Job By Alexis LeBrun April 4, 2022
In the year Since his debut in the cinema in 1962, Agent 007 has seen dozens of extremely fit women pass through his bed. But in recent years, the winds of rebellion and modernity have been blowing among the James Bond girls.
The Connery years, the birth of a legend
This is perhaps the most famous image of the entire saga. From Beach of Dreams, Sean Connery sees a white woman in a white bikini, a cinematic legend, come out of the water. This Naiad is the first ever James Bond girl, “Honey Rider”, played by James Bond 007 in James Bond 007 in Dr. NO (Terence Young, 1962). In a few moments, a legend was born, and with it, the definition of what will become for a long time the victory of the boy of the player 007 woman. Male desire.
And after spending the night with the secret agent, their life expectancy does not exceed a few hours. This model dominates dramatically from the 1960s to the 1980s, of course with variations: apart from many spies or femmes fatales – often with good names like Pussy Galore or Holly Goodhead – James Bond likes to rescue damsels in distress like the two Bonds. . Naiads, played by French Claudine Auger (Domino) in Operation Tonere (Terence Young, 1965) and Carole Bouquet (Melina) in RIEN QUE POUR VOS YEUX (John Glenn, 1981), although the latter has some freedom in it. Seeking revenge.
The Brosnan years, the first turning point
And freedom begins to be discussed from the mid-1990s and the arrival of Pierce Brosnan in the skin of James. After the late Timothy Dalton, Bond settled down at Gaudiol due to the onset of AIDS, the Irish actor’s reprise of the role marks the beginning of a new era for the James Bond girls. Sure, like Roger Moore before him, Pierce Brosnan racks up hits at a rapid pace, but the few changes noted in his first reign add up in his second coming. From GOLDENYE (Martin Campbell, 1995) Bond returned to the ropes and was described by M (Judi Dench) as a “sexist and wrong dinosaur”.
And of course, things turn sour with Xenia Onatopp (Famke Jansson), a psychotic killer who enjoys killing her prey in bed. Tomorrow Never Dies (Roger Spottiswoode, 1997) Martial arts expert Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) revolutionizes the role of James Bond girl, rivaling 007 as a true action hero. Sophie Marceau then gave unprecedented scale to the Bondian female family archetype by publishing Elektra King, the world’s most terrifying parricide arch-rival (Michael Apted, 1999). where she tortures Bond with some sadism. Although this character is Lara Croft, played by Denise Richards, she takes on the role of a James Bond girl, a nuclear physicist.
The Craig years, the metamorphosis of the role
In the year In 2002, the circle came full circle at the franchise’s fortieth anniversary, when Halle Berry (Jinx) emerged from the water in honor of Ursula Andres The Other Day (Lee Tamahori), wearing an orange suit with a belt and knife. That said, times have changed: Jinx isn’t a shell fisher like her ancestor, but an NSA agent who, like James, can do everything. But the best is yet to come. With Daniel Craig taking on the skin of 007, the James Bond girl makes an important change as the agent. Because CASINO ROYALE (Martin Campbell, 2006) is one of the most memorable films of the saga, of course, the tragic love story between Bond and Vesper Lynd, the character played by Eva Green of France. It was a real revolution at the time: 007 hadn’t had an on-screen romance since his brief marriage to Tracy (Diana Rigg) in the cult film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Peter Hunt, 1969). After the Brosnan years of change, Eva Green brought the James Bond girls into the modern age for good with her sophistication. It’s clear that the French actress is incredibly sophisticated, but most of all, she plays the morally ambiguous role that haunts Daniel Craig’s Bond for the rest of his reign.
And from the next film, James Bond’s daughter, QUANTUM OF SOLACE (Marc Forster, 2008), the revolution continues as she is unable to avenge herself on her childhood tormentor. Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) is a woman on a mission and has no desire to sleep with James Bond, traumatized by his broken relationship in CASINO ROYALE. James Bond’s daughter not fit for 007’s bed? Respect to some fans! However, this saving trend is confirmed in DIE CAN WAIT (Cary Joji Fukunaga, 2021), where James Bond does not seduce either Nomi (Lashana Lynch) or Paloma (Ana de Armas), but instead shares a love of fighting with them. Because after meeting him in SPECTER (Sam Mendes, 2015), 007 found his great love Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) in the last episode of the series. James Bond was in love with a James Bond girl, and this in many films? Under Sean Connery’s unthinkable, regular Daniel Craig, 007 left his number for Lashana Lynch at the start of DE CAN WAIT. A potential sign of a new revolution: goodbye Bond girls, hello Bond women?
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