28 replies to this topic

[broadshoulder]

I really do think Melina Havelock is a very special Bond girl. Shes my favourite and recently reached number 6 in a Bond girl poll on another site. And up against 21+ other Bond girls that was quite an achievement.

I love her because she is a fully formed character who goes on an emotional journey and is beautifully played by Carole Bouquet. For the last four films we have had beautiful agents. Anya Amasova had a character that changed over the course of the films but others such as Mary Goodnight and Tiffany Case didnt. Holly Goodhead, to me, is the best example of an "agent" Bond girl but it wasnt a meaty role.

Melina Havelock changed all that. From the word go - she was in the middle of the action. The writers immediately gave us her sympathy when we see her parents gunned down. Straight away we get the motivation for the character, the most powerful there is - revenge.

They make allusions to Electra who got revenge on her mother and lover in the 'Odyssey'for murdering her father. Her Greek roots are used as character traits - the Greek predeliction for avenging wrongs - such as the family feuds on the Mani peninsula. She is even given a career such as marine biologist.

In the hands of any other actress it could have came out wrong. In the hands of a lesser screenwriter/director she could have turned into a OTT psycho. But with Carole Bouquet - its all restrained. Its all cold fury. Its icy determination to kill her parents killers all the way through the film. She does not stop to think that killing them will not bring her parents back as Roger points out. Its a wonderfully restrained performance. I like the fighting back of the tears in the Cortina horsecarriage - she knows he is right but wants to continue with her mission.

She has, in this film, solid motivation to go after Kristatos and there is an elegance in Carole Bouquet that suits the character.

Personally, there are others such as Tracy, Vesper and Tatiana who are more likely to be picked for the top spot.

But I feel Melina Havelock is the most underratted of the Bond girls.

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[Jim]

Smashing 'tache, too.

[sharpshooter]

She was relatively decent. Seems that Camille will be similar to Melina in QoS.

[Cruiserweight]

She's in my top five(#2) when it comes to bond girls.

[Jackanaples]

Smashing 'tache, too.

Dammit! I haven't seen FYEO in an age, and always thought Carole Bouquet quite the looker. Spend a few days of careful thread perusal here and now the word mustache involuntarily springs to mind whenever I see the names "Melina Havelock" or "Carole Bouquet"; like a Pavlovian response.

I hate you all.

[FlemingBond]

She is the most underrated. A strong female character that doesn't have to be an agent or Bond's partner! Traditionally i prefer Blonde's, but i 've always thought she was beautiful.

[bonds_walther]

She's a grower (and I'm not talking about facial hair).

[broadshoulder]

Smashing 'tache, too.

Dammit! I haven't seen FYEO in an age, and always thought Carole Bouquet quite the looker. Spend a few days of careful thread perusal here and now the word mustache involuntarily springs to mind whenever I see the names "Melina Havelock" or "Carole Bouquet"; like a Pavlovian response.

I hate you all.

Yeah, I thought that was an unpleasant thing to say. I've watched FYEO countless times and have never noticed. Nor do I want to notice. Why do people have to spoil a thread?

[Judo chop]

Smashing 'tache, too.

Dammit! I haven't seen FYEO in an age, and always thought Carole Bouquet quite the looker. Spend a few days of careful thread perusal here and now the word mustache involuntarily springs to mind whenever I see the names "Melina Havelock" or "Carole Bouquet"; like a Pavlovian response.

I hate you all.

Yeah, I thought that was an unpleasant thing to say. I've watched FYEO countless times and have never noticed. Nor do I want to notice. Why do people have to spoil a thread?

If it were only an irksome thread, it could be overlooked. Fact is, she

[Chad Cooper]

She seems so impassive...Boring this girl,isn't she ? And without sense of humour according FYEO's staff...

[Qwerty]

Never been one of my favourites of the series. I understand, appreciate and support the storyline developed around her character, but she almost seems a little too miserable at times. Not bad, but not in my top ten.

Best scene in the film is probably in the carriage ride with Bond after the motorcycle/flower shop sequence.

[David_M]

She's quite beautiful, I think, but she really doesn't have a spark to her. In contrast, I think Barbara Bach was immensely appealing despite being very limited as an actress and looking, from some angles, flat out weird. Looks aren't everything.

The bigger issue with "Melina" as a character is that Bond spends the entire movie being a protective father figure to her, only to seduce her in the last few minutes. It didn't feel natural to me, really, although in a sense it's easier to accept the age difference if the girl is gradually won over by Bond, as opposed to falling at his feet at "Hello." I guess my problem is that these two seem to have more of a professional or even familial relationship, so that when they finally do hit the sack, I think, "Oh, wait. Were they supposed to be attracted to each other?"

[jaguar007]

I agree with david M about the almost fatherly role Bond took to her during the film. However she is very beautiful, strong character and has always been one of my favorite(if not my favorite) Bond Girls from the Roger Moore era.

[Publius]

Definitely one of my favorites, but I think she would have worked better with Dalton as Bond. With the exception of Maud Adams, every woman Moore romanced in the 80s Bond movies could have been his daughter (or son, in the case of Grace Jones), and he treated them all as if they were, which makes for some really disturbing viewing.

And having a mustache is better than having what some of the other Bond girls were apparently sporting in FYEO.

[tdalton]

Definitely one of my favorites, but I think she would have worked better with Dalton as Bond.

Agreed. She's probably my second favorite Bond girl behind Domino, but you are right in that the character would have been a better fit in a Dalton Bond film.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Smashing 'tache, too.

she can have a 'tache ride from me anytime.

[DamnCoffee]

She's a grower (and I'm not talking about facial hair).

So what hair are you reffering to?

