Dr.No Review By Elise

Dr.No

                         - Face to face with James Bond

This is not the first time for me to watch the 007 film franchises. It might be one of the most successful film Franchises ever. Since the Metro-Golden-Mayer face the bankruptcy problem, but the audience still welcome for 007 series 23^rd.However since I hadn’t watched the ‘Dr.No’before, it was still surprised me because it made in 1962.

Firstly, I have to say it is an old movie, especially compared with those recent ones. No vivid figures and special gorgeous effects, this movie is not for a technology competition. What it rely on, is the stars'acting. Although there are still some obvious weaknesses in the plot, it's a nice movie. A case in point is that it is too easy for Mr. Bond got rid of the prison and too east for the boss to die since the boss can flatten the gold.

the golden Buddha was flattened

the iron gird is too weak

Secondly, it established many distinguished features for 007 movies.

ü  The music – when the movie starts, you can hear the famous and familiar sound. And then you would know that Mr. Bond was coming with his bond girls.

ü  Bond, James Bond – the most famous line.

ü  Flirting – Mr. Bond would not let one lady off without flirting with her, even she might be a spy. In addition, in the‘Dr.No', our charming Mr. Bond had slept with three ladies. The last one who acted by Ursula Andress laid the images of bond ladies only being some beautiful women.

http://www.jamesbondmm.co.uk/bond-girls (a website show the bond girls list)

ü  Gentlemen – when talk about British, we always believes that the British people are all ladies and gentlemen with well mannered. Mr. Bond is absolutely a British gentleman. He wiped his hand after he had shoot on person and he clean up his suit after he had beaten a bad guy.

Mr.Bond is cleaning up his suit

Another thing I want to talk about is China. In this movie, the boss has been designed as a Chinese science geek with criminal brain. He controlled an island as his aromatic experiment laboratory. He came from China with a dangerous Dragon which is be trusted by the local people. There are three points I feel curious:

ü  Name – his name is Dr.No. Why call him‘No’and why he came from China? Is it because Chine is the few countries that with the different social system? Is it because after the World War II and Korean War, China was trying to say ‘No’ to the law of power?

ü  Nuclear – the weapon which the boss used to threaten the world is an Aromatic weapon. Why this kind of thing has become terrorism and it has come from china? I did a quick research on the history of Chinese nuclear power. What I have found is that the first Aromatic Bomb has explored in 1964, and it is just two years later than this movie. And China has started the formal work for the nuclear study from 1960. Is that means the Western felt fair and concern about China, especially because the Aromatic power?

ü  Chinese Elements– the Chinese cloth in this movie is full of traditional feature. They were all mandarin Dress (Qipaos) and Chinese tunic suit. And I also did another research to find out whether Chinese wore in that way in 1962. However the result is not. As shown in the picture, what we had worn is just like present, and there were not many differences.

people in china 1960's

   Although wear Qipao can show the Chinese element, the dragon part is also a funny thing. Because the ‘Dragon’ is not like a traditional Chinese dragon and even not like a mythical western dragon. Is that means people from western still think Chinese people are all mysterious with strange magic power?

Last but not least, I want to talk about how British is this movie and 007 series.

ü  Every Bond is British man.

ü  Dr.No is filmed in London and Jamaica

ü  Plots are based on British Novels.

ü  Mr. Bond in ‘Dr.No’ is a graceful gentleman. He rarely uses his gun, he likes to use his intelligence such as use hair to check whether anybody has opened his wardrobe.

However something has changed. Mr. Bond in ‘Casino Royale’ has killed more than 20 people and more and more amazing cutting-edge weapon has been made for Mr. Bond in each series. People feelthat the new Bond being cooler and cooler no matter he is fighting or flirting, but people like that!

So what has changed? What is changing?