Specific aspect of the casino scene

There is a specific part of this scene that I completely misinterpreted.  Largo says “You wish to put the evil eye on me”, and then says something like, “where I come from , we have a way to deal with that”, and does a kind of fist bump action.  He is wearing a very prominent Spectre ring, and so I thought the idea was that Largo thought, ok, you have in idea of who I might be, but I’m warning you right now (conspicuously flashes Spectre ring in fist motion), if you really knew how powerful we are, you’d watch your step.  It was only recently, after countless viewings over decades, that I saw he has his outside fingers extended in the horns, which is, I believe, and old Italian gesture for warding off evil.  People used to think Ronnie James Dio was invoking satan when he did his horns but he said it was something his Italian grandmother did to ward off evil.  I never noticed it in the past because the way his hand is placed, his fingers point downward and aren’t particularly prominent in the shot, not like the ring, anyway.

That particular exchange feels better now when I watch it.

Am I the only one who missed the horn gesture?

Yes I believe you're right with the horn gesture, but my attention always went to the ring. I guess it's a case of the subtext overpowering the text, which isn't helped by Bond's references to SPECTRE.

Yes it's directly from the equivalent scene in the novel that explicitly mentions Largo's evoking of the evil eye as a show for the onlookers.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Yes I believe you're right with the horn gesture, but my attention always went to the ring. I guess it's a case of the subtext overpowering the text, which isn't helped by Bond's references to SPECTRE.

You mean how Bond immediately gets in Largo's face and bluntly drops those hamfisted Spectre lines? I always find that kind of jarring. They're awkward.

hegottheboot wrote:

Yes it's directly from the equivalent scene in the novel that explicitly mentions Largo's evoking of the evil eye as a show for the onlookers.

Cool. Thanks for the confirmation.

You don’t know me wrote:

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Yes I believe you're right with the horn gesture, but my attention always went to the ring. I guess it's a case of the subtext overpowering the text, which isn't helped by Bond's references to SPECTRE.

You mean how Bond immediately gets in Largo's face and bluntly drops those hamfisted Spectre lines? I always find that kind of jarring.  They're awkward.

I don't think it's jarring or awkward, as Connery works it into conversation so effortlessly. Besides, the idea is for Bond to rattle Largo, from memory. Haven't watched TB for a few years.

It's the most innately dramatic card scene in the original series for the depth of emotions going on behind the scenes. There is more menace in Largo's reveal of his eight and more badassery in Bond's flippant reveal of a natural nine than most films can manage. Here 007 is repeatedly attacking Largo's ego and pride on multiple fronts-and in public Largo has to take the blows which may leave him open to revealing secrets in his anger.