Over the course of the preceding twenty Bond films we have taken our emotional cues from the stoic protagonist. She is not trained for or accustomed to seeing that sort of thing and is understandably traumatised. She is a Treasury representative who has just been attacked with a machete, has seen two men killed – one thrown over a railing and another choked to death in front of her. In a series of films where a near death experience or the dispatching of an enemy is traditionally accompanied by a witty quip and quickly forgotten, this scene marks possibly the first time we are presented with actual psychological consequences. This is a great scene because it shows us something we have never seen in a Bond film before and does it with such beautiful simplicity. This is not a great scene because it is exciting. This is not a great scene because it is sexy. Its significance comes precisely from the fact that it is so unusual within the context of the Bond series.

When I say there is a great shower scene in a Bond film, this is hardly the sort of scene you are likely to imagine. Backed by David Arnold’s beautiful Vesper theme, the majority of the scene is captured in one continuous shot, allowing the moment to sit and those emotions to hang in the air. Asking if she is cold, he reaches above his head to the tap and warms the water, a simple yet incredibly tender act.

It’s not coming off.” In a symbolic act of cleansing, of absolution, he takes her hand, places her fingers in his mouth and sucks them clean. Clinging to his arm, clearly in distress, Vesper evokes Lady Macbeth. Without saying a word he walks over and sits beside her, the water from the showerhead soaking through his tuxedo. He pushes open the bathroom door to reveal Vesper, fully clothed, sitting and shivering under the shower. He notices a broken wine glass on the table, and hears the shower running. Upon opening the door he is immediately uneasy. At the next break – which, if consistent with the last, is four hours later – he returns to his suite. He conceals the bodies, cleans himself up and returns to the card game. In one of the film’s many expertly executed action scenes Bond manages to dispatch with both men after a multi-story struggle. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) is comforted by James Bond (Daniel Craig)ĭuring a break in the high stakes poker game at the Casino Royale, James Bond and his companion Vesper Lynd are attacked in the stairwell by a pair of African terrorists/freedom fighters, one brandishing a machete.

Casino royale fight scene