[broadshoulder]

The bigger issue with "Melina" as a character is that Bond spends the entire movie being a protective father figure to her, only to seduce her in the last few minutes. It didn't feel natural to me, really, although in a sense it's easier to accept the age difference if the girl is gradually won over by Bond, as opposed to falling at his feet at "Hello." I guess my problem is that these two seem to have more of a professional or even familial relationship, so that when they finally do hit the sack, I think, "Oh, wait. Were they supposed to be attracted to each other?"

Shes grieving. It would look really bad if she did a Jinx Johnson and jumped into bed with Rog after five minutes. It looked a very close family unit and shes still in pain from witnessing their deaths. She is not going to be a happy smily girl but very wtithdrawn and probably abit needy. Thats why I like the bit on Corfu when she breaks down at their memory. Rog is supportive rather then lecherous.

The end part does jar as their relationship seems to be of two really just moving in the same direction rather then unbridled lust. I suspect the filmakers wanted a "traditional ending" rather then a lowkey one which would probably have happened in real life. In actuality after Kristatos had been dealt with Bond would have spent a couple of nice days aboard the Triana then pushed off. "Moonlight swim" Rog doesnt quite work.

[baerrtt]

She's quite beautiful, I think, but she really doesn't have a spark to her. In contrast, I think Barbara Bach was immensely appealing despite being very limited as an actress and looking, from some angles, flat out weird. Looks aren't everything.

The bigger issue with "Melina" as a character is that Bond spends the entire movie being a protective father figure to her, only to seduce her in the last few minutes. It didn't feel natural to me, really, although in a sense it's easier to accept the age difference if the girl is gradually won over by Bond, as opposed to falling at his feet at "Hello." I guess my problem is that these two seem to have more of a professional or even familial relationship, so that when they finally do hit the sack, I think, "Oh, wait. Were they supposed to be attracted to each other?"

True I like the fact that for the majority of the film we see Bond have a relationship with a woman which isn't flirtatious or sexual. Like LTK my pet peeve with FYEO is that despite the tone of the film they choose to go with a tradional ending (even when it doesn't suit it) if they'd been braver it would have ended with a hug and goodbye (low key as some posters have put it). Hopefully QOS will have some semblance of a 'non tradional' ending like CR did.

[Double-0-Seven]

Never been one of my favourites of the series. I understand, appreciate and support the storyline developed around her character, but she almost seems a little too miserable at times. Not bad, but not in my top ten.

Best scene in the film is probably in the carriage ride with Bond after the motorcycle/flower shop sequence.

I agree. That's how I feel about her character as well.

[Cruiserweight]

I've never seen this facial hair which many people mention.

[DaveBond21]

She's great. She is as dangerous with a crossbow as she is seductive with a smile. Bond really cares about her in FYEO, almost like a father figure. The scene when Bond persuades Melina to return to Greece, on the sleigh in Cortina, is one of my favourite of the series (and the music is beautiful).

And 007 doesn't sleep with her until the very end.

[tdalton]

She's great. She is as dangerous with a crossbow as she is seductive with a smile. Bond really cares about her in FYEO, almost like a father figure. The scene when Bond persuades Melina to return to Greece, on the sleigh in Cortina, is one of my favourite of the series (and the music is beautiful).

That is a very good scene, and one of Roger Moore's best, IMO. I thought that he and Carole Bouquet were both very good throughout the entire film, and were perhaps the best on screen pair in the franchise, save perhaps Sean Connery and Claudine Auger.

[Mickeba]

Yes Melina is special. For me, the top Bond girl is always Domino, followed by Tracy. Followed very closely. Diana Rigg is fantastic in whatever she does (Mrs. Peel, we're needed) but Domino is simply the most beautiful.

mickeba

[dogmanstar]

Very fond of Melina.

Two words from me: BACK STORY .

[Turn]

Some talk is being made of Bond and Melina not hooking up romantically until the end of the film. You could read it that way, but I always wondered if they were together in Spain as they are in the same hotel room and she is brushing her hair as Bond comes in to tell her they have a flight at 11. It kind of leaves it up to the viewer whether they were together or not.

[00Twelve]

Some talk is being made of Bond and Melina not hooking up romantically until the end of the film. You could read it that way, but I always wondered if they were together in Spain as they are in the same hotel room and she is brushing her hair as Bond comes in to tell her they have a flight at 11. It kind of leaves it up to the viewer whether they were together or not.

Mmm...I'd like to think that he was chivalrous enough not to seduce her so early on, especially considering the circumstances under which they met. You know, FlemingBond-like. But that's just me.

[tdalton]

Some talk is being made of Bond and Melina not hooking up romantically until the end of the film. You could read it that way, but I always wondered if they were together in Spain as they are in the same hotel room and she is brushing her hair as Bond comes in to tell her they have a flight at 11. It kind of leaves it up to the viewer whether they were together or not.

Mmm...I'd like to think that he was chivalrous enough not to seduce her so early on, especially considering the circumstances under which they met. You know, FlemingBond-like. But that's just me.

I'd like to think that as well. I would like to think that Bond would not take advantage of her in that situation. He didn't have any information that he could have gained from her in that situation, so the only thing that would have come out of Bond trying to charm her in the main body of the film would have been for Bond to look like a jerk for absolutely no reason. At least when he does this in many other situations, he can justify it to himself and the audience under the guise of trying to gain information that is vital to the mission and national security. While that is still a disgusting method for gaining information, he can still justify it to himself and the audience, whereas he could not have really justified his actions in any way had he attempted to do this with Melina before the end of the film.

[tama_drummer91]

I agree; she is quite beautiful. I don't really understand these mustache comments. I don't really see that. Along with Vesper, I find her the most underrated.