CHENNAI: On October 5, 1962, the movie “Dr. No” premiered in London. It was the first in a long and successful series based on the spy novels by author Ian Fleming.
Playing the leading role, Agent 007, was an unknown actor: Sean Connery. In the film, we are first introduced to his character as he sits in a casino across from an attractive woman who is about to gamble away her fortune. When she asks 007 his name, the camera pans to Bond lighting a cigarette. With a smoldering look in his eye, he utters the legendary words: “Bond, James Bond.”
Shortly thereafter in the film, 007 receives an assignment to fly to Jamaica and investigate the murder of another M16 agent. He eventually tracks down a Chinese-German criminal scientist who is bent on destroying the US space program and achieving world domination. It’s not a matter of East or West, Dr. No tells Bond when he asks, both are just points of a compass, one as stupid as the other.
In principle, this story is the basis of all of 25 James Bond films. Whether the villain is Dr. No, Blofeld, Goldfinger or Le Chiffre, they all aim for one thing: world domination. But to do so, they have to get past James Bond whose gunfire and wild chase scenes inevitably spoil their plans.
Although many fan forums consider “Dr. No” to be one of the best Bond films, the movie would never be made in the same way today.
Firstly, one could write entire books about the omnipresent sexism and machismo that the character James Bond has displayed over the decades.
Certainly there would have to be a thick chapter dedicated to the women in his films, who are typically portrayed as naive, willingly flinging themselves into Bond’s arms, seeking protection. Sometimes they are sophisticated female antagonists who lose control at the thought of hopping into bed with the secret agent.
Whether friend of foe, each film had at least one Bond girl — and often more: a total of 60 love interests have appeared in the films. Their names, like “Honey” or “Pussy Galore” would never be acceptable today. In more recent decades, female roles in Bond films have changed — as has Bond himself.
In the last five films in which Daniel Craig has played Bond, he is seen as a man who is tough on the outside and soft on the inside — and who is not always lucky with women.
Aside from the portrayal of women on screen, there are also plenty of other details in “Dr. No” that haven’t quite stood the test of time.
Another sign of the zeitgeist in the 1962 film is that everyone smokes, which is a no-no by today’s Hollywood standards. Cigarettes are found everywhere in the old film, from the casino to the hotel bar — and even the bedroom.
One can also note in “Dr. No” that few people are wearing seat belts. When Bond drives off in his sports car to visit a woman, he is followed and a chase scene ensues. Bond, notably, is not wearing a seat belt.
And there’s one last change to be made: In the British Embassy in Jamaica there’s a portrait of a young Queen Elizabeth.
In the next James Bond movie — should there be one — a picture of King Charles III would hang in its place.
This article was provided by Deutsche Welle
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