The James Bond film series from EON Productions has a number of its own traditions, many of which date back to the very first film in 1962.

Since Dr No, each film begins with what is known as the James Bond gun barrel sequence, which introduces Agent 007. Appearing to be filmed through a rifled gun barrel, as if from a bullet’s perspective, the scene is a side-on view of Bond walking, then quickly turning and shooting. The scene then reddens (signifying the spilling of the would-be assassin’s blood); the gun barrel dissolves to a white circle. In Dr No, the circle then becomes part of the opening credits motif, while in From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, the circle shrinks and disappears and the opening scene simply appears. Since Thunderball, the circle has opened up to reveal the pre-title sequence of the film. This was altered slightly in Bond’s 20th cinematic outing, Die Another Day. When Bond turns and shoots, a computer generated bullet from Bond’s gun passes through the gun barrel. The sequence then continues as usual. The long-standing tradition was broken in Casino Royale when the film began with a cold open and integrated the sequence into the scene’s action.

After this introduction, every film (with the exception of Dr No) would start with a pre-credits teaser, also popularly known as the “opening gambit”. Usually the scene features 007 finishing up a previous mission before taking on the case from the film, and does not always relate to his main objective. Some of the teasers tie in with the plot (as in Live and Let Die). Since The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977, they have often involved attention-grabbing action sequences, which have tended to become larger and more elaborate with each film. The World Is Not Enough (1999) holds the record for the longest, running more than 15 minutes, whereas most run about seven to ten minutes.

After the teaser sequence, the opening credits begin, during which an arty display of scantily clad and even (discreetly) naked females can be seen doing a variety of activities from dancing, jumping on off-screen trampolines, to shooting weapons. (Or in the case of Live and Let Die, having their heads explode) This title sequence is a trademark and a staple of the series. The best known of the Bond title designers is Maurice Binder, who created them for fourteen films from 1962 to 1989. Since Binder’s death in 1991, Daniel Kleinman has designed the credits and has introduced CG elements not present during his predecessor’s era. While the credits run, the main theme of the film is usually sung by a popular artist of the time. Until GoldenEye, which featured motifs such as a two headed ‘Janus’ figure, the backdrop was unrelated to the plot of the film, although the design may reflect an overall theme (e.g., You Only Live Twice uses a Japanese motif as well as images of a volcano, both of which are elements of the film itself). Goldfinger uses short glimpses of the film projected onto women’s bodies, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service uses clips from all of the five preceding films shown running through an hourglass. For Your Eyes Only begins with Sheena Easton singing the title song on-screen. Die Another Day‘s titles are unusual in that the images advance the storyline by depicting Bond’s torture following his capture by the North Koreans. Casino Royale‘s credits are also atypical in that, instead of presenting the traditional display of silhouetted and scantily clad females, the sequence is a very colourful and animated display, using many symbols from playing cards such as the four suits and the face cards, and depicting violent fighting between colored silhouettes of men. The credits for GoldenEye depict the fall of the Soviet Union and thus provide a transition from the pre-fall era of the opening sequence to the post-fall setting of the rest of the narrative, which is set nine years later. The Bond films are unusual in retaining full opening and closing credits: since the late 1990s it has become common for most blockbuster films to save detailed credits for the end, with only the title shown at the beginning.

Agent 007’s famous introduction, “Bond, James Bond”, became a catchphrase after it was first uttered (with a cigarette in the corner of his mouth) by Sean Connery in Dr No. Since then, the phrase has entered the lexicon of Western popular culture as the epitome of polished, understated machismo. In 2005, it was honoured as the 22nd greatest quotation in cinema history by the American Film Institute as part of their 100 Years Series. Bond’s customary beverage order, “Vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred”, which was first uttered by him in Goldfinger (although it is actually first said on screen by the villain in Dr No, and referenced even earlier in the same film), was also honoured as #90 on the same list.

Every film, except Dr No and Thunderball, has the line: “James Bond will return…” or “James Bond will be back” during or after the final credits. Up until Octopussy (1983), the end-credit line would also name the next title to be produced (“James Bond will return in…”). Over the years, the sequel has been incorrectly named three times. The first, 1964’s Goldfinger, announced in early prints that Bond would return in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. However, the producers changed their mind shortly after release and subsequently corrected future editions of the film. In 1977, The Spy Who Loved Me stated that 007 would be back in For Your Eyes Only, but EON Productions decided to instead take advantage of the Star Wars craze and release Moonraker, whose plot was changed to involve outer space (unlike Goldfinger, however, EON chose not to correct the credits of The Spy Who Loved Me, so the error remains). Thirdly, Octopussy incorrectly states the next film as being From a View to a Kill, the original literary title of A View to a Kill. In the most recent Bond films, the title of the next film has been omitted, saying simply ‘James Bond will return’. The liner-notes of a ‘Best of Bond’ music compilation CD stated that this was because the early films all used titles from Fleming’s novels; having outpaced the novels with the current Bond films, the abbreviated form is used instead.

Every aficionado has a favourite Bond: Sean Connery — the tough guy, his machismo ready beneath the polished persona; George Lazenby — the controversial ultra-macho man, equally loved and despised; Roger Moore — the sophisticate, a perfect gentleman, rarely mussing his hair while saving the world; Timothy Dalton — the hard-edged literarily-authentic character; and Pierce Brosnan — the polished man of action. Every actor who auditions for the Bond role must always perform a scene from From Russia With Love, where he hears a noise and investigates, only to discover a beautiful stranger on his bed.

There is also lively debate on the best Bond film, with most major film critics giving the top mark to either From Russia with Love (Connery’s favourite, as he re-asserted in a 2002 ABC interview with Sam Donaldson) or its brassy follow-up, Goldfinger. Despite George Lazenby’s short tenure in the tuxedo, some reviewers have also warmed to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service — Leonard Maltin’s TV Movies (a.k.a. Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video Guide) review book states it might have been the best Bond film ever had Connery appeared in it; Raymond Benson concurs in The James Bond Bedside Companion.

Since their first film, Dr No in 1962, there has only been one film made by EON Productions that wasn’t a part of the Bond series: Call Me Bwana, starring Bob Hope.

1. Dr No (1962)
2. From Russia with Love (1963)
3. Goldfinger (1964)
4. Thunderball (1965)
5. You Only Live Twice (1967)
6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
7. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
11. Moonraker (1979)
12. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
13. Octopussy (1983)
14. A View to a Kill (1985)
15. The Living Daylights (1987)
16. Licence to Kill (1989)
17. GoldenEye (1995)
18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
20. Die Another Day (2002)
21. Casino Royale (2006)
22. Quantum of Solace(2008)

See also:

• Bond films: Non-EON films
• James Bond franchise