along with the Moore entries, so it's quite possible.
https://fortressoffleming.wordpress.com/2017/05/18/a-fortress-of-fleming-review-thunderball-1965/
It's still topped by GF though because I like the overall plot of GF a bit more and Gert Fröbe is the superiour villain with the ultimate henchman of Oddjob. I personally compare the golf scenes of GF to the Shrublands scenes in TB ... they are slower in pace and provide a nice break in the narrative.
Spot on..i love those scenes...shame they seemed to have died out,although I do like the pheasant shoot scene in MR.
Will definitely have a read.
I totally agree. DN does transport you there. Your their sipping a G & T on the hotel balcony (with a whole lime) etc!
DN may be his most layered, as it's a quiet performance that relies a lot on his subtle body language to convey what Bond is thinking; like the scenes in his hotel or over dinner with Dr. No. But even in his debut his strengths for subtlety and depth are clear, and he quickly shows that he doesn't need any words to light a fire on a scene. Look at his scenes with Zena Marshall's Taro, where all his actions speak for him; the way he masks his anger at her betrayal of him as foreplay, how he engineers them to stay in the room while the cops lie in wait, etc. Sean perfectly conveys the rich mind of Bond, and how he can always think steps ahead.
FRWL is probably his objective best, with a lot in the script to really give him time to shine, not only in the lighter moments but in the real grit of drama too. Just taking his acting with Shaw on the train in the second half is enough to show just how brilliant he was, able to convey so many emotions and feelings in Bond with a look or tightening of his jawline. You feel how dead to rights Bond is, and that's uncomfortable. He and Daniela Biachi also have a shimmering chemistry, and Sean is able to bring out the more light and lustful/sensual side of Bond in reaction to his acting partner. A very layered performance, that conveys Bond's dark humor, but also his fear and his heart. Moments like his reaction to Kerim's death say it all, and how he tears the door of the train compartment over and stares into Daniela's eyes, playing up Bond's distrust and rage. Perfection.
GF is probably Sean's most sensual and passionate performance, as you really see Bond going at women with a thirst and getting upset when they're taken from him. Sean really plays up Bond's lust perfectly, probably better than he ever did before or after, and you feel the attraction he has to the women as the film goes on. Just that shot of Shirley rising to look out the binoculars in the opening in Miami says it all, as you can see how Sean moves himself away just a little so that her face is right up against his and he can sneak a smell of her hair. Little moments like that show the thought he put into his acting, and it adds so much to the scenes that he was that on the ball. He also flares his nostrils like mad in the movie to convey his anger, disgust or attraction, which is a whole other part of the performance you could spend forever talking about. It's also the film that made me question everything I knew about my sexuality (being hyperbolic here) because Sean is so damn captivating in it. Watching GF shows you why he was so sought after and envied. The man was an animal, and never looked better than in this film, beyond alluring and handsome.
TB is a great sequel to what Sean did in DN and FRWL, fitting that it's the last in a trilogy started by the two previous Young films. We see all that made the last two films great here, which is Bond moving around his hotel and subtly setting up traps, and Sean really showing us the danger of Bond's life in some high risk moments. There's so much subtext and nuance in what Sean does in the film, especially when he's around Claudine's Domino. We can feel Bond snap to attention when he sees Largo mistreat the girl, and watch as he becomes the protector. His dancing scene with Claudine after Bond and Domino meet says so much, simply by the way Sean holds the woman with a sensitive and caring touch. When Domino tells Bond she loves the way he holds her, you believe it because Sean conveys that immense sense of protection and thoughtfulness. The chemistry Sean and Claudine had goes a long way toward making TB so classic, because it makes each moment between them more powerful. They're perfectly romantic and frivolous in their light scenes, but when Bond must tell Domino what happened to her brother Sean and Claudine really step up and show their depth; just that close-up shot of Claudine crying in reaction to Domino's pain is amazing.
Sean's best acting probably comes during the moment when Fiona surprises Bond in his hotel, and we see he and Luciana beautifully play off each other. We see the reserved and slightly charred expressions of Bond as he tries to think of a way out of the situation he's fumbled into, and the expressions of Fiona as she reacts to Bond's harsh words. Sean's acting in Bond's escape is amazing, and you completely feel his fear as he races between the crowds of people. That one shot of him at the Kiss Kiss Club bar, completely out of ideas as he's surrounded, is Fleming's Bond come to life. He plays it so perfectly, getting a girl to dance with as awkwardly as a man facing death would, and when he's dancing with Luciana he again perfectly emotes Bond's feelings as he sees that gun rise from the curtain. Who knows what could happen next? It's easy to feel that Bond could die, even though we know he won't, and that's what makes the moment so brilliant.
Since this is the Thunderball appreciation thread, can we agree that one of the greatest moments in Bond history, and one of the greatest shots, is the one of Bond just dancing with Fiona's limp corpse as he tries to cover up the blood seeping from the wound, Sean's face saying, "I wish I didn't have to do this?"
So much is said by him with no words, and I guess that's what makes him the best. ;)
I am a great fan of this movie and thus NSNA never really had a chance for me - even I actually appreciate Sean's acting as an aging 007.
Perfect post mate.
Who would rip on Luciana's body? The only thing wrong with her in that movie is that Sean was cast instead of me to throw about in the sheets with her. (Sorry Sean, love you)
Another little thing I love about TB that is blink and you miss it: how much of an animal Fiona is. Biting Bond's shoulder and ear when they're in bed, talking of being in a cage, the movie really worked to make her seem like a wild cat and that is very much appreciated. Sean plays it all perfectly too, though it's hard not to act enchanted when you've got that girl next to you.
I'd have promptly asked the crew to leave the set, or enticed Ms. Paluzzi to stay after filming had concluded, best case scenario. Sean could've gotten away with it, but my chances probably wouldn't be as good.
Same here but sod it,worth a try eh ?! ;)
Well, we've got to get to work on that time machine then, @barryt007. But if we do get one working and operational, I'll forget everything and head to 1950 Hollywood to romance a Marilyn Monroe who would share my age. That means you can have Luciana all to yourself in the 60s.
Ooooh good call....Norma Jeane eh ?
Probably the one woman from the past I'd do anything to spend a few hours with. People seem to usually define her as a sex symbol, but below all that facade she was a brainy, witty, compassionate and sweet woman with a rough past. I'd love to pick her brain for a little bit, talk poetry or literature with her, maybe music. Anything, really.
What's wrong with it is that she keeps it covered. That's the only thing.
On a side note, that's maybe the one and only time in a Bond movie when you know exactly when the Bond girl is penetrated! Which makes it the most explicit scene of the series.