33 replies to this topic

[goose007]

I know there are only maybe two, but which movies actualy show Commander Bond in full Naval uniform?

[DaveBond21]

We see Bond in full naval uniform in You only live twice, The Spy who Loved me, and Tomorrow Never Dies.

It would be interesting to see 007 in naval uniform again in the future, to hint at his Naval past. And it would be popular with the girls, to hint at his navel past.

[BoogieBond]

Yeah, I can only think of those 3 (YOLT, TSWLM and TND)
Will Craig get to wear the naval uniform and be addressed as Commander Bond as his arc continues.

Edited by BoogieBond, 05 August 2008 - 09:14 AM.

[DamnCoffee]

I would love to see Craig in the Naval Uniform. It's not actually that difficult to imagine him in it either.

[Mr_Wint]

It is sad, and really strange, that they did not mention his Naval background in CR.

[DamnCoffee]

Perhaps they're leaving that for Quantum of Solace?

[Vauxhall]

Perhaps they're leaving that for Quantum of Solace?

As long as it's not Bond bragging that his expertise in the boatchase was all because of his Naval experience. I'd prefer a subtle reference; maybe use M to mention it in passing.

[MkB]

Perhaps they're leaving that for Quantum of Solace?

As long as it's not Bond bragging that his expertise in the boatchase was all because of his Naval experience. I'd prefer a subtle reference; maybe use M to mention it in passing.

Indeed.
Yet, I'm not sure I'd like Bond to be given a full extent Naval experience. After all, if we follow Fleming, Bond is a "chocolate sailor" (sic, in TB), who is a Navy Commander only because he was attached to Naval Intelligence during WWII, but has apparently never been in command of a warship.

[Mister Asterix]

Perhaps they're leaving that for Quantum of Solace?

As long as it's not Bond bragging that his expertise in the boatchase was all because of his Naval experience. I'd prefer a subtle reference; maybe use M to mention it in passing.

The word ‘Commander’ in passing is good enough for me, so long as it’s not in a ‘pulling rank’ type scene.

[Joey Bond]

I thought Craig's Bond's biography does state he was in the Navy.

http://www.sonypictu...ssier/index.php

http://www.sonypictu...tary_record.php

[Mister Asterix]

I thought Craig's Bond's biography does state he was in the Navy.
...

It does but I wouldn’t consider it canon until it’s in a film.

[marktmurphy]

I'd prefer to see him in some SBS fatigues than the normal silly commander uniform.

I'd like to hear him called commander again, though.

[Mister Asterix]

I'd prefer to see him in some SBS fatigues than the normal silly commander uniform.

That would seem to fit Craig better, but I’d say it’s situational. Bond on a sub ala The Spy Who Loved Me: commander’s uniform. Bond going to a HALO jump ala Tomorrow Never Dies: fatigues.

[Colossus]

It is sad, and really strange, that they did not mention his Naval background in CR.

I think they're going to forget about that, Craig's Bond doesn't really didn't seem like he was a Naval Commander beforehand.

[DaveBond21]

I'd prefer to see him in some SBS fatigues than the normal silly commander uniform.

I'd like to hear him called commander again, though.

I would like to hear him called Commander Bond at some point too. And yes, he would look good in the uniform.

[badclamsreturns]

Is it just me, or have you always thought they stuck Bond in a naval uniform to cater to the "alternative crowd", since they get their kicks from sailors and seamen.

[Vauxhall]

Is it just me, or have you always thought they stuck Bond in a naval uniform to cater to the "alternative crowd", since they get their kicks from sailors and seamen.

I must say that I have never thought that...

[Mr_Wint]

I feel that seeing Bond in a Naval uniform adds something very interesting to his character. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost as effective as Indy teaching behind the blackboard.

[sharpshooter]

I love it when people refer to him as Commander Bond in the films. I'd also like to see Craig in the uniform at some point.

[badclamsreturns]

I feel that seeing Bond in a Naval uniform adds something very interesting to his character. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost as effective as Indy teaching behind the blackboard.

