Thunderball (1965) FULL WATCH ALONG W/ COBY
Added 2024-08-02 01:54:11 +0000 UTC
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Yes continue
John A
2024-11-11 07:22:27 +0000 UTCExcuse me. This is a big one. ;-) First things First… if you own the DVDs or Blu-rays of these films, there are Awesome documentaries made for each of the original 16 films. They range from half an hour long to an hour long. They are very entertaining and very informative. They give a very detailed story of the story behind the camera. These docs further show just how connected all 16 of the original films are. Someone put them up on YouTube a few years ago. I’ll post links of the others on the others if anyone’s interested. Inside Thunderball https://youtu.be/zW7hoN3JhnE?si=qfX9NvEy3biRbRId Second things Second… James Bond and Moneypenny NEVER had an intimate relationship. Not even in the Craig Bonds. They have Fun Flirting, and that’s it. The card game that Bond likes to play is Baccarat. This was the game he was playing with Sylvia Trench when he was introduced in Dr. No. The game is played between two people or hands at a time, the “player” and the “banker,” which deals the cards. Like Blackjack, each hand is dealt two cards to start. The cards numbered 2 - 9 are worth face value and Aces are worth a single point. The 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are all worth Zero. High hand wins. (Thanks to, James Bond Spoof film, If Looks Could Kill (1991) for teaching me this as a kid) Felix Leiter was played by a different actor in each of the original Bond films, that Felix appeared in, except for actor David Hedison, who played him twice. Challenge: let’s see if you recognize which Two Films. ;-) ———————— In Thunderball, James Bond begins showing signs of softening, and I believe it’s do mostly to Domino. She has an effect on him that starts to cloud his mind a bit. She touches a part of him that he tries to keep closed off, because he can’t allow himself to feel too deeply for anyone or mainly any woman. He can’t allow any Romantic feelings toward anyone, because it would be too dangerous for him and her. His relationship with Vesper Lynd has been in the DNA of the James Bond character ever since Ian Fleming created him. Albert R. Broccoli, Richard Maibaum and even Sean Connery knew this. The first encounter with a woman that we see in Thunderball is with Pat at the health spa. It is evident that they have been having a rapport in the time that Bond has been there. “I’m surprised… I’d have thought you were just the type for a widow.” Pat introduces Bond to Count Lippe, who also seems to have a rapport with Pat. Bond notices the tattoo on Lippe and gets suspicious of him. While talking on the phone to Moneypenny about Lippe, Bond sees Pat and Lippe both get into a car and drive away. Pat is now a suspicious character, who may have some information on Lippe. Bond decides to turn up the heat… on everyone. As we learned so well in Goldfinger, some of James Bond’s most valuable skills/gifts/weapons are his Charm, Charisma and Sexual Prowess. When he sees Pat next, looking at his x-rays, Bond takes a forceful leap forward in order to Test the Waters. He wanted to know how she would react. She wasn’t TOO upset. After almost being seriously injured on the back stretcher machine, by Lippe, and being “saved” by Pat, Bond is not a happy camper and slightly unsure of Pat’s involvement. Pat says, “…spend a few moments in the steam room… help to relax you.” Bond suspiciously looking at Pat, “Yes.” When Pat is afraid of losing her job, Bond sees an opportunity to fully sway her to his side and create an Ally, if one is needed. Did Bond enjoy this? I’m pretty sure he did. Did Pat go willingly? It looked like she did. Especially in his room later on. I guess it worked. This kind of thing is part of his job. Some people could get tired of this kind of thing. Maybe might prefer something else, but are unable to… or afraid to. When Bond opens the Thunderball file and sees the picture of Derval and his sister Domino for the first time. Does he notice Domino first. No. He notices the dead man that he saw the night before at the health spa. Bond has to convince M that he should go to Nassau. M, just like everyone else, assumes Bond is more interested in the girl, “Do you think she’s worth going after?” Bond replies, “I wouldn’t quite put it that way sir.” Moneypenny does the same, “Smashing figure… I don’t suppose that has anything to do with your request?” Bond