Gun barrel sequence
The James Bond gun barrel sequence is the signature device that traditionally features at the beginning of James Bond films.[1] Shot from the point-of-view of a presumed assassin, it features British agent James Bond walking, turning and then shooting directly at camera, causing blood to run down the screen.
The sequence has featured in every official (EON Productions) James Bond film and, although retaining the same basic elements, it has evolved noticeably throughout the series.[2] It is one of the most immediately recognisable elements of the franchise and has featured heavily in marketing material for the films and their spin-offs.
British media historian James Chapman suggests that the sequence is a significant part of the James Bond mythos because it "foregrounds the motif of looking, which is central to the spy genre."[3]
Description
The gun barrel image sequence typically begins with a white dot blinking across the screen, from left to right. On reaching the right edge of the frame, the dot opens up into a gun's rifling. Through the barrel of a gun, the camera follows James Bond as he walks from right to left against a white background.[4] Aware of being observed, he quickly turns to his left and shoots at camera. A red wash, representing the gunman's spilling blood, runs down the screen. The gun barrel dissolves to a white dot which moves from side to side across the screen and settles in the corner. The circle then expands to fill the screen, exposing the first scene of the film proper.
Origin
The sequence was created by Maurice Binder for the opening titles of the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. Binder originally planned to employ a camera sighted down the barrel of a .38 calibre gun, but this caused some problems. Unable to stop down the lens of a standard camera enough to bring the entire gun barrel into focus, Binder created a pinhole camera to solve the problem and the barrel became crystal clear.[5]
Binder described the genesis of the gun barrel sequence in the last interview he recorded before his death in 1991:
That was something I did in a hurry, because I had to get to a meeting with the producers in twenty minutes. I just happened to have little white, price tag stickers and I thought I'd use them as gun shots across the screen. We'd have James Bond walk through and fire, at which point blood comes down onscreen. That was about a twenty-minute storyboard I did, and they said, "This looks great!"[6]
Critics have also observed that the sequence recalls the gun fired at the audience at the end of The Great Train Robbery (1903).[7]
Evolution of the sequence
1962–1964
Because Binder had designed the gun barrel sequence to feature Bond only in silhouette, he used stunt man Bob Simmons, rather than Sean Connery to film the scene.[8] Simmons is therefore the first actor to have played James Bond on film.
Simmons hops slightly as he pivots to assume the firing position and, following the blood wash, the dot becomes smaller and jumps to the lower right-hand corner of the frame before simply vanishing.
In Dr. No, the white dot stops mid-screen and the credit line "Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli Present" appears across the dot. The text is wiped and the dot continues the sequence. The sequence is accompanied by a soundtrack of electronic noises, which are interrupted by the gunshot. The "James Bond Theme" then plays very loudly, albeit with the first notes truncated. The gun barrel sequence in Dr. No segues directly into the credits, a grid matrix of large-scale, bright and rapidly changing coloured circular dots against a black background. This version, without the electronic noises and Saltzman-Broccoli credit line, was also used in From Russia with Love and Goldfinger.
1965–1967
From Thunderball, the aspect ratio of the films was changed to a CinemaScope anamorphic format and so the gun barrel sequence had to be reshot, this time with Sean Connery in the role.[9]
Bond wobbles slightly while firing his gun as he adjusts his balance from an unstable position and he bends over to fire. Although the sequence was shot in colour for Thunderball, it is rendered in black and white for You Only Live Twice.
1969
With a new actor, George Lazenby, in the role of James Bond for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), a third sequence had to be filmed.
In this rendering, the white dot stops mid-screen and the credit line "Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli present" appears, much as it did in Dr. No. When the barrel stops centre-screen, Bond is still walking to position for a half-second before turning and shooting, resulting in a 'treadmill' effect; Lazenby is the only Bond who kneels down to fire. This is the only version where the descending blood erases Bond's image, leaving only the red circle; and prismatic splashes of light ripple slowly through the barrel as the blood comes down.
1971
When Sean Connery returned to the role of Bond for Diamonds Are Forever (1971), the gun barrel sequence filmed for Thunderball was used. As with You Only Live Twice, the sequence was rendered in black and white.
1973–1974
With the introduction of Roger Moore, and the reversion back to a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, a fourth sequence was shot. It was used for just two films: Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. Moore uses both hands to fire his gun, his left hand bracing his gun arm.
1977–1985
The anamorphic format was reinstated for The Spy Who Loved Me, necessitating a fifth version of the sequence. Moore's Bond again uses both hands to fire his gun.[10] This rendering would feature in all Moore's subsequent films in the series.
1987–1989
In The Living Daylights (1987), Timothy Dalton fires with only one hand, and leans towards the right of the screen. This sequence was reused in Licence to Kill (1989).
1995–2002
Following Maurice Binder's death in 1991, Daniel Kleinman became the designer of the Bond opening graphics. Beginning with GoldenEye (1995), the barrel was computer-generated, emphasising light and shade variations in the rifling spiral as the reflected light shifts with the gun's movement. As with Dalton, Brosnan shoots one-handed. But unlike the previous Bonds, he remains bolt upright as he fires, with his gun arm extended straight at the camera. The blood in this sequence is noticeably darker than in previous incarnations.
For Die Another Day (2002), Lee Tamahori, the film's director, requested that a CG bullet be added into the sequence. This can be seen zooming from Bond's gun towards the viewer and disappearing, suggesting that Bond has shot straight in to his opponent's gun.
2006
The gun barrel sequence was revised again for Daniel Craig's first portrayal of Agent 007 in Casino Royale (2006). Unlike previous titles in the series, the gun barrel sequence does not open the film, but instead is incorporated to the ending of the pre-title sequence: Having committed his first "kill" as a Double-O agent, Bond stoops to pick up his gun from the floor, but his victim recovers and seizes his own weapon. As the man brings his pistol up to shoot Bond in the back, the frame shifts instantly to the gun barrel perspective. Bond spins around and shoots the man.
