What's Left Of Fleming To Film?
BIG TAM
Wrexham, North Wales, UK.Posts: 773MI6 Agent
I'm not well up on the books, which is a failing of mine I'll readily admit to. To those knowledgable about Fleming's work what exactly, if anything, is left of his books to film? A plot-line, situation, action scene or just character names - I'd be interested to know what could conceivably turn up in a future film.
Comments
There are also others that they did in a totally different way that could still be done the way it was originally written. For example, the bomb assassination attempt in the street that was botched by the two killers in CR. In the film they had Bond put the detonation device on the killer attempting to destroy the jetliner, so the killer ended up blowing up. They could use the actual scene from the book and it would be totally different.
There's a scene in LALD where Bond is attacked by a barracuda which takes a bite off his shoulder - having more realistic violence now, they could do that scene.
A bomb is put in the mantel clock in Bond's hotel room in the same novel and it goes off.
The idea of the motorcycle chase in SF actually came from the FAVTAK short story where Bond investigates the murder of a motorcycle dispatch-rider and the theft of his top-secret documents by a motorcycle-riding assassin. The documents were NATO secrets (in the film the killer had the names of NATO agents). They could actually do the scenes from the story and have Bond discover the underground bunker the assassin hides in within the woods. Since documents are no longer delivered this way, the rider could be carrying and actual object that needed transported (such as a stolen bits of some device).
The scene from Moonraker where Bond is almost killed in his Bentley by the falling newsprint rolls was transferred to the warehouse fight in FYEO. They could still do a similar scene on the road but have the cargo be something else.
The exploding white chalk cliff scene in MR would be amazing.
If one goes through the novels, one can find many scenes that either could be done as they were written or changed just a bit to fit the film as they've been doing.
CR - the bomb assassination attempt mentioned above by Cmdr. Atticus is all I can think off.
LALD - Mr. Big's real name was never used - Boneparte Ignace Gallia. Would make a good name for another villain. Also Solitaire's real name Simone Latrelle was not used. Again would make a good name for a Bond girl.
MR - in addition to the bits mentioned by Cmdr. Atticus the whole plot of blowing up London with a nuclear missile has not been used. Also in both the movie MR and DAD which was a partial remake the name of the Bond girl Gala Brand was never used. Think this is a great name for a Bond girl and shame it wasn't utilised. Why change it to Holly Goodhead.
DAF - most of this book was jettisoned. Don't think the section where Bond is held captive in a wild west ghost town in the Nevada dessert by villains dressed in cowboy gear would work now. What would work is the fight at the end of the book between Bond and Wint and Kydd in the cabin aboard the Queen Elizabeth. In the movie it is on deck and played for laughs. In the book Bond ties sheets from his bed together and climbs down the side of the ship, crashes through the porthole and kills the 2 assassins in a gunfight. This would work great for DC.
The Hildebrand Rarity (short story in FYEO) - Milton Krest has been used in LTK but the location in the Seychelles would be great for the cinematic Bond. Also Bond's friend named Fidel Barbey.
TMWTGG - weaK book but the first few chapters are great. Bond returns from the dead brainwashed to kill M.
I would very much like to see the killing of Wint and Kidd in the book transferred to film with different villains if possible!
Also the Garden of Death from YOLT was never used in the film, including Blofeld's demise. I'm sure this could still be used somehow!?
There is really a forest near Mount Fuji where many Japanese go to commit suicide. A Japanese castle with a large garden full of poisonous plants, animals and insects where people go to end their lives is very believable.
Bond being captured and tortured over along period of time was done in DAD. I think they should have a PTS where Bond frees another 00-agent. Later in the movie the brainwashed agent tries to kill M and Bond is sent to deal with the organisation behind the atempted hit.
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Nor can I, and I really hope they don't go that route.
Indeed. I quite like the idea of having a cliffhanger finish to a Bond film, when one doesn't know whether Bond lives or dies, a la the end of the From Russia With Love novel.
Being a fan of the Moonraker novel, I'd like to have the entire novel adapted in its entirety.
I think it could work as a (post-gunbarrel, of course) PTS, starting from Bond driving his Bentley (or Aston, or a rental Mustang?) up to a motel, and then see the entire events unfold from Bond's perspective.
Nor do I - I was taking the piss!
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