No Time to Die: A Broken Convention Too Far
Why the latest James Bond film makes a critical error of judgement.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for No Time to Die. Do not read until you have seen the film.
No Time to Die does things no Bond film has ever done. Then again, from the very beginning of Daniel Craig’s tenure, as he muttered “Do I look like I give a damn?” to a bartender asking whether he wanted his vodka martini shaken or stirred, it was clear his tenure as 007 would break conventions.
The question is: Are the events in the last few minutes of No Time to Die a broken convention too far? On reflection, I believe so. Audiences come to James Bond to see Bond triumph. That is an essential component of the franchise’s enduring popularity. This convention has defied logic over the decades and proved endlessly repeatable, with audiences flocking back again and again. Bond is a franchise without peers in that respect. It is like good sex; immensely satisfying, but not long before you want to do it again.
To take that metaphor further, killing Bond off is akin to coitus interruptus. It doesn’t satisfy. Nor does it particularly add significant dramatic punch. Judging by the comments from the audience with which I saw the film, as they shuffled out afterwards, they weren’t moved, merely bewildered.
“James Bond Will Return” the end credits proclaim, even on No Time to Die. So unless the next Bond film intends to pull a Conan Doyle, explaining his survival the way The Empty House explains Sherlock Holmes’s apparent demise at the Reichenbach Falls, the only way forward is a total reboot.
Which begs the question, why bother killing Bond off at all? There isn’t any lasting dramatic consequence for doing so, other than to pretend Daniel Craig’s serialised films exist in their own self-contained parallel universe. I don’t see how they could just pick up and carry on after this, without a completely new cast. That’s a shame as Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes et al provided fine support. Previous Ms, Qs, and Moneypennys carried over from one Bond era to the next, but with Bond now apparently dead, it seems difficult to see how this could happen.
I suppose there’s the possibility that the 007 codename could continue, with Nomi (Lashana Lynch) picking up the baton for ongoing spy adventures. However, I can’t see that happening, other than in her own spin-off. Since the credits state: “James Bond Will Return” rather than “007 Will Return”, I doubt Barbara Broccoli would fudge the issue, and she is already on the record to say they are looking to cast Craig’s replacement next year.
Killing James Bond was an iconoclastic step too far. Throughout the Bond era, other conventions have been broken, but to good effect. Bond resigns and gets married? Fair enough. Bond resigns and goes on a lone mission of revenge? OK. Bond falls in love and gets betrayed? Fine. A Bond film that’s a direct sequel? If you like. Killing off M? Daring, but dramatically satisfying. Kill off Felix Leiter? Brutally sad, but if you must. Bond has a daughter? I’m surprised there aren’t more Bond children out there, giving his endless philandering.
But kill off Bond? No. James Bond isn’t meant to be killed. That’s the whole point of the franchise. He is indomitable. He always survives to fight another day. It isn’t comparable to killing off Luke Skywalker or Han Solo or Princess Leia, as their characters evolved into supporting mentor roles. It isn’t comparable to killing off Iron Man in the Marvel Universe, as there are umpteen other heroes to carry on the good work of protecting the Earth, whilst his death has genuine tragic poignancy and dramatic consequences for subsequent films. No, killing Bond is simply dramatically wrong.
In addition, the timing of the release, amid the (hopefully) latter stages of a traumatic global pandemic, has meant that instead of delivering the death-defiance beloved of Bond to an audience desperately thirsty for escapism, No Time to Die failed on that most basic of promises. It’s a cruel con that robs and frustrates the viewer, no matter how well-acted and directed. I appreciate there’s no way the filmmakers could have anticipated the pandemic, but the timing does feel like a particularly cruel twist of the knife, and something of a betrayal. Frankly, I don’t think Ian Fleming would have approved either, regardless of the public mood.
In summary: Killing Bond was a mistake. Thankfully, James Bond will return.
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