Roger Moore will always be remembered as one of the most iconic James Bond actors of all time, but some of his cinematic moments from the franchise didn’t hold up. Replacing the original and beloved 007 star Sean Connery, the British actor defied the odds and won the hearts of the public. Roger Moore’s 007 has stayed with audiences longer than any other James Bond actor. His sharp wit and goofy humor gave Moore’s James Bond character and stunts a charming edge.
However, since he first took on the role in 1973, not all aspects of Roger Moore’s 007 aged with the same grace. Similarly to Sean Connery’s James Bond, some moments in the franchise feel dated by today’s standards and may not resonate with modern audiences, although it should be noted that the entire James Bond franchise has moments that have not aged well. From the callous portrayal of disabilities to the outdated attitude shown towards women, Roger Moore’s James Bond is emblematic of a different time.
10
Bond’s age difference with Solitaire
Live and let die
Roger Moore had numerous partners who were significantly younger than him throughout his life. James Bond films. However, in one particular case, her co-star’s age and the implications were particularly disturbing. Jane Seymour was just 22 when she played Patience, Bond’s romantic interest, in Live and let die. That means she and Moore had a 23-year age difference.
This condition leads to a pivotal moment where Bond tricks Solitaire into sleeping with him so that she is no longer a risk.
A particularly controversial aspect of this situation is how Solitaire’s youth is emphasized throughout the film. Jane Seymour plays a psychic whose powers are exploited by the villain Dr. Kananga in his activities. However, her abilities are said to work as long as she is a virgin. This condition leads to a pivotal moment where Bond tricks Solitaire into sleeping with him so that she is no longer a risk. Watching Roger Moore’s 45-year-old James Bond manipulate a 22-year-old girl into losing her virginity to him wouldn’t sit well with today’s audiences.
9
Bond’s attack on Andrea
The Man with the Golden Gun
In The Man with the Golden GunRoger Moore’s Bond has a problematic encounter with a female character. Andrea Anders, played by Maude Adams, is the lover of Scaramaga, the film’s main antagonist. In an attempt to gather information about his enemy, Bond physically intimidates Andrea, slaps her in the face and twists her arm, threatening to break it if she does not cooperate.
The film makes it clear that Andrea is not a ruthless villain, but rather a terrified woman trapped in an abusive relationship. Even so, Bond has no qualms about using his physical advantage over her to achieve his goals. His actions lead to the death of Maude’s character. The meeting between the two brings to light a problematic aspect of Roger Moore’s James Bond: he is perfectly content to use force against a woman who is also a victim. This moment seems unnecessarily cruel and misogynistic by today’s standards.
8
Bond’s cold-blooded murder of Locque
For your eyes only
Roger Moore’s James Bond has one of the darkest moments in the entire history of 007. In For your eyes onlyMichael Gothard plays Locque, a cold-blooded assassin responsible for the murder of Bond’s love interest, Countess Lisl von Schlaf – his actions fuel Bond’s quest for revenge. After an intense chase, 007 manages to shoot Locque and corners him in his vehicle on the edge of a cliff.
Roger Moore himself wasn’t too happy with the scene, as he felt it was out of character for his interpretation and understanding of James Bond. While the scene remains one of the most iconic in the entire series, the cold, brutal nature of the murder doesn’t sit too well with today’s less tolerant attitude toward gratuitous violence.
7
Stereotypes of Indian Culture
Octopus
While Moore’s James Bond is praised for his humor and ability to lighten the franchise’s traditionally dark tone, not all of his jokes would hold up very well by today’s standards. Some of your attempts at sarcasm may seem racially insensitive and culturally ignorant. The James Bond movie Octopus is an example. A significant portion of the film takes place in Udaipur, India. From snake charmers to sword swallowing scenes, the film offers a cartoonish portrait of Indian culture.
The most notorious and blatant example of the film’s racist overtones, however, is displayed through one of Roger Moore’s humorous scenes.. After 007 hands over some money to his fellow Indians, he jokes: “This will keep you in the curry for a few months!“The joke may have been funny fifty years ago, but today it just shows the once Western-centric ignorance of other cultures.
6
Locking a man with dwarfism in a suitcase
The Man with the Golden Gun
Roger Moore’s 007 attempts to be entertaining occasionally proved inadequate. Especially when these jokes rely on other characters’ disabilities. In “The Man with the Golden Gun”, at the end of the film, Moore’s James Bond confronts Nick Nack, one of the Bond villain’s henchmen, played by Hervé Villechaize. The problematic part of the scene, however, occurs when, to defeat him, Bond locks him in a suitcase, using the enemy’s dwarfism to his advantage.
