cinematographer George Steel reveals the maligned James Bond movie that inspired the Gal Gadot spy thriller. Now available on Netflix, stars ’s Gadot as Rachel Stone, an international agent tasked with keeping safe a mysterious object called “The Heart.” Directed by Tom Harper, also stars Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo, Jing Lusi, Paul Ready, B.D. Wong and Glenn Close.
With the having now arrived, the movie’s James Bond influence is on view for all to see, and in fact there is one specific, rather unlikely, Bond movie that served as inspiration for the Gadot-led thriller. Speaking to
I love Octopussy,’and I would joke with [director] Tom [Harper], ‘I want this film to look like Octopussy.' He would always look at me slightly terrified, but when Roger Moore comes out of the jungle in that great jacket, I think it’s so beautiful. … We didn’t want [Gadot] to be a glossy Wonder Woman. The idea was that it would be interesting to take someone as beautiful as Gal and put her in a slightly rougher aesthetic.
The second-to-last film in Roger Moore’s long tenure as James Bond, was released in 1983 to mostly bad reviews, as reflected in its 42 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, but a strong box office, with $187 million grossed worldwide against a budget of $27.5 million. Though audiences still got a kick out of watching Moore play Bond, the star was rapidly aging out of the role, and would play 007 only one more time before being replaced by Timothy Dalton.
is indeed a lackluster entry in the Bond saga, with its tired story and less-than-memorable villain. If the movie is remembered for anything in after 40 years, it’s that very strange title, which references the film’s main Bond Girl, but seems like nothing so much as a dirty joke that somehow slipped past the studio.
Though may not be among the most well-regarded Bond movie, it clearly has a fan in cinematographer Steel, who drew inspiration from Moore’s wardrobe, and from its juxtaposition of elegance and roughness. Comparing any modern-day spy movie to Bond is slightly perilous, but such comparisons are also inevitable. It remains to be seen if Gadot's turn as Rachel Stone leads to an ongoing spy thriller gig, or winds up being a one-off.
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