Ultimately, the Daniel Craig era has benefitted from some top-shelf talent, from Roberto Schaefer to repeat Christopher Nolan collaborator Hoyte Van Hoytema, to the greatest working cinematographer himself: Roger Deakins. Phil Meheux introduced fans to a post-Cold War Bond with GoldenEye, and he was called back to ring in yet another era with Casino Royale.

The Brosnan era welcomed the likes of Adrian Biddle (of Aliens prestige), David Tattersall (who shot The Green Mile), and veteran Paul Thomas Anderson cinematographer Robert Elswit. The new millennium saw a steady stream of ever-changing talent. And The Day of the Jackal‘s Jean Tournier is the man behind Moonraker. Barbarella‘s Claude Renoir shot The Spy Who Loved Me. The vibrant and vicious On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was shot by Hammer House of Horror veteran Michael Reed. One of the few nice things you can say about You Only Live Twice is that it is shot by Lawrence of Arabia‘s DP, Freddie Young. While it was less common, there were one-off cinematographers before the Pierce Brosnan era. After Hume comes longtime Bond camera operator Alec Mills, who performed DP duties on both of the Timothy Dalton films. To date, the only cinematographer who can rival Moore’s run is Alan Hume, who shot three entries in the Roger Moore era (and is best known for shooting Return of the Jedi). From intense static mediums to kinetic pans, Moore kicked the franchise off with a distinctly professional feel.

A South African and a Royal Air Force veteran, Moore defined the calm, collected lens of Bond’s world. Ted Moore shot a total of six Bond films and shares his seventh credit with Oswald Morris. Directors, title designers, and cinematographers enjoyed as much of a “tenure” as any of the 007 actors. In the Sean Connery era, the vibe is very much that of an institution. That’s precisely what makes Bond films so special: they have managed to evolve over nearly sixty years while still retaining what makes Bond, Bond. Rather, when you look at the visual language of all the Bond films, you’ll see consistent trends: a preference for shadows, a love of a long take, and an undeniable sense of cool. And we’re not just talking about enduring cocktail preferences or the odd recurring side character. If you sit down and watch all twenty-four James Bond films, patterns invariably emerge. This entry explores the best shots of the James Bond franchise. Martinis shaken and beluga caviar in hand, the Double Take duo are making their way through the Bond corpus by era, so hang up your hats and pay attention. With twenty-four official James Bond films to conquer before No Time To Die hits theaters, Bond fan Anna Swanson and Bond newbie Meg Shields are diving deep on 007.

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