Bond, James Bond. 007. A very
successful and long-lasting movie franchise, in spite of or because of there
being so many long action-scenes in the films. Bond’s relationships with M,
Moneypenny, and Q-branch can be meaningful for viewers, even though the spy’s
relationships with women are superficial and of short duration. So, the scenes of
No Time to Die (2021)
prior to the opening credits stand out because they provide more than a glimpse
of Bond in an emotionally intimate, substantive romantic relationship that is
to be longstanding, at least until Bond discovers that the woman has betrayed
him. That even such a film that is so action-oriented would start out so very
deep from the standpoint of human relationships is important because technological
special-effects can be so seductive to filmmakers of action films that deep
narrative can easily be left out.
The full essay is at "No Time to Die."
