Dragon in DN

ohmss1969

Isn't it a bit silly that island people actually believed that there was a dragon at No's island ?

It's 1962 , not 1662 when people might've believed such things

Loeffelholz

True...but when you consider that voodoo still holds sway in some pockets of this geopolitical neighborhood as late as 2007, it's not all that difficult to accept that anecdotal tall tales---from essentially uneducated islanders---might have spread through the region, getting more outlandish with every retelling...

To me, this is perhaps the least of the 'realism hurdles' encountered by this particular film. More glaring, IMO, is the revelation that tarantula bites are rarely (if ever) fatal...

Lazenby

Loeffelholz wrote:

tarantula bites are rarely (if ever) fatal...

The filmmakers knew that...I guess they figured that the audience would be much more likely to buy that a tarantula was a threat than a centipede (as was used in the book). Oddly enough centipedes are, in fact, more dangerous...

Loeffelholz

That's true, of course. Pity they didn't have a bit more respect for the audience. A huge centipede would have been equally (if not moreso!) disturbing...but perhaps difficult to photograph in a practical fashion...

Nevertheless, a tarantula bite would no doubt be sufficient to stop MY heart

7289

The "dragon" as used by Dr. No was a very thinly disguised ruse. The good doctor altered a marsh buggy just enough that if a confused and simple minded bird watcher or other trespasser on Crab Key, should survive the island, they would provide the authorities with an unbelievable story - thus ruining their credibility. It was just a clever bit of insurance.

Had anyone seriously believed there was a fire breathing dragon on Crab Key, this insurance would backfire on Dr. No. If he thought the Spoonbill bird sanctuary was a threat, Imagine the Doctor's reaction to boatloads of Tourists coming out to his island to see the "dragons"!

That was exactly what he was trying to avoid by burning out the Spoonbills.

Loeffelholz

It was enough to spook the local fishermen, though, who never thought to notify the National Geographic to report the existence of dragons on Crab Key B-)

7289

Quoting Sir Donald Munger "precisely".

Dan Same

ohmss1969 wrote:

Isn't it a bit silly that island people actually believed that there was a dragon at No's island ?

It's 1962 , not 1662 when people might've believed such things

Is it silly? Rumours circulate that a creature of some kind that breathes fire is on an island. What else could it be but a dragon? Plus, let's not forget that in the year 2007, some people believe in the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, UFOs, ghosts and who knows what else.

Barbel

Dan Same wrote:

some people believe in the Loch Ness Monster

In Scotland we have a name for such people- "Tourists" .

Dan Same

Barbel wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

some people believe in the Loch Ness Monster

In Scotland we have a name for such people- "Tourists" .

) So tell me Barbel, does the Loch Ness Monster actually exist?

Barbel

Dan Same wrote:

) So tell me Barbel, does the Loch Ness Monster actually exist?

Of course she does. B-)

Off-topic- did you ever see the Saint episode featuring Loch Ness? Wasn't bad, as far as I remember.

Dan Same

Barbel wrote:

Off-topic- did you ever see the Saint episode featuring Loch Ness? Wasn't bad, as far as I remember.

I've never actually watched The Saint. ;% {:)

John Drake

Barbel wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

) So tell me Barbel, does the Loch Ness Monster actually exist?

Of course she does. B-)

Off-topic- did you ever see the Saint episode featuring Loch Ness? Wasn't bad, as far as I remember.

Of course the Loch Monster exists. You don't think we just made that up to persuade gullible tourists to part with their cash do you? :v )

I saw The Saint episode. I liked the ending, which if I remember correctly,

ended with the bad guys being sunk by an unseen object. Templar and the others wonder if it could have been the ferry, but then he points out that the ferry wasn't out last night.

Barbel

John Drake wrote:

Of course the Loch Monster exists. You don't think we just made that up to persuade gullible tourists to part with their cash do you? :v )

I saw The Saint episode. I liked the ending, which if I remember correctly...

Yes, that's the one. Haven't seen it in years, but it had nice atmosphere.

As to Nessie, whenever we have family or friends from abroad staying with us a trip to Loch Ness is mandatory but so far they've all been unlucky with regard to sightings .

Smoke_13

I remember watching Dr. No with my wife. The film got to the dragon scene and she burst out laughing at how ridiculous it was. I had to agree that it did look awful but I stressed it was made in the early '60's.

