Dr. No (1962) is directed by Terence Young and lays the foundation for James Bond films to come. With Sean Connery’s grimacing subdued portrayal, it’s hard to see how this foundation transitioned into the comedy movies of the Moore era. Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British agent. Dr No. quickly transitions into a travel log where the sights and the wonders of Jamaica drive the story more than Dr No’s plot to disrupt an American space launch.
A franchise that is catered to showing exotic locations across the world would have been more appreciated in the early 1960’s when the world was figuratively larger. Connery’s Bond is subtler in his first outing. There are no sci-fi gadgets, no invisible car, there’s not even an exploding pen to be seen. Truthfully, the subtlety of Bond adds an investment to the story, at one point he sticks a hair across the doors of his wardrobe before he leaves the room. When he returns the hair has fallen off so he knows that someone has searched his room. It’s these moments that the later films may lack. In Bond’s subtlety comes a more human character. Connery is a cold assassin who will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission. Although this might be lost during the Moore era, it certainly returns for Bonds later outings with Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig.
From the iconic James Bond soundtrack, to the gun barrel scene, and beautiful Ursula Andress, springing from the ocean, Dr. No is filled with moments that newcomers will be familiar with. Audiences are also introduced to what many believe is the best portrayal of Felix Leiter, played by Jack Lord. It is truly surprising that a franchise that spans five decades and twenty five films has had its formula woven so tightly into its first incarnation.
Dr. No, the titular character has now become synonymous with other great Bond villains but he doesn’t make his full appearance until the final act of the film as Bond is captured in his underground base. Dr. No follows the structure of revealing the antagonist late in the movie similar to the classic Orson Welles portrayal of The Third Man (1949). The movie spends a lot of time building up the character so that when they are finally revealed, audiences are enthralled by what they see regardless of how minimal their actions are. Bond and Dr. No have dinner together and it’s this tete-a-tete where Bond is always at his best. Bond is a terrible undercover spy but if he wasn’t, audiences would never get to see him go head to head with all of these great Bond villains and this scene in particular sets the tone for what is to come.
For any newcomer to the franchise this is a great place to start and it still holds up today. Connery’s cool but charismatic persona commands audience's attention and despite what ends up being a slightly anti-climactic ending, the journey to get there is definitely a one to seek out. The Bond films often feel like extravagant episodes of a high budget TV show, where every story is different in its details, but the structure remains similar. With that, Dr. No makes a riveting pilot and sets the scene for so many iconic moments in not only Bond’s history, but cinema history.
4★
Trivia: Ursula Andress was still struggling to speak fluent English for her performance as Honey Rider so her dialogue was dubbed by Nikki van der Zyl, and her singing dubbed by Diana Coupland. Both were uncredited.
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