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Does FRWL contain the longest sequence without Bond?

Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
edited December 2012 in Bond Movies Posts: 2,722
Taking the dubious claim that the first appearance of Bond isn't the real Bond then it is seventeen minutes before he appears. Even if you take Bond appearing in the first three minutes - then it is fourteen minutes before he appears again. Does a resident Bond expert here know the longest stretch that Bond isn't on screen for?

Comments

  • ggl007ggl007 www.archivo007.com Spain, España
    Posts: 2,541
    Probably that...

    Did you read the novel? Remember it?
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    The only possible competition for this I can think of would be FYEO where you have the St George's sequence then a cut to London and Moscow and then Melinas parents being topped.
    But I don't think it would come in over the 10 minute mark so FRWL would still take it.
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    Posts: 2,722
    ggl007 wrote:
    Probably that...

    Did you read the novel? Remember it?

    Oh yeah - my favourite Bond novel! Takes an age for him to appear in that too. (As it does with TSWLM novel.) I just don't think you'd get away with not having Bond on screen for that long now.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,122
    Major_Boothroyd wrote:
    ggl007 wrote:
    Probably that...

    Did you read the novel? Remember it?

    Oh yeah - my favourite Bond novel! Takes an age for him to appear in that too. (As it does with TSWLM novel.) I just don't think you'd get away with not having Bond on screen for that long now.

    A shame, because it really helped building up the suspense in FRWL.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I am guessing FRWL is the longest and FYEO the 2nd longest. Maybe TMWGG would come next. I obviously haven't timed these. And these are not including any PTS, right? After the rest of the film story starts.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,122
    Well, we see Bond early on in TB, but there is a long sequence when SPECTRE steals the bombs where he is off screen for a long time.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Seem to remember Goldfinger spending a lot of time talking to Pussy in Goldfinger when Bond was being held captive in his cell. Probably not the longest Bond was ever off screen, but worth a mention ?

    I haven't seen Thunderball for so long, can't really add anything to the last response

    But From Russia With Love could well be the longest time without actually seeing Bond himself on screen, but this debate may well rage on
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    What about including stunt men? I'm sure that will add alot on to many scenes under the 'without Bond' category
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    If that was the case, the award would have to go to Moore in A View to a Kill, seeing as two thirds of the movie involved his stunt double it appeared sometimes
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,122
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Seem to remember Goldfinger spending a lot of time talking to Pussy in Goldfinger when Bond was being held captive in his cell. Probably not the longest Bond was ever off screen, but worth a mention ?

    I haven't seen Thunderball for so long, can't really add anything to the last response

    But From Russia With Love could well be the longest time without actually seeing Bond himself on screen, but this debate may well rage on

    I am fairly sure it is FRWL. I wonder why they don't give more screen time to the villains this way.
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    edited December 2012 Posts: 2,722
    So I took into account the PTS (which has a Bond but not the real one) and the TS (which doesn't seem fair) so if we erase those two it is twelve minutes from the Kronsteen chess match until the end of Klebb recruiting Tatiana. The FYEO suggestion is a good one. But I think the cult of Bond that hit post-GF simply wouldn't allow a director or editor let alone screenwriter to leave Bond off screen that long. I'd be interested in the flip side of this question - which Bond film has Bond on screen for the longest time? Also, is SF the earliest Bond appears? The first shot!
  • RC7RC7
    edited December 2012 Posts: 10,512
    Ludovico wrote:
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Seem to remember Goldfinger spending a lot of time talking to Pussy in Goldfinger when Bond was being held captive in his cell. Probably not the longest Bond was ever off screen, but worth a mention ?

    I haven't seen Thunderball for so long, can't really add anything to the last response

    But From Russia With Love could well be the longest time without actually seeing Bond himself on screen, but this debate may well rage on

    I am fairly sure it is FRWL. I wonder why they don't give more screen time to the villains this way.

    I wondered this myself. I started writing a treatment for a hypothetical Bond 24 which didn't feature Bond at all within quite a lengthy PTS. I then realised that TDK and TDKR employ this trick. I'd like to see Bond try it although I'm sure there would be uproar from some sections of the fan community.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Skyfall's success sould show EON anything is possible now, so if this were to happen, the next film could be the one. I'd love to see something like this again.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,122
    RC7 wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Seem to remember Goldfinger spending a lot of time talking to Pussy in Goldfinger when Bond was being held captive in his cell. Probably not the longest Bond was ever off screen, but worth a mention ?

    I haven't seen Thunderball for so long, can't really add anything to the last response

    But From Russia With Love could well be the longest time without actually seeing Bond himself on screen, but this debate may well rage on

    I am fairly sure it is FRWL. I wonder why they don't give more screen time to the villains this way.

    I wondered this myself. I started writing a treatment for a hypothetical Bond 24 which didn't feature Bond at all within quite a lengthy PTS. I then realised that TDK and TDKR employ this trick. I'd like to see Bond try it although I'm sure there would be uproar from some sections of the fan community.

    There would probably be, but there has been precedents. I think an absence of Bond for a little while would help building the suspense and show how resourceful and dangerous the villain is.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    RC7 wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Seem to remember Goldfinger spending a lot of time talking to Pussy in Goldfinger when Bond was being held captive in his cell. Probably not the longest Bond was ever off screen, but worth a mention ?

    I haven't seen Thunderball for so long, can't really add anything to the last response

    But From Russia With Love could well be the longest time without actually seeing Bond himself on screen, but this debate may well rage on

    I am fairly sure it is FRWL. I wonder why they don't give more screen time to the villains this way.

    I wondered this myself. I started writing a treatment for a hypothetical Bond 24 which didn't feature Bond at all within quite a lengthy PTS. I then realised that TDK and TDKR employ this trick. I'd like to see Bond try it although I'm sure there would be uproar from some sections of the fan community.

    Can see where you're coming from but I sort of feel cheated by a film where the hero isn't involved in some of the biggest stunts a la TDKR opening, Cliffhanger plane to plane transfer not being Stallone.

    I could live with a dramatic PTS without Bond but not a big action set piece.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,122
    But it does not have to be a big action set piece.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    I feel like LALD is a contender as well, if you include the title sequence.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    It probably is, in all honesty, because the only others I can think of are when Bond is absent from a pre-title sequence, like in LALD and TMWTGG, but then comes back right after the title sequence.
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