I agree 100% that it is silly. So are double take pigeons, cello case toboggans, secret bases that are engulfed in flames because a bunson burner gets knocked over.

Yep, I love the Bond world but there are times when all Bond fans have to "shrug their shoulders"

7289

Regards the "Dragon" as funny.

When I first saw Dr. No a couple of years after it was released it never occurred to me to "laugh" at the marsh buggy. The Bond films were always a subject of much discussion and I don't remember anyone thinking the "dragon" was funny. I think we all accepted it as a Dr. No prop.

Today's audiances may see it as silly, because special effects are so much grander today

ohmss1969

Actually , what I meant that it was kinda prejudiced that black people believed such mumbo jumbo , sorry I worded myself wrongly

I *do* believe in UFOs , though...lol

Bottom line with the Bonds = suspension of disbelief , just go with the flow

Tee Hee

ohmss1969 wrote:

Actually , what I meant that it was kinda prejudiced that black people believed such mumbo jumbo , sorry I worded myself wrongly

I never understood why people insist there are racial undertones in DN.

#1: The native superstition of the dragon was not meant to degrate the intelligence of an entire race. As Loeff's has stated, voodoo is still practiced in some parts of the Caribbean, so to them a dragon might not be so unbelievable. Same goes with any religious person really, no matter the faith. Someone may well find the belief in a higher power to be ridiculous. Anyway, Honey believed in the dragon too, even after reading all those encyclopedias.

#2: Bond was not disrespecting Quarrel by telling him to "fetch" his shoes. I suppose he could have asked him a little more nicely, but now stuck with Honey and with men with dogs on the way, it's understandable that Bond would be a little bit testy. Perhaps the controversy surrounds Bond's choice of the word "fetch," as if Bond considers Quarrel to be on the same level with a dog or other animal. Fetch is simply a synonymn for "get," so perhaps it is just more British to use the first term.

Plus, considering Bond specifically shows desire to avenge Quarrel's death later in the film, I would assume that Bond holds him in a high regard. It is surprising that Felix makes no mention of Quarrel at the very end, however I'm sure the producers wanted to end the film on a high note.

How sensitive we as a society have become. So much so that Sheriff J.W. Pepper is not allowed to say "boy" when the film LALD is shown on TV here in the U.S. Yes, he uses the word when referring to Adam, however he also uses it to refer to Bond (white), the Oyster truck driver (white), and even his fellow officers (whites). Plus, if I remeber correctly, the word "honkey" also appears in that same film. It's a double standard really. It's as if racism can go only one way, with only whites elligible for the title of "racist" ot "biggot."

Sorry for the rant, but let's all relax people!

7289

I have to second TeeHee here:

The "native superstition" comment comes from Jack Lord's Leiter, and is not in IF's novel. Quarrel has heard "rumors" of the dragon and had friends who went to Crab Key who never returned. His belief in the truth of the Dragon is based on second hand fact. It's clear that both Bond and Leiter have determined Dr. No is covering up something and the Dragon ruse is part of it. They are never fooled. Quarrel doesn't have all the facts.

Honey has seen the dragon and believes in it. No disrespect to her.

"Fetch my shoes!" poor choice of words, not in the book. 1961 was not an enlightened time - Quarrel does his share of eye-rolling, It's a hangover from an earlier era when stereotypical charecters had to act a certain way. Neither the director, actors or producers had the sensitivity or foresight to play it different. For the most part Quarrel is played straight and is one of my favorite Bond allies. He should have been saved and used again and again like Leiter.

JW Pepper is an insult to the audiance and specifically to Southern White Law Enforcement. He is straight out of the worst of Burt Reynolds - and that's as bad as it gets!

Pepper is a bigoted, stupid, vile, and filthy charecter. I never found him funny. He is an exaggeration of the fustrated Sheriff in DAF. JW is a clear example of the exaggeration of the humour taken to extremes in the Roger Moore era. His presence in two films is doubly disgusting and a reason why Moore films are a notch below what they could have been.

Overall I prefer the Dragon!

Honey Rider

I don't think it was racist at all for the natives to believe in a dragon in DN. We may think it is ridiculous, but we come from a different culture in a different time to the natives in DN; and there is no doubt that many of us have beliefs that these natives may think are ridiculous. If the dragon had been replaced by a UFO, perhaps some of us may believe in it.