Barbara Bach

Jarvio

Is it unusual for me to think that Barbara Bach's performance in TSWLM was quite bad?

In my opinion, she just totally lacked emotion. The character of Anya Amasova is a good one, but Barbara's performance wasn't good in my opinion.

Her delivery just seemed uninspired to me. I sometimes got the impression that she didn't even want to be in the roll. She just seemed emotionless and unenthusiastic IMO.

Is it right for me to think this way? Shall I take cover now? {:) 8-)

Kirk James Kirk

I agree, Bach is very one dimensional in TSWLM. Then again, so are a lot of the Bond girls: Goodhead, Sutton, that one from TLD, Christmas Jones, etc. So maybe the Bond producers tell the female actors to underact. I noticed this problem in one of the new special features for Moonraker. There's an interview with Lois Chiles, who seems to me to be much more emotionally involved than her bland Moonraker performance.

Dan Same

Jarvio wrote:

Is it right for me to think this way? Shall I take cover now? {:) 8-)

Yes. X-( Take cover or DIE!! X-( Seriously, I thought Bach was great. Granted, her performance would never have won an Oscar, but I thought she played the role of a sexy Soviet agent who was determined to get revenge really well. Plus I thought she was gorgeous. :x

Osato

I can see what you mean - she seems to underplay a lot of the time, so she seems somewhat emotionally detached from the part.

Does anyone know if her dialogue was dubbed? That sometimes has the effect of distancing the performer from the motivation of the character, I notice it to varying degrees in the leading ladies' performances in DN, FRWL, TB, YOLT and FYEO.

Still, she did well enough to rank pretty highly on my list of Bond girls - being drop dead gorgeous always helps.

Barry Nelson

I thought she was fine. I believe her character was meant to be a cold emotionless spy, whic is what she delvered. Also, as Dan said, she looked great.

rennervision

She's absolutely lovely. The "Honey Ryder" of the Roger Moore era. I swear she could hypnotize me with her cat-like eyes.

00-Agent

I thought her performance was good, and her looks are beyond compare. IMO she is the most beautiful of the Bond Girls. She is the sole reason why TSWLM ranks so high on my favorite films list. When I first saw TSWLM as a young impressionable youth she awoke feeling in may young adolescent mind that...I better stop now this is a family site.;%

Alex

Osato wrote:

I can see what you mean - she seems to underplay a lot of the time, so she seems somewhat emotionally detached from the part.

Good description.

Bach's blank stare works. There's some inherent ruthlessness hiding there. Well, at least that's what I see. Either way I certainly believe her character is capable of killing. Her lines were not dubbed, watch the scene where she yells at Jaws and Bond roughing around in Egypt. The Russian accent drops to a NY for a moment.

Imo, despite the silly accent, Bach makes an impact by playing the iceberg to perfection. And it's not just physical beauty that appeals to me. Honest.

Willie Garvin

It's the physical beauty that appeals to me...:D

Only kidding,I think Barbara and Britt Eklund and Maud Adams and Carole Bouquet are the best actresses among Roger's leading ladies as well as the most desirable.

John Drake

I really like Bach's performance. She's playing a KGB secret agent and I guess she's supposed to have a detached attitude. Personally I find that quite attractive. But there is a hint of emotion when she threatens Bond over her lover's death.