Favourite Frames: Moonraker

Some frames just tickle.

I can't link any but of the top of my head, my absolute favourite must be the shot of the Moonraker shuttle with the lens flare as the sun rises behind the earth. Which like the music that accompanies it is a little odd for Bond (space, shuttles, etc). And yet of all the films it's a top 5 or 10 shot.

Otherwise I'd agree with the alley shot (plus your last glimpse of Jaws as he's carried away by the group. Something both faintly sinister by the silhouette of his costume but also disjointed. You still see Jaws, but he's forgotten by Bond as he tends to the girl.)

Ah of course. For all its silliness, MR had a certain romanticisation about it.

The whole film makes you stop and gasp frequently. Tournier's work is really spectacular even if it isn't quite right for a Bond film. I've always felt MR's otherworldly tone comes not form being the one that goes into space but from: The French production, Tournier's gorgeous lensing particularly in closeups, and Barry's ethereal score.

That does make me think of a shot I like, the last one in the hunt of Corinne, just after the dogs reach her and the camera pans up. The French production as you say really makes Moonraker.

Brilliant bitchcraft!

hegottheboot wrote:

The whole film makes you stop and gasp frequently. Tournier's work is really spectacular even if it isn't quite right for a Bond film. I've always felt MR's otherworldly tone comes not form being the one that goes into space but from: The French production, Tournier's gorgeous lensing particularly in closeups, and Barry's ethereal score.

Corrine makes for an alluring close up, but always found the edit point a little jarring in that scene. Actually her side-boob moment I'd rank higher.

Hilly wrote:

That does make me think of a shot I like, the last one in the hunt of Corinne, just after the dogs reach her and the camera pans up. The French production as you say really makes Moonraker.

Quite. And the bell chimes indicative of death.

Something about the light filtering through the trees and the bells as you say.

So weird to think all of this is in Moonraker. A film where Bond quite literally goes boldly.

I'm coming around to the good doctor.



Review coming within the next few days.

Shall we add to the Moonraker album:



Such an arresting shot.



Sneaking around Venice tickles.



I quite like these lovelies.



Striking shot accompanied by one of Desmond's finest moments.





I really dig the long shot of Holly seeing Bond and then approaching. Even when I wasn't Holly's biggest fan, I always enjoyed her introduction.

Nice Fields. The plane shot must happen so fast as I've never quite twigged Jaws' head sticking out of the hatch.

I always do like that redhead.

Hard to miss Hilly when our hero is plummeting out of the sky without a parachute!

I dunno, my attention over the years with these films always go somewhere else.

Oops, I meant to say "easy to miss"... Seems like I was either going for an "easy to miss", "hard to see" hybrid.

let's see (most are VFX)









the silhouette of Jaws in juxtaposition with Bond in foreground
















can't quite capture the slow-mo unfolding




how the shuttle emerges from shadow

I almost posted some of those images, but I knew others would. The only one I wasn't going to post was of the perfect specimens, but I do like her falling, flowing hair underscored by Barry's choric score.

Good choices!

Never really noticed this before, but (and I guess it's appropriate given that Rog's era has been referred to as 'Carry On Bond') ... is it just me, or is there more than a hint of Kenneth Williams to Moore here?

I wouldn't say it was a favourite frame as such, the glass/eyebrow but it always catches the eye when it happens as it's do damn odd. There is something of our Kenny Williams there.

the upper shot of the docked shuttle is also good