replies, slightly annoyed, “Was there ever a man more misunderstood?” Bond is aware of his reputation, and doesn’t seem to think it funny. Bond is certainly attracted to Domino’s photograph, but he knows the mission comes first. She is a person of interest and possibly an asset. When Bond and Domino are having lunch by the pool, Bond is all business. It’s Domino that has to ask, “Don’t you ever stop asking questions?” Later that night, after many more questions, when they are dancing, Domino, talking about her brother says, “He’s a wonderful person. The trouble is I never meet anyone like him.” Bond replies, “Only men like Largo and myself?” Domino says, “You are not like Largo.” Bond asks, “Why do you say that?” Domino, cheek to cheek with Bond, softly says, while closing her eyes, “The way you… hold me.” Domino is awakening something in Bond that he keeps hidden. You can see it in his face when they spin back around to him. He’s trying more than ever to keep it professional, by asking another question. When Bond asks Domino if she is sleeping aboard tonight, it is not so that he knows where to find her in order to sleep with her. It is so that he knows if they will be on the boat or not, because he wants to check the boat out, which is what Bond and Felix did the next night. She thinks he’s being obvious and forward, so he plays it off that way. When Bond goes to Largo’s house, Largo says, “Every man has his passion, mine is fishing… what is yours?” asking Bond. “Well, I’m not what you’d call a passionate man,” he responds, ending with a stare at Domino. Or could he be for the right woman? Does he want to be? Bond realizing that he is giving away too much, awkwardly looks down at his drink and tries to move past it. He was putting a target on Domino. After Bond finds Paula dead at Largo’s, he goes back to his hotel to change, and finds Fiona in the next room having a bath. This is odd timing to find one of the female villains naked in the bathtub of your partner’s hotel room. The partner who was just killed. This is a Seduction Trap and Bond knows this. So he plays along… quite coldly as you can see. Bond is giving no emotion except for the dead stare he is giving Fiona, after just giving her shoes to put on. He sits back in the chair waiting for her to stand up nude and put on her performance. He knows that he is not going to enjoy this. He does it because, again, it’s his job. There’s information and possibly an Ally to be gained. In the bed afterwards, you can see his anger and annoyance, he wants this to be over with and wants to get back to Domino. This was a tough task to accomplish. Sleeping with the enemy so soon after Paula had been killed… by the enemy. I don’t think he was focused enough to make it work this time. He was too professional on this one. Fiona trying to be playful with Bond, but getting nowhere, says, “Questions, Questions. All I get is questions.” (FYI, this common practice is sometimes referred to as, “Pumping for Information.”) Bond pumped her of everything he could get, and was going to lead her somewhere to have her arrested. He did the same thing with Ms. Taro in Dr. No. This time though, they got to him before. Fiona thought the whole time she was seducing Bond and pumping him, But Bond lays everything out right. It was the other way. Bond explains the extent to what he was doing, “My dear girl, don’t flatter yourself. What I did this evening was for King and Country. You don’t think it gave me any pleasure do you?” This hit her ego a bit, so she tries to attack his. Fiona smugly retorts, “But of course, I forgot your ego Mr. Bond. James Bond. All he has to do is make love to a woman and she starts to hear a heavenly choir singing. She repents and immediately returns to the side of right and virtue… but not this one. What a blow it must’ve been, you having a failure.” Bond admits, “Well, you can’t win them all.” His heart just wasn’t in this one. And now finally, the Beach scene with Bond and Domino. In order to fully understand the gravity of what Bond is feeling at this time, one must look to the script to see what was shot on the day but later cut out. In the film, Bond says, “Domino, I have to tell you something.” Domino then looks ashamed and says, “I’m sorry James. I didn’t mean to embarrass you, speaking of Love. I know…”. Bond then cuts her off, saying, “I must hurt you again.” In the film, Domino never mentioned Love. ——————————- Here is the script. 