Can we talk about Bond Women?

Chela · January 2007

Okay. I admit, that as a woman, I am probably a tad bit jealous of all the actresses to play Bond Babes (except the ones who played opposite Moore...sorry, really just not a Moore fan, but I digress...)

That said, please take this with a grain of salt. Why is it that none of the women seem to actually fit the films?

I've watched all of the films multiple times (in the States, they show on Spike (a "man's" channel) every fall...7 days of Bond or something like that.) I always finish watching each film with the awful feeling that any woman would have done.

Much was made over Halle Berry's Jinx, but frankly, she just didn't seem to have chem w/PB. And she really seemed to be acting.

There was a film aired on cable here ages ago...Ravenhawk starring Rachel McLish. I keep wishing they would write a Bond girl like that...Bond's equal in every way.

Just my thoughts and I am hoping that you will provide me w/some arguments as to who was the best Bond "babe"...p'raps I can re-watch the films and get a better handle on their roles.

Cheers,

Che

Monique · January 2007

I know you are new Chela, but there are already sooo many threads on this subject already. Since I don't see any mods around at the moment, I'll give you a list of the many topics you can add to about them already:

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/search.php?searchtype=exact&newold=newer&search=1&criteria=bond+girls&search.x=16&search.y=2

Hardyboy · January 2007

Hmmmm. . .you're correct, Mo, but I'm actually willing to give this topic a chance. I find the idea that the women don't seem to "fit" the films to be very interesting. Could you say a little more, Chela? How is that, say, Ursula Andress doesn't "fit" in with Dr. No? Do you mean that the actresses seem to be miscast or the roles are poorly written? Are there any exceptions to this? Pray, tell!

JennyFlexFan · January 2007

If she says Natalya fits her film, then I'll be happy.

Chela · January 2007

Monique-

Thanks for the thread. Not surprised this has been discussed ad naus...so, will check out the link!

That said, a quick reply to JennyFlexFan (I am still not good at cutting/pasting, using emoticons, etc; so, hope this post makes sense in reply to JFF.)

I think my issue is not w/the Bond women alone, it's with all action roles for women. I don't know if TPTB in H'wood just don't get it, but it's sad that when I envision myself in these movies (come on, we all can dream!), I always want to play the guy's role.

Andress - gorgeous, sexy, but window dressing. Bardot would have worked; Tina Louise (Gilligan's Island); Raquel Welch. You get the idea?

Honor Blackman - She had more to do in The Avengers.

Jane Seymour - What, honestly, was the point of casting her? Ditto: Maud Adams, Carey Lowell?

And who was the genius who thought of casting Denise Richards? As a physicist?

Sophie Morceau was glacial and unconvincing.

And to be frank, I wasn't impressed w/Eva Green(e) sp?

I just want them to cast a woman who is Bond's equal. Maybe a OO as well. Or, the counterpart in another country (again, Halle as the US equivalent was a bust.)

The Bond girl in GE would have worked (the good one, not Onatopp), but she wasn't fully fleshed out.

I suppose I want the Bond women to have the same chemistry w/Bond that some of his adversaries have (frankly, the HEAT b/tw Brosnan and Sean Bean is what I am looking for...and for that matter, as good as Craig was, they could have cast Bean if they really needed a blond!)

As noted earlier, it's really most films, not just Bond. TPTB have yet to give us (fans) a really good female action lead (witness Elektra, Catwoman, etc) since Ripley.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT - Ripley for Bond.

Hope this makes sense? Think I am a bit tired and should only post when lucid...ah well, off to check the link.

Thanks for all of the posts!

Cheers,

Che

Hardyboy · January 2007

Chela, are you sure you're not responding to ME? Anyway, it seems to me that what you're asking for isn't a Bond film--you want a Bond-like film with a female lead. And I have to disagree with most of what you say about the women who've been in the films, especially Blackman, Lowell, and Marceau, all of whom deliver fine performances that are perfect for their respective films. As for Ursula Andress, she created a sensation in 1962--she was a complete unknown before she appeared in the film, and overnight she became a superstar. She also pretty much laid the groundwork for the "Bond girls" who followed--sexy, tough, independent, yet with a very soft spot for our boy James. I suppose this is all a matter of taste, and it's clear our palates are very different.

delliott101 · January 2007

I think the Bond girls who DON'T work are the ones who are more equal to Bond... like Jinx and Wai Lin. For 007 to shine, the girl NEEDS to need him.