This sequence differs considerably from previous versions of the sequence. It is the first and only gun barrel sequence incorporated into the film's narrative, the only version beginning with Bond stationary, the only rendition not filmed against a blank white void and the only time the audience has seen the person whom Bond shoots.
Furthermore, the computer-generated rifling has 28 grooves rather than the usual eight, and the blood comes down the screen quickly, in rivulets. This is also the first gun barrel sequence without some variation of the "James Bond Theme".
2008
A more traditional gun barrel sequence features in Quantum of Solace (2008); it is placed at the end of the film rather than the beginning. For this version, Daniel Kleinman was replaced by design house MK12. When the blood runs down the screen after Bond's gunshot, the red circle shrinks to the corner of the screen and forms part of the letter 'Q' in the film's title. Bond, in silhouette, is then seen to turn and walk out of shot. Daniel Craig described filming the sequence as "probably the scariest bit [of working on Quantum of Solace]. We did it twice. We did it once and it didn't work, so we did it again. I just thought, it has to be right and it has to be aggressive and it has to work."[11]
Costume
From Dr. No to Diamonds Are Forever, the gun barrel sequences by Bob Simmons, Sean Connery, and George Lazenby feature James Bond in a business suit and trilby. For his first two films, Roger Moore's Bond continues this tradition but without the hat. The following films, beginning with The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) feature Bond in a black tie, wearing a tuxedo. In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's James Bond is the first shown wearing a more casual ensemble and an open-necked shirt; his attire reverts to a business suit in Quantum of Solace.
Music
The sequence has traditionally featured the "James Bond Theme" with the exception of Daniel Craig's gun barrel sequence in Casino Royale, which instead led to the film's title song by Chris Cornell (the "James Bond Theme" not being used until the very end of the film). Some composers have not used the familiar opening bars that punctuate the appearance of the white dots. Others, while retaining them, have felt free to noticeably alter the usual rendition, e.g. Michael Kamen and Éric Serra, who scored Licence to Kill and GoldenEye respectively. Kamen's orchestration was a symphonic fanfare, while Serra's arrangement is played by synthesizer.
Other uses
The gun barrel sequence is copyrighted to EON Productions and is widely used in advertisements and merchandise. References to its circular motif regularly appear in the films' trailers, where the view moves down into the gun barrel and 007 turns and shoots. GoldenEye's trailer replicates the sequence, wherein James Bond walks out and fires at the words "But you can still depend on one man" until it reads as the number "007", (leaving two Os and a 7 from the M). It was used in the release of the video game Agent Under Fire in a commercial asking, "Do you have what it takes to be Bond?", and showing people trying to repeat the shot, but spoiling the try. This is similar to the Japanese commercial for the release of GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64 — the game uses the gun barrel sequence in the opening titles. Casino Royale's trailer also depicts the gun barrel sequence. Also, a Wal-Mart exclusive commercial for The World Is Not Enough parodied the gun-barrel by replacing Bond with a man who resembled Valentin Zukovsky; he was shot at with a machine-gun before diving off-screen.
In the video games Nightfire, Everything or Nothing, and From Russia with Love, the same sequence as the movies was used at the very start of the game. After the first mission of Everything or Nothing, it is used again in the title sequence, except it does not feature the white circular dots, but Bond just walking up to the gun and firing it directly at the camera. From Russia with Love uses the Bob Simmons gun barrel from the film of same name.
The music videos to the songs "A View to a Kill", "The Living Daylights", "Tomorrow Never Dies" and "Die Another Day" also feature some variation of the gun barrel sequence.
Parodies
As with any cultural icon, the gun barrel sequence has inspired numerous parodies and takeoffs since its first appearance in 1962. The sequence has been spoofed in films, sitcoms, cartoons and in advertisments, including The Nude Bomb (the first feature-length movie version of Get Smart), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, American Dad!, Monty Python's Flying Circus and Saturday Night Live.
References
- ^ Cork, John & Scivally, Bruce (2002). James Bond: The Legacy. Boxtree, 46.
- ^ Barnes, Alan & Hearn, Marcus (2000). Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: The Unofficial James Bond Companion. Batsford, 18.
- ^ Chapman, James (2000). Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. Columbia, 61.
- ^ Pfeiffer, Lee & Lisa, Philip (1995). The Incredible World of 007: An Authorized Celebration of James Bond. Boxtree, 200.
- ^ Cork, John & Scivally, Bruce (2002). James Bond: The Legacy. Boxtree, 46.
- ^ Pfeiffer, Lee & Lisa, Philip (1995). The Incredible World of 007: An Authorized Celebration of James Bond. Boxtree, 200.
- ^ Chapman, James (2000). Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. Columbia, 61.
- ^ Pfeiffer, Lee & Lisa, Philip (1995). The Incredible World of 007: An Authorized Celebration of Jame s Bond. Boxtree, 200.
- ^ Lane, Andy & Simpson, Paul (1998). The Bond Files: The Unofficial Guide to the World's Greatest Secret Agent. Virgin, 145.
- ^ "The Spy Who Loved Me". Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ^ "ReelzChannel: Interview With Quantum of Solace Star Daniel Craig". Retrieved 2008-11-06.
External links
- The Daily Herald
- Show spills Bond's secrets, BBC News coverage of a museum exhibition featuring a 'walk through' gun-barrel
- James Bond Icons - A portrait of England
- Bond Theme Wordpress.com
- The James Bond title sequences Salon.com
- Archivo007 gun barrel sequences in Spanish
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