Pierce Brosnan’s tenure as James Bond throughout the ’90s and ’00s was a watershed moment for the long-running spy film series. Brosnan’s Bond was distinct from the series because of his humorous and relaxed performance.
However, his tenure as 007 ended, and he attributes this in part to Matt Damon’s success with the gritty Bourne trilogy. Brosnan even tried to work with famous director Quentin Tarantino, who had grand plans to remake the James Bond franchise as a period piece, to save his sagging James Bond career.
Pierce Brosnan and Humor in James Bond
Right from the start, Pierce Brosnan recognized the importance of introducing new elements to the Bond series. He conceded that Daniel Craig’s portrayal of Bond deviated from his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan, who brought a lighter, more comedic tone to the role.
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Brosnan thought adding humor was crucial for keeping the audience interested and highlighting the fantastic nature of Bond’s exploits. Brosnan, who played James Bond for a while, later reflected on his role.
“When I played [Bond], you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke. What I am doing here, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up a plane, is completely preposterous.”
Brosnan said that the success of Matt Damon’s Bourne trilogy was a major factor in his decision to leave the Bond series. In contrast to Brosnan’s suave and lighthearted interpretation, Damon’s portrayal of a gritty and relentless spy was striking. As a result of the Bourne films’ popularity, the spy genre as a whole was reimagined.
“Once Paul Greengrass let Matt Damon out of the door in such an epic way, the spy genre turned on its head and my time was done. Because then you have a younger man there, and how are you going to move forward? And they (Bond bosses) couldn’t. If they were to do Casino Royale, they couldn’t do it with me. Choices were made. The decisions were drawn in the sand – albeit a little late in the day.”
In a last-ditch effort to resurrect his 007 career, Pierce Brosnan sought the help of Quentin Tarantino, a visionary director whose films are renowned for their unconventional storytelling. A huge Bond fan, Tarantino suggested a period-piece reboot to breathe new life into the franchise.
The acclaimed filmmaker specifically requested Brosnan to play James Bond because he is his favorite actor to portray the role. Plans were discussed, but the partnership never materialized, leaving Brosnan’s future as Bond in doubt.
Director Paul Greengrass of The Bourne Identity said people no longer care about James Bond as he was traditionally portrayed and the values he represented.
“He loves his gadgets. And he embodies this whole set of misogynistic values, Personally, I spit on those values. I think we’ve moved on a little bit from all that, the martini shaken, not stirred.”
Perhaps this change in cultural norms and expectations influenced the franchise to cast Daniel Craig as a more realistic and earthy Bond. The departure of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond signaled the end of an era.
His portrayal of the role won viewers worldwide with its endearing mix of charisma, wit, and sophistication. Brosnan’s contribution should not be overlooked, even though his time as Bond has ended.
Source: Today
