by Shannon Jones
The franchise first hit the big screen more than half a century ago. And despite all the years that have passed by, it still manages to leave a permanent mark on millions of its fans around the world.
If you are a movie fan, chances are that you already have a favourite Bond and favourite movie that still captures your imagination to-date. Having said that, Bond movies are renowned for having scenes, fragments, and moments that linger in the viewers’ minds for a long time. These are the moments that stand out from all the others included in the movies.
Below is a look at some of the top scenes from James Bond films:
- “Bond, James Bond” — Dr. No
James Bond was introduced to the world in Dr. No, the debut Bond film. Bond is shown playing baccarat at a casino. He boldly tells a lovely lady playing on the same table, “I admire your courage, Miss…” The lady offers a reply stating her name is “Trench. Sylvia Trench.” She then states, “I admire your luck, Mister…”
At this moment, the smooth agent is shown for the first time, lighting a cigarette as he responds that his name is “Bond. James Bond.” Since then, the casino theme has become more pronounced in Bond films and always features Bond playing the casino tables. If you would like to know the latest about where and how to best play baccarat at a casino, go to casinoonline.casino/new-casino/ to find an updated list of new casinos available in 2020. Maybe you can find some more James Bond inspired games.
- “The Shanghai Fight”— Skyfall
Skyfall is, without doubt, one of the prettiest Bond films ever made. The Shanghai section makes it to this list as it provides one of the most visually breathtaking scene in the history of this franchise. It’s a moment where Bond is in pursuit of a mercenary known as Patrice – the mercenary intent on assassinating a target in Shanghai.
Patrice gets to shoot the intended target from high up in a skyscraper but is unable to make a clean escape as Bond engages him in a fight. What makes the scene more remarkable is that it’s backlit by blue neon lights shining from outside. Patrice eventually falls to his demise, allowing Bond to emerge the victor.
The fight scene looks incredible, both from choreographic and cinematographic standpoints.
- “No, Mr. Bond. I Expect You to Die”— Goldfinger
Witty and blistering comebacks are among the defining traits associated with the suave agent. Bond engages in wordplay sessions that are almost unmatched by any other character in history. Auric Goldfinger, however, manages to go toe-to-toe with Bond in the film Goldfinger. Well, it’s much more like a waist-to-head contest as the villain has strapped Bond on a table. The agent’s legs are spread out, and there’s a laser that’s slowly moving towards the midsection region.
007 is warned by Goldfinger to carefully weigh his next words as they may prove to be the last words he ever makes. As Auric begins to walk away from the table, 007 quips, “Are you expecting me to talk?” Auric, without missing a beat or hesitating, answers, “No. Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.”
The scene demonstrate the need for the franchise to have well-drawn villains, moreso whose characteristics closely resemble that of Bond. Apart from Auric’s ability to counter his will, the scene provides a genuine moment of humour. This is even as 007 is faced with mortal danger.
But what makes it even more memorable is that 007 is able to make good use of his silver tongue and convinces Auric to shut down the menacing laser temporarily.
- Bond Gets Poisoned — Casino Royale
In any Bond movie, there’s an unwritten rule that regardless of how much trouble Bond gets into, in the end, he must prevail. However, the franchise has provided several rare occasions when Bond has genuinely been in trouble, and his chances of survival have seemed slim.
One such instance appears in Casino Royale, when Le Chiffre, Bond’s nemesis in the film, poisons him when playing a high-stakes poker game (after this, James Bond even got a card game named after him). The tension provided in this sequence is enough to make viewers momentarily hold their breaths.
It’s a scene where viewers are hit with the reality that 007 may finally fail to emerge the victor in a showdown with a villain. Amongst everything else, Casino Royale helped to change the perceptions that the viewers have of 007.
During the length of the film, the audience has no option but to put up with a version of the Bond character that is not only more tangible but which also stands a chance of dying. The scene helped to make it more interesting and exciting to watch Daniel Craig’s films.