Of course, the extreme of this may not work (Stacy Sutton in AVTAK and Britt Ekland as Goodnight in TMWTGG), but a balance of damsel in distress with strong personality is ideal.

I watched Living Daylights today and Mayam D'Abo as Kara was great. Innocent looking, kind of naive, but tough when she had to be. Diana Rigg was great in OHMSS. Then there was Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock in FYEO. Great Bond girls, IMHO

Dan Same · January 2007

delliott101 wrote:

I think the Bond girls who DON'T work are the ones who are more equal to Bond... like Jinx and Wai Lin. For 007 to shine, the girl NEEDS to need him.

Of course, the extreme of this may not work (Stacy Sutton in AVTAK and Britt Ekland as Goodnight in TMWTGG), but a balance of damsel in distress with strong personality is ideal.

I completely agree with this. {[] Ursula Andress is incredibly tough (if you don't believe me, listen to her rape speech), yet she ends up needing him far more than he needs her. Honour Blackman is also tough, and even helps Bond, yet there is no talk about her being his equal. The same IMO for Diana Rigg, Barbera Bach ad a couple of other Bond girls.

I don't want a Bond girl to be completely helpless and so annoying that you would want Bond to shoot her, but nor do I want her to be his 'equal' (such as TND and DAD.) There should be a balance, and fortunitely enough of the Bond girls have achieved this balance. -{ (BTW IMO, the last Bond girl to truly achieve this balance, aside from Denise Richards who IMO was quite underrated, was Izabella Scorupco.)

Chela · January 2007

Hmmm. Start of a new week and you have all given me something to think about re: the women in Bond films.

I have a wonderful idea...I will watch them all again (any excuse will do!) Maybe I AM missing something.

And perhaps what I really want IS a female Bond.

Thanks for the reasoned responses,

Che

delliott101 · January 2007

Chela wrote:

And perhaps what I really want IS a female Bond.
Che

Look no further than Tomb Raider... or if they did a series on that other game "Nobody Lives Forever"... THAT would make a good Bond style game

sito · January 2007

how about Monica Bellucci? she was the star of the Matrix, Tears for fear. she is hot Italian actress who can play Bond girl.

Pierce_Brosnan · January 2007

Chela wrote:

And perhaps what I really want IS a female Bond.
Thanks for the reasoned responses,
Che

Bond, Emily Bond. she puts all the bad boys in bed!

ToshTogo · January 2007

sito wrote:

how about Monica Bellucci? she was the star of the Matrix, Tears for fear. she is hot Italian actress who can play Bond girl.

OOOOOOOOh i like that choice, she raises more than my temperature

GiovannaDaina2007 · January 2007

I have always noticed the following

1 - the females are not really fleshed out (even in cases where they claim that she is a different kind of Bond girl)

2 - they usually do NOT have very good screen chemistry with whoever is playing Bond; it always seems forced and superficial

I wonder if this is a conscious effort to keep the female characters marginalized.

Or perhaps to show them in a one-dimensional way to reflect the way that he sees them, or to reflect the superficiality of the encounters?

Even with the current Vesper, I felt the chemistry seemed very forced - of course since her sincerity was questionable maybe that was part of the movie. Or maybe her acting just wasn't very good.

To be honest, the female he has the most personality chemistry with is - M!!!

She is clearly a mother figure for him. The "dossier" provided for CR says that Bond did have a "second father" figure (whose name escapes me)... so perhaps his greatest need is for the unconditional support of a mother - and clearly M is a mother figure for him.

And if I had to be a Bond Woman, M is the one I want to be!!!!

Can we talk about Bond Women?

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