Timothy Dalton’s favourite James Bond scene: “The best 25 minutes I’ve seen in any”
The James Bond series is responsible for some of the most iconic moments in British cinema. From the legendary theme song to the many great actors who have reprised the lead role, it is a franchise that has become the blueprint for the spy thriller and any future character who wears a suit and tie in mysterious circumstances. Whether it be the work of Piers Brosnan or Daniel Craig, many iterations of the story have been beloved by worldwide audiences, with the agent jumping from burning buildings and creating new enemies as he slyly embarks on new missions for the Secret Service.
However, while the character’s future remains unknown, with Amazon’s obtainment of the rights leading to uncertainty about how it will be ripped apart and potentially destroyed, it is perhaps the perfect time to reflect on the golden moments from the old films, with former Bond actor Timothy Dalton chiming in about his favourite scene.
Despite initially being unsure about playing the character, Daniel Craig’s version of Bond has been widely acclaimed as one of the best. Critics praise his emotional depth and moral ambiguity, which added dimension to someone who was previously flat and apparently invincible.
The former version of James Bond became known for being irresistible to women and being ruthless killing machines with no moral conscience to ever prevent them from being a glorified violent robot in a nice suit. However, when Craig reprised the role in 2006, he approached the character with a different angle, describing how if he was going to commit a good few years of his life to the series, then he wanted to do something different with it.
From the beginning of his role in the series, which came with the release of Casino Royale, Craig established a fresh take on the series, showing Bond as he falls in love for the first time and is met with consequences for his cocky attitude and sense of superiority. The film ends on a moving note, with the character reckoning with his own moral failings and vulnerabilities after being scammed by the woman he fell in love with, masterfully played by Eva Green.
When describing his thoughts on the films, Dalton shared his love for Casino Royale, saying, “It’s sad that there’s another hiatus because I thought the first 25 minutes of Daniel’s first movie [Casino Royale] was the best 25 minutes I’ve seen in any Bond movie. I thought it was a fantastic opening”.
The opening sequence shows Bond on a crazed chase, setting the tone with an intense and unrelenting action sequence. The director, Martin Campbell, perhaps subverted our expectations by leading us to think that it would be another action fluff piece, pulling the rug out from under by beginning the action sequence with a black and white flashback shot in a film noir style. It showed that the franchise was concerning itself with style as well as substance, changing the future of the series and adding an emotional perspective to such a renowned franchise.
