"No Time to Die" - a beautiful farewell to James Bond

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The latest film with Daniel Craig as agent 007 finally breaks the classic image of the hero, but with dignity and on time.

On October 7, the film "No Time to Die" is finally released on Russian screens. The picture was stuck in production for years, changing director (instead of Danny Boyle came Cary Fukunaga), the basis of the script and a significant part of the team. Then the release was repeatedly postponed due to the pandemic. And at the same time, the tape was sent for additional shooting due to the fact that the equipment advertised in the cinema had become outdated during this time.

And this is not to mention the fact that initially Daniel Craig did not want to return to the image of James Bond, emotionally saying: "I would rather cut my veins."

Fortunately, he did not fulfill his promise and eventually signed the contract. But this attack can be understood: the actor first appeared in the role of Bond in the already distant 2006. Today, Craig has been playing a special agent longer than his predecessors, although in terms of the number of films he is inferior to Sean Connery and Roger Moore.

But more importantly, the character actually said goodbye to the service in the previous part "007: Specter". He just beautifully drove off in an old car to a new life with his beloved, who, unlike other typical "Bond girls", still did not die.

But now the 25th anniversary film has made it to the screens. Although if it had been postponed for several months, then the date would have been double - even 60 years from the start of the franchise. And it is good that this event is celebrated not by the beginning of a new era, but by saying goodbye to the old one.

In contrast to the rather uneven and hasty film "007: Specter", the new picture puts a clear end not only in the fate of James Bond performed by Craig. A beautiful and emotional film, more about reflection than a war with a villain, it seems to draw a line under the whole story of a classic super spy movie.

Summing up and farewell

After leaving the service, James Bond, together with his beloved Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), travels to beautiful places, teaching himself not to rush and not to look back. But one day the past still catches up with him, and the hero, suspecting the girl of betrayal, says goodbye to her.

Five years later, an old CIA friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) asks Bond for help in an important matter. So the former MI6 employee is again drawn into the confrontation between the villain, who decided to rule the world, and the special services of different countries. He even has to face a new agent 007 - a woman who was given the call sign of Bond.

One of the first distinguishing features of the Craig era, which started with Casino Royale, was the linking of Bond films into a single film series. Still, the previous pictures - even with Connery, even with Pierce Brosnan - are easy to look at separately from each other. It is enough to know in general terms who the agent 007 is.

But now each new part refers more and more to the events of the previous ones. In the film "No Time to Die" it reaches its climax: even the plot itself is built on parting with the past. At the same time, both old friends of the hero and the villain Blofeld from "Specter" are returning. Sometimes it looks like too deliberate pressure on nostalgia, but the opportunity to see Christoph Waltz in the frame at least for a short time will atone for all the unnecessaryness of his character.

However, referrals are not an end in themselves for the fans. Craig's Bond is the only one in the history of the franchise to receive a full biography. In "Casino Royale" the beginning of his career was shown, and from film to film one can observe the formation and changes in the character of the hero. And if 007 performed by Roger Moore was aging only physically, which is why the authors had to give him less and less action and more jokes, then in Daniel Craig's version this is expressed in a reassessment of actions.

Already in the “Skyfall Coordinates” he looked tired and lost, in the “Spectrum” he decided to give up everything. Now the time has come to look back and realize that it will be possible to finally abandon the past only in the most radical way.

This reflection, uncharacteristic of the previous Bond, is important not only as the finale of one particular era. The 25th painting makes you think that there is no place left for the classic 007 in the new world. Even this version of the agent, seemingly more modern, down-to-earth and loyal to women, is outdated. It's time to clear the field for something completely different.

Personal drama and the story of strong women

One can come across the opinion that it was with the advent of Craig that the authors of the franchise rethought the image of James Bond. He became more ambiguous both in terms of actions and in his emotionality. This is not entirely true.

Agent 007 first fell in love sincerely and decided to marry back in 1969 in the film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", when little-known George Lazenby was invited to play the main role for just one picture. And Timothy Dalton in the late 1980s showed Bond, who gets angry, argues with his superiors and leaves the service for personal revenge.

And there is even a sad irony in the fact that Craig's works are now praised exactly for what the films listed above were scolded with might and main. This is what it means "ahead of their time."

But, indeed, the modern era has shown a new special agent. And the point is not even that Bond has ceased to be an aristocrat in a portrait. Already at the Casino Royale, the once restrained agent who reacted to everything with only a raised eyebrow (another hello from the films with Moore), was perplexedly sitting in clothes under the shower next to the sobbing Vesper Lind performed by Eva Green.

The mention of this heroine is not accidental, because she invisibly pursues Bond right up to the No Time to Die part. And this is another indicator: it is difficult to imagine that, for example, Connery's character will suffer for years for lost love and beg her forgiveness in absentia.

