A Woman Watches Bond: Dr No
Revisiting my 2020 review versus 2022. All I can think is that I really wanted to watch much delayed Craig Bond 25!!! in the era of UK Lockdowns. Having watched Dr No again, whilst I stand by some of my comments, my views have also changed.
2022
Compared to other Connery films, the women in it have, atleast, a voice. Connery’s banter with Moneypenny sizzles and she is more his equal, respected for her intelligence (in more ways than one) and less sighy and swoony. Whilst Honey Ryder does have one of those unfortunate names which aren’t really names (more a job description), I really like how she stands up for herself and challenges Bond’s assumptions of her; this is (after all) a female entrepreneur. The character that Urusula Andress invests her character with is charming — the subtle emotion reactions and genuineness, a lot smarter and with a wider range of emotions than on paper. ‘Yes what’s funny about her name’ — what a come back! Not to mention a victim of abuse who fights back, dangerously. She also portrays an ordinary woman reacting to extraordinary circumstances — such as going into a world destroyer's base, being decontaminated and then offered a new wardrobe!
Even Sylvia Trench is an equal, negotiating a rendezvous, rather than just a ‘Bond girl’. It’s the glamour that hits though (and the hidden equalities, such as Bond allowing a group of white and black air stewardesses through the door first).
Bizarrely all the Bond films of the era require Bond girls running around the soon to be exploded lair in not very explosion proof bikinis — poor old Honey Ryder has not only lost her trousers, but her dignity, by the end as Dr No has left her to drown. Thankfully Bond remembers to look for her as well as destroying the base and villain. The action zips along and it’s nicely paced — even celebrating the Calypso trends of the time and in the tense hiding from a search party under water scene.
Connery’s Bond is at his zenith here and really excellent, fine dining with a villain in a super stylish lair. He even gets told off for not having the standard issue firearms and breaking the rules. Plus all the in jokes of lost treasures ending up there, such as the missing Duke of Wellington portrait. Additionally, there is also the henchman who keeps trying to kill Bond off and being denied as a running in-joke!
2020
When Tiers leave you in tears and all your Christmas plans get cancelled by Tier changes, what can you do…but watch a Bond film? In hope of the new Bond sometime appearing, Cinema de Lux are showing all the oldies…
Roger Moore was my Bond growing up, at Christmas and on Bank Holidays — I’ve never seen most of the older Bonds apart from the very sexist Goldfinger and the groovily Cowbell fighting On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Somehow I’ve avoided ‘80’s Bonds too, coming back for Timothy Dalton in the ’90s and then the Craig!
But a cinema trip is better than no cinema trip at all and old Bonds better than no Bonds at all. Goldfinger rather put me off Sean Connery’s Bond — here he has redeemed himself. In this Bond, hierarchy comes into play as Bond is put in his place for not abiding by the rules and playing the games, such as which gun he carries. In a strange role reversal, he’s almost the archetypal ‘dolly bird’ sitting on Moneypenny’s knee and flirting.
Dr No was such an interesting film for 1962 as it has really really diverse casting. Although it is set in the ‘exotic’ location of Jamaica, the majority of the cast is black or brown. Sadly most of the parts are in service roles (baddies, taxi drivers, dancing and singing), but in the back ground there are policemen, people going about their everyday business, even business owners/managers. Although it’s very colonial in some ways and everyone is tightly Brill-creamed, what a powerful statement this is for 1962 and the film must have been like a bomb in some areas as there is a outdoor bar/dance hall where black, brown and white are all happily dancing and mixing together; at peace with one another and enjoying each other’s company. It is noticeable that Bond is respectful to those he meets, men and women — he thanks, is courteous, asks polite questions and doesn’t use any disrespectful terms like ‘boy’ or worse. Like the Brill creamed hair and all the women having unmoving Marilyn Monroe hair, I couldn’t get over it! Also how strange, given how big Calypso was at the time, that people could love the music, but not the people and culture producing it at the time.
Asian people do not fare so well — there’s much more stereotyping. Dr No and other Asian characters are shown as militaristic, world domineering, emotionless and ‘exotic’. There is also a strange encounter between Bond and a woman who speaks like a BBC broadcaster, looks Asian-American and who knows what really (as her house is bedecked with ‘Chinese’ ornaments and accessories)? Bizarrely there are atleast three authentically Asian characters (in the background and with slightly larger roles) and I wonder why an Asian actress wasn’t used for this part?
And what is Dr No saying about disability with his mangled gloved hands?
Women don’t come off so well — tho there is no infamous bottom slapping as in Goldfinger and they do have autonomy and choice; again Bond is the dolly bird as he is eyed up and chosen sexually by women, not the other way around. Women also don’t fall for his charms immediately and allow him to flirt with them as they choose. He is noticeably respectful to black and brown women. Uncomfortably, rape and sexual abuse are trivialised by the horrible naming of Honey Ryder and her story of exploitation and revenge, and frankly, parental neglect. Yet Bond is protective of her and doesn’t attempt to purely sexualise her, although her character is purely sexual and not a lot else. It’s a strange mixture — although Honey is shown to be the one with the most feeling and compassion as their boat owning colleague dies horribly.
Austen Powers has done for me as I find myself sniggering at the modernist concrete nuclear bunker with endless corridors and the mention of….one million pounds! Also Bond crawling through endless pipework, ruining the suit, and the gratuitous yet still hidden body shots of both male and female leads; not to mention the demise of the henchmen. I also found myself laughing at the many red flashing buttons and large reels of spooling tape!
The film loses its positive start as suddenly the equality is lost; the black boat captain becomes more googly eyed and fearful, and at one point, Bond tells him to get his shoes! Bond get your own shoes! There is a horrible throw back to colonialism and slavery, and servitude here; whereas before they were equals, partners and refreshingly so. But Bond does protect Honey’s lucrative shell collection, despite having told her how foolish she is — again there is a respect there. Though it lacks the positive casting of today and isn’t perfect, this film really is trying to do something different and there is a lot of equality shown.
It starts with what feels like a mixture of Rubix Cube and Olafur Eliasson; it ends abruptly with nuclear disaster being averted and a rescue. The film felt very short! The cars are the thing — the product placement is funny too — the watch, the Smirnoff Vodka, and no Aston introduction as has become obligatory now. The throw away banter is only beginning to come into place and there isn’t the gadget show either.
I liked Bond more in this film — he was more reactive, more respectful, impeccably dressed and feeling his pain when confronted with a menacing spider — neither of us it appears are fans! He also pretty much kept his hands to himself for a change — he is shown as more thoughtful, considered and more of a planner/thinker…Interesting too how weaker characters are suggested by profuse sweating!!!
At the end, again I’m left thinking — most of the characters running around at the end were black and brown — is this just the location of where the movie is set, or are we meant to read into it ethnicity linked to cowardice, selfishness and weakness as no-one seems to be trying to resolve the situation? Or should we see their wisdom in getting out of an impossible situation, freed from a dead tyrant? Intriguing to compare to Tenet.
My learning from this — never have a hidden comms system next to window, even if it is concealed behind a fake, drop down bookcase!!!! Also hats!!! Everyone wears a hat — how splendid =)
