"The
nature of Bond's job rules out any long term commitments. For one thing, as
soon as another mission comes along, he'll fall in lust with a new girl."
They are sex-pots and saviors. They might be threats to the
hero's life or the most ornamental distraction. Whatever may change in the 007
series, you can't have a James Bond film without Bond girls. The Bond girl has
become an omnipresent symbol of glamour, sophistication, and beauty. Everyone
knows that she is the love-interest of James Bond and that the actress who gets
to play the character of one of the most sought-after roles in the Hollywood
film business will have her career made.
The first Bond girl, Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress
in Dr No in 1962 rising from the sea
in a white bikini, was a Playboy centerfold in smooth motion. This first
film in the series set the Bond-girl standard, as spectacularly embodied by
Andress, the coolly carnal Swiss miss, extremely high and the standard has not
lowered since. One of the unique traits of the Bond girl is her name. The Bond
girls have had some particularly unusual and pun-infused names that have also
made way for some exceptionally wry and amusing script one-liners. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger,
1964, is a perfect example. This aviatrix-dominatrix is the captain of Auric
Goldfinger's all-girl pilot squad, “Pussy Galore's Flying Circus”. Her first
name cued millions of teen-boy sniggers, but Blackman, fresh from TV's The
Avengers, gave Miss G. a mature sensuality. At 38, she was the oldest Bond
girl in the official series. Upon hearing Galore say, “My name is Pussy
Galore”, Bond suavely replies, “I must be dreaming.”
The latest Bond offering, Skyfall, introduces another sultry actress playing one of the most
important Bond girls to date as this year marks the 50th anniversary
of the Bond franchise. At age 33, Bérénice Marlohe, with a husky voice slightly
north of Betty Bacall’s, a killer accent, and a substantial build, she is no
walk-over. Unlike previous femmes de Bond, Marlohe’s does not have the
pun-infused name. She is, simply, Sévérine.
The Bond girl will always be the perfect elixir of
sex-appeal, girl-next-door, and femme
fatale. And with Skyfall’s local
release this Friday 30th November 2012, tongues are set to be
wagging in every cinema theatre at not just her form but the unmatched charm
and allure.
