The name’s Bond. Bondathon. With twenty-four official James Bond films to conquer before No Time To Die hits theaters, Bond fan Anna Swanson and Bond newbie Meg Shields are diving deep on 007. Martinis shaken and beluga caviar in hand, the Double Take duo are making their way through the Bond corpus by era, so hang up your hats and pay attention. This entry explores the best shots of the James Bond franchise.
If you sit down and watch all twenty-four James Bond films, patterns invariably emerge. And we’re not just talking about enduring cocktail preferences or the odd recurring side character. Rather, when you look at the visual language of all the Bond films, you’ll see consistent trends: a preference for shadows, a love of a long take, and an undeniable sense of cool. That’s precisely what makes Bond films so special: they have managed to evolve over nearly sixty years while still retaining what makes Bond, Bond.
In the Sean Connery era, the vibe is very much that of an institution. Directors, title designers, and cinematographers enjoyed as much of a “tenure” as any of the 007 actors. Ted Moore shot a total of six Bond films and shares his seventh credit with Oswald Morris. A South African and a Royal Air Force veteran, Moore defined the calm, collected lens of Bond’s world. From intense static mediums to kinetic pans, Moore kicked the franchise off with a distinctly professional feel.
To date, the only cinematographer who can rival Moore’s run is Alan Hume, who shot three entries in the Roger Moore era (and is best known for shooting Return of the Jedi). After Hume comes longtime Bond camera operator Alec Mills, who performed DP duties on both of the Timothy Dalton films.
While it was less common, there were one-off cinematographers before the Pierce Brosnan era. One of the few nice things you can say about You Only Live Twice is that it is shot by Lawrence of Arabia‘s DP, Freddie Young. The vibrant and vicious On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was shot by Hammer House of Horror veteran Michael Reed. Barbarella‘s Claude Renoir shot The Spy Who Loved Me. And The Day of the Jackal‘s Jean Tournier is the man behind Moonraker.
The new millennium saw a steady stream of ever-changing talent. The Brosnan era welcomed the likes of Adrian Biddle (of Aliens prestige), David Tattersall (who shot The Green Mile), and veteran Paul Thomas Anderson cinematographer Robert Elswit. Phil Meheux introduced fans to a post-Cold War Bond with GoldenEye, and he was called back to ring in yet another era with Casino Royale.
Ultimately, the Daniel Craig era has benefitted from some top-shelf talent, from Roberto Schaefer to repeat Christopher Nolan collaborator Hoyte Van Hoytema, to the greatest working cinematographer himself: Roger Deakins. With Linus Sandgren (La La Land, First Man) behind the lens of the upcoming No Time To Die, the visual strength of the Craig era may very well prove uncontested.
This is one of the most iconic franchises in cinema history. And visuals make an icon. So let’s get into it: here are our favorite fifty shots from the Bond films.
Dr. No (1962)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
Dr. No (1962)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
Dr. No (1962)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
From Russia With Love (1963)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
From Russia With Love (1963)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
Goldfinger (1964)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Goldfinger (1964)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Thunderball (1965)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Terence Young
You Only Live Twice (1967)
Cinematography by Freddie Young
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Cinematography by Michael Reed
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Cinematography by Michael Reed
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Cinematography by Michael Reed
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Cinematography by Michael Reed
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Live and Let Die (1973)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Live and Let Die (1973)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Live and Let Die (1973)
Cinematography by Ted Moore
Directed by Guy Hamilton
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
Cinematography by Ted Moore and Oswald Morris
Directed by Guy Hamilton
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
Cinematography by Ted Moore and Oswald Morris
Directed by Guy Hamilton
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Cinematography by Claude Renoir
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Cinematography by Claude Renoir
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Moonraker (1979)
Cinematography by Jean Tournier
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Moonraker (1979)
Cinematography by Jean Tournier
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Moonraker (1979)
Cinematography by Jean Tournier
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Cinematography by Alan Hume
Directed by John Glen
Octopussy (1983)
Cinematography by Alan Hume
Directed by John Glen
Octopussy (1983)
Cinematography by Alan Hume
Directed by John Glen
Octopussy (1983)
Cinematography by Alan Hume
Directed by John Glen
A View to a Kill (1985)
Cinematography by Alan Hume
Directed by John Glen
The Living Daylights (1987)
Cinematography by Alec Mills
Directed by John Glen
The Living Daylights (1987)
Cinematography by Alec Mills
Directed by John Glen
License to Kill (1989)
Cinematography by Alec Mills
Directed by John Glen
License to Kill (1989)
Cinematography by Alec Mills
Directed by John Glen
License to Kill (1989)
Cinematography by Alec Mills
Directed by John Glen
GoldenEye (1995)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
GoldenEye (1995)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
GoldenEye (1995)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Cinematography by Robert Elswit
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Cinematography by Adrian Biddle
Directed by Michael Apted
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Cinematography by Adrian Biddle
Directed by Michael Apted
Die Another Day (2002)
Cinematography by David Tattersall
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Die Another Day (2002)
Cinematography by David Tattersall
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Casino Royale (2006)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
Casino Royale (2006)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
Casino Royale (2006)
Cinematography by Phil Meheux
Directed by Martin Campbell
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Cinematography by Roberto Schaefer
Directed by Marc Forster
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Cinematography by Roberto Schaefer
Directed by Marc Forster
Skyfall (2012)
Cinematography by Roger Deakins
Directed by Sam Mendes
Skyfall (2012)
Cinematography by Roger Deakins
Directed by Sam Mendes
Skyfall (2012)
Cinematography by Roger Deakins
Directed by Sam Mendes
Spectre (2015)
Cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema
Directed by Sam Mendes
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