(Intro): Ian Fleming's James Bond - Casino Royale (1953)

"Behind the Curtain ou l'envers de ces décors"

Welcome to the first of, I hope, a long series of articles behind and around the scenes of crucial icons and references in our "global" cultural landscape, where we shall try to revisit and reveal the myths, forgotten details and shrouded  origins of said characters, stories and artists. 



Article No 1 - Part 1:

Ian Fleming's Casino Royale the novel

FOREWORD

  We have the pleasure, being a long time fan to start with Ian Fleming's James Bond first novel, Casino Royale, (not because of the latest Skyfall, but) following a trend of thoughts going back to 2005 and the 2nd attempt to adapt the novel on screen.

Indeed, the novel is remarkably important at various levels of our modern culture.

It does shape for instance, our modern representation of what the ideal spook (slang for spy) is and may therefore define some of our political views even today.

More than just a pure creative literate spur from a retired veteran, the story of Casino Royale reflects History by fictionalizing historical references and context.

 The novel is actually part of what's been dubbed the "political era" for James Bond adventures by opposition to the later novels involving the organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E (something more like a sophisticated international Al-Qaeda) and similar terrorists, ironically dubbed "non political" as those did not revolve around the Cold War.

For that reason, we shall first focus on the novel and its historical background rather than what the films made of it and by a sort of back engineering process, we shall try to unveil the part of 'reality' in the fiction.

Orig. Ian Fleming cover 

Re-edition cover

Re-edition cover

Re-edition cover

I- Realistic Chronology (Next post)

Where we tie and merge the novel storyline into actual events of the same period.

That should only be the tip of our iceberg of concerns here as we will dive deeper into the James Bond myth,  as we go along and get a closer look at the characters themselves in the second part of this article.

II- Characters Analysis (with illustrated character sheets) ( Later post)

Where we shall reevaluate our consideration for some protagonists motives

Eventually, we will (cause there's no way around it) discuss its 2 radically different movie adaptations.
Indeed, both movies are very far from the book and we shall try to understand why and how.

1953 Movie adapt.

2005 Movie Adapt.

III - Reviews of adaptations (Last post)

Where we shall check what the copyright holders allowed to all over different medias and nearly 60 years of James Bond.    

I included all along this article as many original illustrations as possible to try and render as faithfully as I could imagine, what should/could be the visuals of a more truthful adaptation of Casino Royale, the novel.

Then after a complete list of references and acknowledgements, we shall temporarily put on hold our quest for mysteries until the next JB's article following the same methodology, this time for "Live and Let Die", the controversial 2nd opus of the British spy's adventures in the African-American U.S.A of the 50s.

Thank you for your interest!


James bond, Casino Royale and all characters and features associated are copyrights of their respective owners.  


Note: This article is designed both as a journalistic critique (historical and artistical, therefore political) and a fan art exercise totally voluntary. No money is being made. The ideas expressed are the author's own.