Do teachers have the same effect on the alternative crowd as men in naval uniforms? Was one of the village people's characters a teacher?

[MkB]

I feel that seeing Bond in a Naval uniform adds something very interesting to his character. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost as effective as Indy teaching behind the blackboard.

Do teachers have the same effect on the alternative crowd as men in naval uniforms? Was one of the village people's characters a teacher?

Uh, well no but none of the Village People's characters was a spy either...
I think I can see what Mr_Wint means... the Naval uniform kind of gives Bond a clear place within an institution, its traditions etc.

[MHazard]

A dissenting note from a Fleming purist who enjoys most of the movies (all of the movies of three of the Bonds, one movie apiece of the remaining Bonds). Bond in a naval uniform is silly and adds to unfortunate campiness of the later Connerys and all of the Moores. Bond was a Commander in Naval Intelligence (actually the RNVR which is not quite the same thing as the regular Royal Navy). He wasn't stationed on a ship. In most of the novels he avoids the use of the honorific "Commander" except for ceremonial occiasions. No spy wants to call attention to himself and remind people of his military connections. Anyone in Bond's position would go by "Bond, James Bond" or "Mr. Bond", the more anonymous the better. The whole "Commander Bond" and the naval uniform are creations of the movie Bond and would undermine whatever realism the Craig run is attempting to bring back to the franchise. It, like gadgets and Q, should stay retired.

[Judo chop]

A dissenting note from a Fleming purist who enjoys most of the movies (all of the movies of three of the Bonds, one movie apiece of the remaining Bonds). Bond in a naval uniform is silly and adds to unfortunate campiness of the later Connerys and all of the Moores. Bond was a Commander in Naval Intelligence (actually the RNVR which is not quite the same thing as the regular Royal Navy). He wasn't stationed on a ship. In most of the novels he avoids the use of the honorific "Commander" except for ceremonial occiasions. No spy wants to call attention to himself and remind people of his military connections. Anyone in Bond's position would go by "Bond, James Bond" or "Mr. Bond", the more anonymous the better. The whole "Commander Bond" and the naval uniform are creations of the movie Bond and would undermine whatever realism the Craig run is attempting to bring back to the franchise. It, like gadgets and Q, should stay retired.

Two things.

1) What if Bond was attending a funeral of a Navy buddy, or something otherwise completely formal and completely military. Would it not make sense then?

2) Which Roger Moore film do you enjoy? No wait... let me guess.

MWGG?

[Mr_Wint]

A dissenting note from a Fleming purist who enjoys most of the movies (all of the movies of three of the Bonds, one movie apiece of the remaining Bonds). Bond in a naval uniform is silly and adds to unfortunate campiness of the later Connerys and all of the Moores. Bond was a Commander in Naval Intelligence (actually the RNVR which is not quite the same thing as the regular Royal Navy). He wasn't stationed on a ship. In most of the novels he avoids the use of the honorific "Commander" except for ceremonial occiasions. No spy wants to call attention to himself and remind people of his military connections. Anyone in Bond's position would go by "Bond, James Bond" or "Mr. Bond", the more anonymous the better. The whole "Commander Bond" and the naval uniform are creations of the movie Bond and would undermine whatever realism the Craig run is attempting to bring back to the franchise. It, like gadgets and Q, should stay retired.

Is it possible that this "Fleming purist" will change his mind complelety after seeing Craig's Bond in a Naval uniform?

[DaveBond21]

Was one of the village people's characters a teacher?

In the original line-up, yes. But he got kicked out because he wanted to teach geography while the others just wanted to dance.

[NVT]

Craig's version of Bond seems more suited to a Royal Marines outfit, it also makes sense, as he can still retain his commander rank and be in the special forces.

