Memorable Moments Lesser Referenced in Bond Films

Whether you watched them in the theatre or not, your favorite Bond movies often times can have those subtle moments from a particular scene where you were only focusing on the film. These are oftentimes not the kinds of scenes that are not marketed enough by the film nor critics or in most reviews.

To give you and example, for me, the scene in Casino Royale where Bond has just woken up in the hospital from his final encounter with Le Chiffre....memorable because the film took its time to develop the characters such that by the third act, you accept this new Bond character and allow him a fresh chance.

Quantum of Solace: the scene where Bond is being chased in the restaurant of the opera house or where he is walking in the dessert with Camille in three different frames with the music and setting immersing the audience in the turmoil going on within the characters' minds....mesmerizing.

Skyfall: the scene where Bond and M are solemnly looking at the Scottish Highlands and they are driving their way to Skyfall lodge.

Spectre, the train station and dessert scenes allow the audience to take and immerse in the setting. Also, when Mr. White is re-introduced, he's on an IV drip similar to the way we last saw him being interrogated by M. The silence of that shows the depressing conditions he's rotted in.

What subtle scenes made an impact on you when watching any of the Bond films for the first time?
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Comments

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,916
    Quantum of Solace: at film's end exiting the room from OO7 and Yousef, Corinne the Canadienne softly says "Thank you" as she closes the door.

  • Quantum of Solace: at film's end exiting the room from OO7 and Yousef, Corinne the Canadienne softly says "Thank you" as she closes the door.

    Yes indeed!
  • Posts: 230
    LALD - the NOLA funeral scenes.
    TSWLM - the big-screen audio in the background of the pyramid fight
    LTK - the aquarium scene
    TB - Bond breaking into Lago's place after the blackout
  • Posts: 1,879
    A few spring to mind, although there are likely dozens more (still on my second cup of coffee:

    YOLT - Bond lighting the piece of paper with Henderson's address on it and letting it burn down. A friend I watched it with years ago commented on how cool it was.

    DAF - Referenced this in another thread recently, Bond riding above the glass elevator outside to access Willard Whyte/Blofeld's penthouse.

    TLD, LTK - There are several facial expressions Dalton makes in both films that say volumes. The main one I'm thinking of is the look he gives toward Koskov after the Bladen's safe house briefing, sorta says you're full of it.

    TLD - Also like the laidback look of Dalton smoking a cigarette as Q goes through potential assassins. The near end of the era where smoking a cigarette could still look cool.

    GE - Bullets whiz above Bond's head as he activates a bomb at Trevelyan's base and he shakes it off as if they were pesky insects.
  • Posts: 631
    QOS: Craig’s split-second glance at the camera when the motorbike cops ask him to open the boot of his car. Cool.

    I also like Bond and Camile’s walk through the Bolivian desert, which has already been mentioned.
  • The way Bond says "SIT. DOWN!" to Yusef and Corrine.

    The way that scene makes you feel like you're in the chair with Bond waiting for Yusef to return in the room surrounding by the cold setting being Kazaan, Russia.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    Leila's belly dancing - such overwhelming hospitality.

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  • Posts: 1,009
    On YOLT, the scary Japanese operative running towards the camera katana in hand, screaming. One of the creepiest moments on all Bond movies: I even noted it on the popular website TV Tropes.
  • Posts: 230
    BT3366 wrote: »
    A few spring to mind, although there are likely dozens more (still on my second cup of coffee:



    DAF - Referenced this in another thread recently, Bond riding above the glass elevator outside to access Willard Whyte/Blofeld's penthouse.

    .

    Yes - especialy when he was hanging on the pole with all of Neon vegas hundreds of feet below whim. Great moment.
  • The light that Yusef switches on in his room...one of many features that screams Ken Adams!
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    TND- Bond waiting for Carver to send his goons to his hotel room. Instead Paris Carver shows up and we get a touching scene. The vodka bottle, the look of Bond with the tux shirt but no tie. Just so damn cool.

    DN- The scene between Dent and Bond with the rock samples. Dent being a bad liar and playing off the samples. Bond knowing there is more to it and seeing through Dent's lies. Great stuff!

    TB- Bond stumbling upon Lippe in the steam room. His look has he devises the plan and then tops it with the "Now don't you worry, I'll tell the chef."

    TB- After disposing of the goons and finding Angelo's dead body. The way he smacks the fire alarm and then answers the lady "I don't know, could it be the front door bell?"
  • The way Bond smacks the motorcycle in QoS (which was phony) seemed like he was ball-slapping a guy in the front at a bar...


    When Bond meets Felix at the bar and you see the hanging lights and the swat team moving in.


    The shiny modernist private jet carrying Felix and Beam.

    The peppers of Felix....Jeffrey Wrighf went on to do a documentary all about his love for peppers in culinary cuisine. A very classy man who plays Felix very well.
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Drax and his ‘afternoon tea’ meeting with Bond is delightful, I’d love to share a cucumber sandwich and a piano recital with him and Roger any day.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    edited March 2020 Posts: 4,378
    When Sanchez enters the bedroom (Bond still has his trousers on because he arrived only seconds before) and explains that he found the traitor. Bond asks if it was only one traitor. Noone would be so stupid to go against Sanchez alone...
  • Posts: 631
    Drax and his ‘afternoon tea’ meeting with Bond is delightful, I’d love to share a cucumber sandwich and a piano recital with him and Roger any day.

