The wisdom of James Bond

‘It’s just that I’d rather die of drink than of thirst.’ – Thunderball, Ian Fleming, 1961

We often forget that James Bond was the character from a series of novels before becoming a movie icon. And that there are some great, magnificent lines from Fleming's novels that did not make it to the big screen yet. This is one of those, if I am not mistaken. Dry British humour at its best. James Bond is not meant to be a very wise person, he is in fact rather self-destructive, but there is a rationale behind it. The novel Thunderball is a worthy read for many reasons, among them it introduced Bond's nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld (whom I blogged about here and here), the complete ethical opposite of Bond, it has also one of the most chillingly believable plots of the series, but also because of lines like the one above. As we are approaching Ian Fleming's death anniversary, I thought of giving a bit of commemoration by celebrating his writing.

Will Blofeld return?

I find it difficult to blog since the tragedy of Tuesday, but I need to keep my mind busy and do something else than grieving. I am not ready yet to write about Odin, although my post tonight is about a character whose image in the general public is one of a cat-stroking villain. I am talking of course about Ernst Stavro Blofeld, whom I blogged about before. Blofeld is a wonderfully evil villain, maybe the greatest that ever came from Ian Fleming's imagination and of course the nemesis of James Bond. He was sadly turned into a pantomime villain as the movies went on and I don't think a true, complete and definitive interpretation was ever done in the movies. Of course, Blofeld was quickly spoofed to death, turning into Dr Evil. And he disappeared from the franchise itself, because of a legal battle over the rights of Thunderball (to make a long story short). And, I learned recently that this legal battle was finally over and that the Bond producers finally have the right over the character. Since Casino Royale was a reboot, it means that Blofeld could be back, or rather reintroduced. It is very early to tell, but I do hope we see Blofeld return and that he will be more akin to the novel's Blofeld, a puritan, ruthless criminal with a work ethic that can only be qualified as fanatical. A villain who has more in common with Moriarty and Dracula than his many caricatures. So the Bond fan I am can barely wait to see what the producers have up their sleeve.

Blofeld, a portrait of evil

I have blogged about villains in the past, for instance here and here. I have also mentioned in the past that Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the nemesis of James Bond, was one of my favorite villains in popular literature. I have recently read again his description in the novel Thunderball. It made a strong impression to me when I first read it 13 years ago (in September 2000) and it never lost its impact. I have decided to quote it here:

''Blofeld's own eyes were deep black pools surrounded -totally surrounded, as Mussoloni's were- by very clear whites. The doll-like effect of this unusual symmetry was enhanced by long silken black eyelashes that should have belonged to a woman. The gaze of these soft doll's eyes was totally relaxed and rarely held any expression stronger than the mild curiosity in the object of their focus. (...)Blofeld's gaze was a microscope, the window on the world on a superbly clear brain, with a focus that had been sharpened by thirty years of danger and of keeping just one step ahead of it (...)

The skin beneath the eyes that now slowly, mildly, surveyed his colleagues was unpouched. There was no sign of debauchery, illness, or old age on the large, white, bland face under the square, wiry black crew-cut The jawline, going on the appropriate middle-aged fat of authority, showed decision and independence. Only the mouth under a heavy, squat nose, marred what might have been the face of a philosopher or a scientist. Proud and thin, like a badly-healed wound, the compressed, dark lips, capable of only false, ugly smiles, suggested contempt, tyranny, and cruelty. But to an almost Shakespearian degree. Nothing about Blofeld was small.''

There is more to it, but overall it gives you an idea of the character. It is a beautifully sinister portrait of a very evil man. Ian Fleming may only have written popular literature, he knew his craft. Blofeld changed his appearance radically in the subsequent novels, always looking like the pure evil, malevolent man he is. But it all started in Thunderball with this long, slow, almost allegorical description.

20,000 Leages Under the Sea

Hey, You can find 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on youtube. There's a nice little adventure movie right there. I always loved it. I am feeling a bit guilty about watching it on youtube, but sometimes it is the only way to get your hand on something when you want to watch it. And it has been put there by people who genuinly love the movie. I will need to buy the DVD eventually. Summer puts me in the mood for escapist movies and literature, especially sea adventures (that said I never watched Pirates of the Carribeans nor cared about it), or stories with tropical settings. If I want to watch a James Bond this time of year, it will most likely be Dr. No or Thunderball. If I want something a bit more serious, it will be Moby Dick with Gregory Peck. I was crazy about that movie when I was a child. Anyway, I read Moby Dick twice (once when I was 11 after watching the movie, once when I was 18 in cégep) and I promised myself to read it in original English. I will also have to read the original 20,000 Lieues sous les Mers novel one day. This year, I already have a lot to read for the summer and I don't have the book yet. I want to read it in original French of course. Jules Verne was not a great writer, but he was inventive. Sometimes that's all you are looking for. I am surprised I haven't read it yet actually. When I was a child, my brothers and I had an obsession for high sea adventures. Our family got a pool at an early age, and our child out games during summertime set around the pool usually evolved around pirates (ancient or modern), shark attacks, giant squid attacks, typhoons (use making waves in the pool) or a variation of everything. We had a wild imagination.