Director Carey Fukunaga, who directed the new film, is not in vain famous for working out characters and drama: it was he who shot the legendary first season of True Detective. Thanks to his talent, the hero turns into more than just an aging and tired agent. He is obsessed with suspicion and too easily believes in the betrayal of a loved one, because this has already happened before. He breaks down, gets lost and simply does not know what to do.

In fact, Bond lost everything he once lived: love, adventure, even, which is symbolic, his legendary number 007. And in this case, he himself renounced the past. But he no longer knows what to do next.

In the process of viewing, it more and more often comes to mind that the phrase No time in the title can be interpreted somewhat differently - "no time". Bond, perhaps, himself would like to die, but it's just that there is no time, again you have to save the world.

No, he's still good at fighting and chasing - unlike Moore. But, for example, the agent already treats women quite differently. Rethinking the images of Bond's girlfriends is also not too new a phenomenon. Already in the nineties, in the era of Brosnan, they more and more often became not just beauties whom he seduced (and sometimes simply raped), but with might and main helped in the struggle. For Craig's character, girls have also become those who can either support and comfort, or destroy his world. And for the boss M, performed by Judi Dench, the hero clearly had filial feelings.

"No Time to Die" again only sums up the changes in Bond's character. The variety of female types, for the sake of which, apparently, the famous screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge was invited, is simply incredible here. There is also a new extremely cocky 007 performed by Lashana Lynch (no, she will not be the next James Bond, the "yellow" headlines are lying). There is sexy Paloma, played by Ana de Armas. An old acquaintance of Moneypenny (Naomi Harris) flashes briefly. And, of course, Lea Seydoux as Madeleine.

But it is important to understand that all these heroines are individual. They now not only have to "please the eye", but perform a completely clear function in the plot. And even de Armas's overly revealing dress is just a necessity. By the way, it does not prevent her from scattering enemies. But Bond is almost indifferent even to such a beauty. This is almost the first time that female characters become his colleagues without any hint of attraction.

The only thing you can complain about here is that there is almost no time for new ones. But it would be simply unacceptable to stretch an already long film even more.

Classic action and flat villain

Perhaps fans of the franchise can be intimidated by such a detailed story of drama, fatigue and tragic characters. But don't strain yourself. Such verbose descriptions are needed only to show: "No time to die" is deeper and more interesting than many of the previous parts. Otherwise, this is the most traditional tape about a special agent with all its advantages and disadvantages.

Fukunagi's film is even more fun and energetic than the previous Spectrum. In general, fans have long noticed that in Craig's era, successful and weak paintings go through one. “No Time to Die” confirms this trend.

The opening scene, which traditionally begins before the credits and the title track (this time by Billie Eilish), will delight you with incredible stunts, chases and jumping off the bridge. By the way, a significant part of the trailers was cut from it.

Then there will be several spectacular massive fights at once. One was even filmed without visible adhesions with a live hand-held camera (how can you not recall the famous six-minute episode from "True Detective"). And, by the way, in this case, this approach perfectly immerses the viewer in what is happening. In contrast to the introduction to Spectrum, where a long shot simply showed the skill of the operator, but did not carry any semantic load.

In general, there are enough beautiful scenes for action lovers: there will be incredible car crashes and flights. Even for the usual jokes of Bond, there will be enough time, and the agent and his assistant will have time to drink a glass of cocktail right in the heat of another fight.

But along with the pluses of classic spy films, problems returned. This primarily concerns the villain. Rami Malek's character with the most ridiculous name Lucifer wears a creepy mask and says typical phrases about saving the world and control that absolutely any antagonist could say.

Flat and almost comical enemies are typical of the franchise. But if in the old days the gold-obsessed Goldfinger from the film of the same name was quite consistent with the grotesque hero, now it is much more interesting to watch some hacker performed by Javier Bardem from Skyfall Coordinates.

In the film "No Time to Die" for Oscar-winning Rami Malek it is even insulting: he has absolutely nothing to play, the character is rather funny than frightening, and does not even participate in the action. And his way of taking over the world also seemed to come from the past: instead of influencing the media, hacking networks, or at least controlling the government, there was again a supervirus and secret laboratories.

Although, perhaps, if this component also looked modern and serious, the picture would finally plunge into depressive gloom. And the story of James Bond, even this realistic one, should be entertaining.

“No time to die” is the correct and clear point in the next stage of the franchise. The film closes all the arches and gets rid of the understatement. The era of Craig, built on rethinking the image of agent 007, has received a worthy end: more emotional and touching than pretentious. But the current Bond, who never hid his feelings, deserved just such an ending.

And fans have to wait for the next restart of the franchise, which is now clearly going to be completely different.