[Mister Asterix]

A dissenting note from a Fleming purist who enjoys most of the movies (all of the movies of three of the Bonds, one movie apiece of the remaining Bonds). Bond in a naval uniform is silly and adds to unfortunate campiness of the later Connerys and all of the Moores. Bond was a Commander in Naval Intelligence (actually the RNVR which is not quite the same thing as the regular Royal Navy). He wasn't stationed on a ship. In most of the novels he avoids the use of the honorific "Commander" except for ceremonial occiasions. No spy wants to call attention to himself and remind people of his military connections. Anyone in Bond's position would go by "Bond, James Bond" or "Mr. Bond", the more anonymous the better. The whole "Commander Bond" and the naval uniform are creations of the movie Bond and would undermine whatever realism the Craig run is attempting to bring back to the franchise. It, like gadgets and Q, should stay retired.

I’ll disagree with you, sort of. I would say it appropriate for Bond to where RN uniform (even as opposed to RNR/RNVR) in You Only Live Twice and The Spy Who Loved Me. In both Bond was on a submarine where the uniform would make him more anonymous (though a lower rank would’ve been more so). In You Only Live Twice’s case Bond was being buried at sea in his appropriate Royal Navy uniform since he was Royal Navy before he was in the Reserves. In The Spy Who Loved Me, the uniform obviously served to help his anonymity since he would have been picked out immediately if he were in a business suit. Even XXX wore a Royal Navy uniform to help go unnoticed.

Obviously there was camp in those scenes, but Bond dressed any other way would’ve added to the camp. And don’t fool yourself in to thinking there was no camp in Fleming’s works.

In Tomorrow Never Dies the uniform was inappropriate — though Broz looked cool as hell in it. That’s where the uniform added to the camp, when used to juxtapose Wade’s attire.

[MHazard]

First, to answer Judo's question. The Spy Who Loved Me (bet you didn't see that one coming).

As to more substantive stuff. The whole "Commander Bond" thing strikes me as the same as characters referring to "the great James Bond" or comments reflecting the famous spy James Bond (which is, of course, a contradiction, as a great spy is not famous). The entire literary Bond's naval service was in intelligence, as a member of the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, the same affiliation as Ian Fleming had when he was assistant to the director of naval intelligence, and entirely took place during world war two. To the extent that it is possible to assume any degree of real world parallells, those of us who think about it too much (and that certainly includes me) would probably conclude that Bond in fact was attached to Sir William Stephenson's British Security Coordination as part of the Special Operations Executive (at least that is the theory of the author of James Bond A Chronology as well as the gifted author of the fan fiction masterpiece Best Traditions).

Now, as for the movies. The whole burial at sea thing from YOLT is, in fact, an incredibly fun scene and a guilty pleasure for me. So, if you're gonna do that, then the naval uniform makes sense. I suppose Moore in a naval uniform is passable while working on a submarine in TSWLM. None of any of this answers the question, however, of what's appropriate for Craig. It does raise an interesting question of how much of Craig's Bond is going to be literary based and how much is movie Bond based and they are different characters (the split really occurring in YOLT). So far, Craig's Bond has been a more literary based, realistic (by the standards of Bond) character. It is, however a character set in the present (which I think may be a problem in presenting a character who is Bond in anything but name only, but a topic for another day) so obviously Craig can't be a world war two veteran or really a veteran of much of any conflict at least as far as the Royal Navy is concerned. So, apart from the camp aspect the whole "Commander Bond" thing opens a can of worms as to what is this character's backstory. If you keep it Royal Navy you have some explaining to do, but if it's something else, then you're deviating from both literary and movie Bond.

[Judo chop]

First, to answer Judo's question. The Spy Who Loved Me (bet you didn't see that one coming).

That hit me like UV from the sun. I certainly did NOT see it coming, but it leaves me feeling all warm and toasty.

There is good in you. I can feel it.

(Why is it I am always compelled to quote Star Wars when I talk to you? I don't even like those films all that much!)

[MHazard]

Judo, something in my comments brings out your inner Obi-Wan. A brief explanation re TSWLM. This is the one movie where I don't feel cheated that they didn't film a reasonably faithful adaptation of the novel. It's also the only movie where I thought that Roger at least for a moment was almost playing James Bond and not some camp spy spoof (although the union jack parachute was a bit much). Now, if they hadn't had Jaws in it it actually would have been pretty good (for a Roger movie at least).