At that time, the scene would probably provoke laughter from the audience. However, by current standards, this type of approach would not hold up very well. The moment focuses on a type of humor that harms the disability of others and seems out of step with today’s more sensitive awareness of the topic.
5
Bond’s surprise at Dr. Goodhead being a woman
Moonraker
The character 007 has notoriously demonstrated a sexist attitude towards women, and Roger Moore’s James Bond is not immune to this.. One of the most striking examples occurs in Moonraker. In the film, Lois Chiles plays astrophysicist and NASA astronaut Dr. Holly Goodhead. James’ reaction upon discovering that the talented doctor is a woman is one of complete surprise:
Holly Good head: You just found her.
James Bond: One woman!
Dr.. Holly Good head: Your powers of observation are to be believed, Mr. Bond.
The shock of Bond’s expression and Holly Goodhead’s subsequent annoyance and sarcastic comment may have seemed amusing in the 1970s. The scene reflected a typical attitude toward women in male-dominated fields. These days, though, the spy approach seems a little insulting and outdated. Bond’s ignorance and ignorance aren’t so much fun anymore. However, Dr. Goodhead’s answer is. If Bond’s sexist view of the world doesn’t hold up very well, the doctor’s character does, and very successfully.
4
The Bimbo Stereotype
The Man with the Golden Gun
In The Man with the Golden GunBritt Ekland plays the role of a beautiful young Secret Service agent, willing to help Bond in his mission against Scaramanga. Her character, Mary Goodnight, who is in love with Roger Moore’s Bond, is presented as a stupider, more naïve version of her book counterpart. Bond himself treats her with very little respect, although at the end of the film Mary ends up being the spy’s main love interest.
Despite being a field agent, a job that requires a lot of courage, her Bond Girl character in Moore’s James Bond film gets little respect.
While Ekland’s role can occasionally be comic relief and a source of laughter for the audience, her portrayal relies heavily on negative stereotypes surrounding women.. Despite being a field agent, a job that requires a lot of courage, her Bond Girl character in Moore’s James Bond film gets little respect. Her role is reduced to an outdated stereotype of the dumb blonde, who is mainly recognized for her golden hair and sex appeal. This sexist and dismissive trope would not bode well for modern society.
3
Bond’s continued advances towards Anya Amasova
The spy who loved me
In The spy who loved meBond is paired with Anya Amasova, a Soviet agent, played by Barbara Bach. Throughout the film, James Bond openly advances towards Anya, even though he is responsible for his lover’s death. The two share a sexual encounter after he saves her from Jaws and while she is still unaware of Bond’s role in the murder of her previous romantic interest. After the Soviet agent finds out, however, she vows revenge only to later succumb once again to Bond’s advances at the end of the film.
Bond’s pursuit of a woman whose partner he murdered is more than a little troubling and morally suspect. The way she easily gives in to his advances, despite her complicated history, also reduces the character to just another pawn in James Bond’s misogynistic game of seduction. This choice deprives Bach’s character of agency and would not be very satisfying to today’s public’s heightened sensitivity to the nature of toxic relationships.
2
The character of Jaws
The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker
The 007 films have a history of using facial disfigurement as a way to emphasize a character’s vile nature. An example of this in James Bond is “Jaws” by Richard Kiel. After playing one of the villain’s henchmen in The spy who loved meRichard Kiel became instantly popular and was cast again in Moonraker. His character’s imposing stature and metal teeth gave him a unique appearance intended to highlight the monstrous nature of the role. His teeth allowed 007’s nemesis to have an extremely strong bite, which made him appear even scarier to the public.
These days, though, the trope of associating physical disabilities and scars with evil seems reductive and lazy. The trope risks perpetuating negative stereotypes that emphasize physical differences as threatening. In today’s society, a good villain deserves complex, nuanced representation rather than being a caricature.
Live and let die
In Live and let dierepresentation of the African-American community overly relies on negative stereotypes. The character of Baron Samedi, for example, one of Dr. Kananga’s henchmen, is a voodoo master, a cartoonish trope that reinforces outdated narratives about African beliefs and religions and their association with dark and dangerous magic.
Compared to Ian Fleming’s original book, Roger Moore’s James Bond adaptation is less insensitive. However, the representation of the African-American community still reflects an outdated attitude, typical of the early 1970s, that does not hold up well in modern society. Today, the portrayal of these characters would be heavily criticized for lacking depth and for reducing an entire community to a one-dimensional stereotype. Unfortunately, 007’s occasional lack of cultural awareness is a recurring theme in the franchise, especially in its previous films, and Roger Moore’s film James Bond era is certainly guilty of this.