    Yes that bit is excellent. “May I press you to a cucumber sandwich?”
  • Posts: 631
    Another QOS one (why does this film have so many?): the way that Bond idly throws the mobile phone onto the car’s passenger seat while he’s driving. I’d do that myself if my phone wasn’t so expensive :))
  • Posts: 1,879
    Drax and his ‘afternoon tea’ meeting with Bond is delightful, I’d love to share a cucumber sandwich and a piano recital with him and Roger any day.

    With the countess and her friend as well, I trust?
  • Another QOS one (why does this film have so many?): the way that Bond idly throws the mobile phone onto the car’s passenger seat while he’s driving. I’d do that myself if my phone wasn’t so expensive :))

    Even the actors of supporting characters who had such little dialogue in the film played it as though they could carry forth their own kind of spinoff in the series or like they had their own sort of leadership role going.

    Bond dropping off Camille at the cemetery by a train station in the middle of the dessert...metaphorically (not literally) could be a sign that she died in the hotel during the fire. A subtly in the editing shows her disappearing into the train station as the scene transitions to Kazaan, Russia....but let's not argue here about whether Camille died or not....we're talking about unforgettable moments here that are lesser heard/discussed.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited March 2020 Posts: 4,416
    GE: Astin Martin car chase. Natalya and the dogs. Valentine.
    Twine: Return of Valentine
    CR: Museum art. Scene with Bond and Solange on the floor, always get idea that have seen a difrent longer version in the cinema then later views on tv.
    QOS: Airport and Taxi scene with fields and Mathis. Mathis Burn Notice (extra Bondgirl, his talk with Bond)
    Skyfall: The museum scene with Q
    Spectre: 'l American.
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,813
    TLD : Bond meeting with Saunders at the Prater cafe. I love how Bond takes a sip of the coffee then pushes it away. It also changes Bond’s opinion of Saunders. It’s a wonderful scene.
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Drax and his ‘afternoon tea’ meeting with Bond is delightful, I’d love to share a cucumber sandwich and a piano recital with him and Roger any day.

    With the countess and her friend as well, I trust?

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  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Benny wrote: »
    TLD : Bond meeting with Saunders at the Prater cafe. I love how Bond takes a sip of the coffee then pushes it away. It also changes Bond’s opinion of Saunders. It’s a wonderful scene.

    +1 for that! In fact I love the entire Prater Fun Fair section, Necros stalking Saunders around with the balloons beforehand and passing across the cafe entrance is wonderful as well, as is Bond noticing the balloons behind the hedge and pursuit only to find an innocent boy.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,378
    Benny wrote: »
    TLD : Bond meeting with Saunders at the Prater cafe. I love how Bond takes a sip of the coffee then pushes it away. It also changes Bond’s opinion of Saunders. It’s a wonderful scene.

    There are many great little moments with Dalton in his two entries. I liked his acting.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    CR : After the stairwell fight Where he's just killed two men, Bond is back in his hotel room bloodied and bruised and as he removes his shirt he glares at himself in the mirror as if he's thinking "What the hell have i become..?"

    It's a great little moment that really adds to Craig's characterisation of Bond.
  • Posts: 1,879
    CR : After the stairwell fight Where he's just killed two men, Bond is back in his hotel room bloodied and bruised and as he removes his shirt he glares at himself in the mirror as if he's thinking "What the hell have i become..?"

    It's a great little moment that really adds to Craig's characterisation of Bond.

    Agreed. No cheap quip, just a character moment we don't normally get in a Bond film.

    A nice musical touch would've been for Arnold to reference You Know My Name, which touches on exactly that with its lyrics.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    BT3366 wrote: »
    CR : After the stairwell fight Where he's just killed two men, Bond is back in his hotel room bloodied and bruised and as he removes his shirt he glares at himself in the mirror as if he's thinking "What the hell have i become..?"

    It's a great little moment that really adds to Craig's characterisation of Bond.

    Agreed. No cheap quip, just a character moment we don't normally get in a Bond film.

    A nice musical touch would've been for Arnold to reference You Know My Name, which touches on exactly that with its lyrics.

    Yeah, CR has so many of these great little touches. It was such a breath of fresh air for the Bond franchise.
  • A few bad apples complained that CR was "too long".....well, if a Bond movie is not long enough then there is no character development. If QoS was longer, it would have allowed more audiences to like it upon first viewing even though the film has been better received and better understood over time.

    Make the Bond movies longer to allow these in-between scenes to establish the mood, tone, and inner feelings being displayed by the characters on screen.

    Here's another example: in AVTAK (which was the first Bond movie Cary Fujinaka saw)....in AVTAK, Bond is spending the night cooking, taking care of and protecting Stacey Sutton. With the musical score showing him taking care of the house and keeping a pure protective view of Stacey, it establishes something that makes the film more memorable....and that's AVTAK....AVTAK! It's not a CR movie that has all kinds of fans and non-fans liking it.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,904
    Except that sequence with Stacy and Bond always made it feel more like a Dad and daughter dynamic. Further creeps me out with the drop the soap shower scene at the end. I would have preferred an older actress as Stacy.
  • Posts: 1,879
    Ugh, one of the worst scenes in the series. Did we really need another reminder of Moore's age in that film? It added nothing, especially in light of the aforementioned shower scene. It also makes me appreciate the more hands-off relationships in FYEO and QoS.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Still on CR, i love that moment Vesper sips the drink named after her and tilts her head. I really like the way the scene fades out.
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