16 replies to this topic

[Colossus]

I have to give it to Peter Lorre, the Bond may have been American, characters may have been squished into one, but the main villain of Casino Royale nails it with the classic presence.

[MarcAngeDraco]

I have to go with Mads. For me, the 54 version features a generic Peter Lorre villain, I never really feel that it's Le Chiffre.

[Mr Twilight]

I think they both are great. They are two different characters that are greatly performed. And I don't just say it as a dilomatic gesture. Orson Welles would certainly had done it too if he had the chance but they did blow the whole movie(the 67) to smitherreens.

[Qwerty]

While I'm fond of both of them as Le Chiffre, Mads Mikkelsen gets my vote.

Lorre is probably the best thing about the 1954 Casino Royale though.

[Single-O-Seven]

Lorre has that thick, toady look of Fleming's villain, and when I read the novel I still see him on the page. Mads was great, but Lorre has a creepier feeling about him.

[zencat]

Lorre has that thick, toady look of Fleming's villain, and when I read the novel I still see him on the page. Mads was great, but Lorre has a creepier feeling about him.

I agree. I think Lorre was very Fleming's Le Chiffre. But Mads was right for the reboot. I like 'em both.

[LadySylvia]

I think that both made great Le Chiffres, but I have a personal preference for Mads.

[RazorBlade]

I, too, like both. Mads is a brilliant actor and can perform most any role. I would enjoy him as a hero in a film. But PL is more Fleming's character and the one I imagine when I read the novel. So I go with PL.

[MHazard]

Peter Lorre. He absolutely seems exactly like the LeChiffre described by Fleming. Mikkelson is a talented actor, and he did a good job in the role, but Lorre was a wonderful actor whose physical presence called to mind Fleming's LeChiffre. If you don't think that's important, imagine Mikkelson playing Goldfinger instead of Gert Frobe. (Mikkelson fans, please do not flame me. Mikkelson was fine in the role in CR, which is one of my favorite Bond movies).

[LadySylvia]

I think that both Lorre and Mads captured the essence of a Fleming villain. I just don't believe that because Lorre seemed physically similar to the literary version, he was better. That's just like saying that the other Bond actors are closer to that character than Craig because they are dark-haired and he isn't.

[MHazard]

I think that both Lorre and Mads captured the essence of a Fleming villain. I just don't believe that because Lorre seemed physically similar to the literary version, he was better. That's just like saying that the other Bond actors are closer to that character than Craig because they are dark-haired and he isn't.

I would agree that Mikkelson did capture the essence of a Fleming villain. But I believe that physically resembling the character described by Fleming is a plus. As I said before, for example, Gert Frobe was almost perfect physically for Goldfinger-a chunky gold colored man with short gold colored hair. This helped make the movie. Now, physical resemblance to a character as described in the book is obviously not the only criteria with which to judge an actor. (Note Sam Spade in Hammet's book was a blonde who did not look like Humphrey Bogart). Laz looks more like Fleming's Bond than Craig and, I think Sean. Now Craig is clearly a better Bond than Laz based on his superior acting skills, and, apart from his hair color fits Fleming's description. If, however, he had the same acting skills, but looked more like Fleming's Bond he'd be even better. With Fleming's villains, where the looks (which are frequently over the top) are part of the atmosphere, looking like the villain is a plus. Now, I'd rather see a good actor who doesn't look like the character play a role than a bad actor who does. But I'd really like to see a good actor who looks like the character most of all. There are enough good actors out there it should be possible.

Of course, in the 60's they solved this problem by casting actors and actresses who looked like the character (Gert Frobe, etc.) but having another actor voice the part. I'd much prefer to see the good actors in CR do the roles (Craig, Wright, Mikkelson) even though they don't look exactly like Fleming's description than suffer through actors who might more resemble the character but are mediocre actors. All too often in Bond films we've suffered actors who neither looked like the characters and were mediocre actors (e.g. the succession of ridiculous Leiters). I can also think of at least one Bond who in my mind was both a mediocre actor and looked nothing like Bond. So, Craig is a gift, the most gifted actor to play the role, who, apart from hair color, I believe does look like Fleming's Bond(cruel and sort of scary until he smiles).

Now, to get back on topic, Lorre was a skilled actor, who I think was as good, if not better, actor than Mikkelson("the letters of transit Rick") who looked like LeChiffre in the way Frobe looked like GF, so of course, I'm going to prefer him. But I'll take Mikkelson anyday to most of the actors who have played Bond villains.

[RazorBlade]

What hurts Peter Lorre the most is that he was no longer at the top of his craft. Mads is. That makes a big diff for me. I suppose that I choose Peter Lorre for sentimental reasons. Plus, I think Peter Lorre at the top of his game would be the fan fave villain in a big screen role.

[sharpshooter]

Havent seen the 54 version so I cant comment.

Mads played Le Chiffre very well. So he has my vote.

[blackjack60]

Had Welles been able to play the character straight, he'd have blown any other LeChiffre out of the water. He could do accents too, so the character's nationality wouldn't have been a problem. (IIRC, Welles was considered for the part of Blofeld in the never-made Warhead film--I'd have paid good money to see him in that!)

[Colossus]

What hurts Peter Lorre the most is that he was no longer at the top of his craft. Mads is.

....but he was skinnier when he was younger. He played it perfect, he WAS the guy in the book.

Edited by Colossus, 31 July 2007 - 03:08 AM.

[Bondian]

I'd got with Mads. He has the nuts for it.

[Carolinabond007]

2006