James Bond’s farewell
Almost 60 years later James Bond vs Doctor Noreleased in British cinemas in 1962, the 25th film official of the 007 film saga was that to score the shot. In both cases. After five other performers, including the obstinate model Sean Connery, after hundreds of adventures, dozens of missions, adventures and romantic conquests, billions in box office receipts, dozens of musical compositions, in short, after a career committed to His Majesty’s secret service , MI6 Agent 007 James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, says so stop In Death can wait.
Fifth film and conclusion of the Craig era, Death can wait ends with James Bond’s sacrifice to destroy the biological threat looming over the world. Destroy it where it was designed and contained: in Lyutsifer Safin’s laboratory, on an island somewhere between Russia and Japan, and in his own body, as Safin contaminated him before slaughtering him. Under a massive missile attack launched by a Royal Navy ship, James Bond dies.
This disappearance – although obviously temporary – surprised much of the public, but it stems from a implacable logicin the history of the film but also in that of the franchise.
James Bond: Sean Connery’s unique performance
Did James Bond have time?
In Death can wait, James Bond must find and put out of danger a dangerous terrorist who has stolen a terrible biological weapon from the English government. Nicknamed “Heracles”, it consists of killer nano-robots programmed on a single person’s DNA and which are transmitted through simple tactile contact.
During his confrontation with Safin, the latter infects him with nano-robots programmed to kill Madeleine and their daughter Mathilde. Without an antidote, James Bond will therefore never be able to touch them or even get close to them.
While Madeleine and Mathilde leave the island, James Bond stays to open the silos of the Safin base, so that the missiles that are to be launched will completely destroy the site. He opens these silos, but tells Madeleine that he will not join them. Does he still have time to take refuge?
At this moment he knows that he will never be able to see Madeleine and Mathilde again without putting them in serious danger. Since they are everything to him, he does not have the strength to impose this situation on them and to impose it on himself as well. The character is exhausted, Daniel Craig enjoys highlighting this its wear after fifteen years of service and, as already demonstrated Casino Royale and reminded him Sky fallhe would just like to hang up the phone and retire – in fact he’s at the inauguration Death can wait –.
Only the prospect of complete peace alongside Mathilde and her daughter, whom she has just discovered, is an option. Once this is made impossible, therefore chooses to stop the costs. Given what the character has proven capable of in the past, James Bond therefore has plenty of time to take refuge and potentially force himself to do so one last mission to find out how to destroy the nano-robots, but the heart and energy are no longer there…
An inevitable death on a narrative level
The Craig era is a separate sequence in the saga, because it is consolidated the principle of linearity and continuity between different films. From the Casino Royale, restart who adapts the very first novel dedicated to the agent (1953) in 2006, darkness is the order of the day with a spy who no longer enjoys his job at all, meets Vesper Lynd, the love of his life, and sends his resignation to Mr.
But Vesper’s murder will put him on the tragic path of personal revenge, which opens directly and from the opening sequence of How comforting. Continuity of intrigue and feelings…
Disappointment, sadness, revenge, Daniel Craig then sets his James Bond on a path with a dramatic outcome, given his historical profile: discovering who he is deep down, who his allies and enemies really are, starting a family, accepting suffering . In other words, push Anti-heroic character development at its peak.
The idea is not new at all. From the You only Live Twicefifth film by Sean Connery, the tendency is to make the character more human and psychologically more developed. Sean Connery can’t take it anymore and leaves the saga, not wanting to tie his career to the character. Then change of perspective in 1969, with George Lazenby in the role of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
It ends with the wedding of James Bond and his family direct widowhood, with Tracy being killed by Blofeld. Blacker, more modern, less macho, more in touch with the culture of the decade than him… On Her Majesty’s Secret Service it is a critical success, but cinemas fill the theaters less.
The narrative has finally transformed
After On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby did not return and the studios were unhappy with the commercial performance. Backing out, Sean Connery agrees to return for just one film and a very large check, then Roger Moore takes over in 1973. same rotation attempt it was repeated in 1987, with Timothy Dalton.
More police, darker and more modern, less Bond Girls, a darker and more aggressive agent. Timothy Dalton starred in two films in 1987 and 1989, before abandoning the role due to significant production delays Golden eyein particular due to a long dispute between MGM studios and the Broccoli familyowner of the franchising rights.
Also come back than in George Lazenby’s time. Since the films with Timothy Dalton had performed too poorly at the worldwide box office compared to those of the previous films, the studios wanted to win back the audience and started again in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan on lighter entertainment.
And finally, after the critical failure of Die another day in 2002, Daniel Craig took on the role and managed to make it happen this fundamental pivot in the narrative and in the James Bond universe. Really bring the character to life, give him humanity, strip him of his “superhero” attributes, and then do it.die“.
Death could wait no longer
Like the desire to humanize the character, the concrete death of James Bond is not a recent idea and was – falsely – represented as early as 1963 with the opening sequence of Good kisses from Russiawhere a Russian agent wearing a mask of his face is sacrificed during training.
Then inside You only Live TwiceOR James Bond dies in the pre-credits scene. First, without it being explained, it is however admitted that it is a fake death orchestrated by MI6. A wink to Sean Connery who announced during production that this would be his last appearance as him?
In Die another day, James Bond fakes cardiac arrest to escape from where MI6 has locked him up. In Casino Royale, poisoned, his heart stops forever but Vesper Lynd barely revives him. And so in 2021, almost 60 years after his first appearance at the cinema, by dint of trying, James Bond has finally managed to say his first goodbye in Death can wait…
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