446. EXT. SURF. BOND. DOMINO. Waist high in water as they take off masks. She smiles up at him. BOND (grinning) I hope we didn’t frighten the fish. She laughs, puts her arm around his neck. They kiss. When they break, her face is no longer happy. She turns abruptly away, slips out of aqualung, starts toward beach, carrying it. He slings off aqualung, follows her. 447. EXT. BEACH. DOMINO. BOND. Catching up with her. The surf eddies around their feet near outboard. He puts his hand on her arm, turns her to him questioningly. DOMINO (calmly) I think perhaps I am in love with you, James. Bond doesn’t answer and doesn’t stop her as she turns away again. As she puts her foot to the ground she gives a sharp exclamation and drops the aqualung. Bond supports her as she examines her foot. DOMINO Sea-egg spines. They’re poisonous. ———————————— Before anyone says, well they cut that out, it’s not how it was intended. Remember, Domino’s line in the film, about not mentioning “Love.” That means they shot it, and the actors were playing the whole scene like it was part of the movie. So… Bond got hit with the Big One at the beginning of this scene. It has been apparent that Bond was developing feelings for Domino all along as well. When he tells Domino that her brother is dead, you can see the pain in his face. He hates to have to tell her this. Now watch what he does next. He puts his Sunglasses on to hide his eyes, and his next line afterwards is, “Domino, I need your help.” He put the sunglasses on to help hide his emotions and to help himself be the cold professional that he needs to be. She senses the coldness in the question and immediately becomes cold and emotionless herself, saying, “Of course. That’s why you make love to me.” He hates that he has to ask her help, because it puts her in danger. But, that’s not something that he’s supposed to worry about. James Bond was Falling in Love with her, and he had to put a stop to it. He can’t allow himself to fall in love or be Romantic… even though he very much wants to. Here is another line from the script that was taken out. After Bond tells Domino that her brother is dead and asks for help, she begins to hate him for sleeping with her just to get her to help. She yells, “I hate you.” Bond then says, “I came to tell you [about your brother]… and then… seeing you… knowing it was now… or perhaps never… yes… I made love to you.” I hope one day people start to see James Bond for who he is and was. I feel like the “Womanizing, Sexist, Misogynistic, Predator like” reputation got a little out of hand at some point. Yes… the Producers and Writers wanted to show Sex and Sexy Women, and have James Bond sleep with as many women as possible. This Sold Tickets. But they did try to make his sexual exploits fit into the story and have a point. There is a reason he sleeps with these women, and only some of them are for pleasure. Having said that… coming up there are a couple films that do fit the “Common Reputation” described earlier, but if you look a little deeper, you may find a reason. “Was there ever a man more misunderstood?”
Larry Darrell
2024-08-04 20:52:29 +0000 UTCCoby this a personnal question, you don't have to answer, ok. You feel people are ok, to personal or to much? Only answer if you ok with it
Anders Pettersson
2024-08-02 17:35:31 +0000 UTCAlso glad you’re now paying attention to the opening titles, especially for who sings the theme song. You’ll definitely come to learn the names of the actors for M, Q and Moneypenny.
Simon
2024-08-02 13:27:04 +0000 UTCSo glad you're finally continuing Bond...please no more breaks! lol
Simon
2024-08-02 09:15:10 +0000 UTCPerfect!! Perfect Timing. I was going to start Dr. No tomorrow night, and finish the rest this weekend. I love that you’re going through all of them! Just remember that Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton are all playing the same James Bond. They are all connected. There is One Complete Story, that spans 16 Films over 27 Years. Really looking forward to Thunderball. It’s one of my favorites. Pay close attention to the beach scene with Bond and Domino. There’s something that reveals more about James Bond’s character, that makes him more human. There was more in the script, that they filmed but cut out. Domino has a line that doesn’t make sense, unless you know what was cut out. More on that later.
Larry Darrell
2024-08-02 02:21:34 +0000 UTCCoby, glad you are enjoying these classic bond films--Sean Connery was born for this role!!!
Chris Bruneau
2024-08-02 02:03:20 +0000 UTC
