Why is Craig Fleming's Bond?

Post by **carl stromberg** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:16 pm

Why would you argue that Craig is "Fleming's Bond". Is it his looks? His attitude? His relationships towards other people? Is there a clearly defined "James Bond" character or is it ambiguous?

Why is Craig more "Fleming's Bond" than the other actors?

Post by **The Sweeney** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:21 pm

For me it is a few things -

1. Most defining - his eyes. These are the blue, ice-cold killer eyes I always imagined Bond to have.

2. Build - The first actor who actually looks like he could kill someone with his bare hands

3. Attitude - The no-nonsense attitude he has reminds me of Fleming's Bond.

4. Rugged looks - I never really imagined Bond to have handsome features like Brosnan had. I always imagined him to be cruel looking, almost like a villain himself. In TSWLM, Viv almost mistakes Bond for another villain when she first sets eyes on him.

Post by **James** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 9:08 pm

He isn't IMO mainly because he looks nothing like him and isn't refined enough. My theory is that someone decided the (cinematic Bond) was getting a bit old-fashioned and simply decided to make him more Bourne/Bauer.

Harvey Wallbanger · Post by **Harvey Wallbanger** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:23 am

The more I read the less I see Flemings Bond. With respect to the Sweeney I won't say more on it (this time

). I'm sure someone else will have some nice things to say about DC in this thread.

Post by **The Sweeney** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:35 pm

Harvey Wallbanger wrote:The more I read the less I see Flemings Bond. With respect to the Sweeney I won't say more on it (this time ). I'm sure someone else will have some nice things to say about DC in this thread.

Don't worry about me. Feel free to sound off if you don't think Craig is Fleming's Bond. That's what forums are for.

It's all a matter of personal interpretation anyway. No one is right or wrong. After all, they are just opinions.

Post by **Dr. No** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:27 pm

Craig was not Ian Fleming’s Bond period.
I get a totally different Bond from the books.

Post by **The Sweeney** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:37 pm

Dr. No wrote:Craig was not Ian Fleming’s Bond period.
I get a totally different Bond from the books.

Thanks for sharing your own personal opinion.

Commander 0077 · Post by **Commander 0077** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:16 pm

Even in the earlier books, Bond is described sometimes by women as 'looking like a movie star' .... 'handsome with a cruel mouth' ...

In the final books, written during the time the Bond films were being negotiated and made (I think Fleming saw Dr No and FRWL and died before completion of Goldfinger), Fleming changed his hero to resemble Connery. Bond's parents became a Scottish father and a half-French mother (forget her other side). Bond's humor is even more evident in these latter books, and do resemble the Connery Bond.

What about attitude? In the books, Bond is never portrayed as a cruel man who gets his kicks from killing. (I'm not saying the Craig Bond gets his kicks from killing). But aside from the action (book Bond), it's James most of the way. He's not a rude, boorish guy. Notice in the beginning of TB, the cab driver irks him, but all Bond does is make a joke to himself. At the end of MR, the garage man returning Bond's car offers the opinion that Bond is a bit of a soft sort, because Bond warns him of a particularly dangerous curve of road. In other words, Bond doesn't have to throw his weight around, proving himself. In LALD, Bond is PO'd at the killing of the seagull. He is generous and kind with Honey ... and with most of the women.

In TSWLM, Bond is on vacation. While at first sight Vivienne assumes Bond is a bad guy (wearing a blue trenchcoat and cold face), she quickly warms to him. In the next few moments, Bond is simply a gentleman. He sees that this girl is in trouble, and he takes the initiative. He doesn't have bulging muscles, he just has an aura of competence that makes the two hoods think twice.

In brief, the Bond attuitude is not one of 'in your face, I'm badbadbad' but "I don't have to flex. I'm who I am." The latter is classic Bond; the former is Anti-Bond.

Post by **The Sweeney** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 7:23 am

zillionairepoet wrote: In LALD, Bond is PO'd at the killing of the seagull. He is generous and kind with Honey ... and with most of the women.

In TSWLM, Bond is on vacation. While at first sight Vivienne assumes Bond is a bad guy (wearing a blue trenchcoat and cold face), she quickly warms to him. In the next few moments, Bond is simply a gentleman. He sees that this girl is in trouble, and he takes the initiative. He doesn't have bulging muscles, he just has an aura of competence that makes the two hoods think twice.

In brief, the Bond attuitude is not one of 'in your face, I'm badbadbad' but "I don't have to flex. I'm who I am." The latter is classic Bond; the former is Anti-Bond.

And I guess we saw plenty of this tender side in CR too. Think of the moment straight after he almost has a heart attack and Vesper rescues him. His startled `Are you ok?'

Think of the moment in the shower. Think of the many moments in Venice. Hell, in this one he even declares his love to the point of resignation. How many times have we ever seen Bond get this soft?

In short, in CR and OHMSS is the only times we have really seen Bond get that soft.

Post by **carl stromberg** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 12:26 pm

Do you think that Fleming's Bond would be that raw at age 38?