Great Moments From Cinema - 1

License To Thrill
Movie: Dr. No (Danjaq Productions and Eon Productions Ltd.; 1962)
Director: Terence Young
Screenplay: Ian Fleming (book) and Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood & Berkely Mather
Major Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, & Bernard Lee

Film Synopsis: In his first outing, ‘James Bond’ (Connery) travels to Jamaica, to investigate the mysterious ‘Dr. No’ (Wiseman).

My Favorite Moment: “Bond. James Bond”

Why I Like It: With these words, the most famous movie character was launched. 44 years and 20 movies later, he shows no signs of slowing down. It is very surprising for a franchise to survive for so long, especially when the leading man has changed 5 times and yet the audience keeps coming back for more. Although the plots have had to keep up with the modern times, the central theme remains the same. There is a super villain with plans of world domination, which prompts the British secret service to pull ‘Bond’ from the company of a sultry beauty and send him to exotic locations. 2 hours later, after surviving several heart-stopping moments, he is back in the arms of another beauty as they celebrate his success over glasses of martini. It is predictable yes, but so is our favorite ice-cream. This is one guilty pleasure which nobody minds.

Sean Connery was the ideal choice to play the lead role. He was young, handsome, sophisticated and had that arrogant charm which Cary Grant had made his own years earlier. His entry in the movie is typical of the character. He is first seen dressed in a tuxedo and gambling successfully in a posh casino, surrounded by the rich and famous. He is far removed from being the ruthless government spy who carries a number ‘007’, which means ‘license to kill’. He drinks vodka martini, “shaken not stirred”, and seduces women by merely introducing himself in the manner mentioned above. Then, after a playful tryst, he was sent off to Jamaica where he encounters ‘Dr. No’, defeats him, saves the world and collects the beautiful Ursula Andress as his spoils of victory. It is not as easy as it sounds, it never is in a ‘Bond movie’, but the style with which he carries out his missions, makes the danger seem trivial.

Over the years, the favorite pastime of ‘Bond’ fans has been to compare the performances of the various actors who have been ‘James Bond’. Each one has their own favorite and rightly so, because all the actors brought something to the character and added to his legend. Whether it was the intelligence of Connery, the wit of Roger Moore, the fierce intensity of Timothy Dalton, the shrewdness of Pierce Brosnan or even the charm of George Lazenby, who was abandoned after one outing; all of them took us for a thrill ride across the globe and made us believe, that the only bother for them might have been the selection of a tie to go with their dinner jacket. Plus, who can forget those beautiful women who have come to be known as ‘Bond Girls’. As we await the next installment of the franchise which introduces Daniel Craig as the new leading man, he knows that he has some big shoes to fill. For every fan will be watching his exact move, starting from ordering of the drink, to finding the right tone to introduce himself. Oh yes, ‘007’ is a prestigious number to carry, for it signifies a sacred part of cinema history.