Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Sam Mendes, Hans Zimmer, David Arnold, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Michael Caine, Naomie Harris, Martin Campbell, Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish
As the cinematic James Bond franchise turns 60 years old on October 5th 2022 - sixty years since 'Dr. No' was released in 1962 - explore a defining part of the 007 world...the music!
Cheese and crackers. Tea and biscuits. Somethings just go together; equally wonderful on their own, but as one they take you to a whole new level of indulgence. The same can be said for the James Bond films and their soundtracks. You can enjoy them individually, but you need to bring them together for the true experience.
For 60 years, worldwide stars have brought their own touch to the 007 franchise, be it singing the theme song or working on the score. Each tune, each note, each bar of music played or sang resonates across the years for a timeless exploration of different cultures, themes and styles. From the Monty Norman / John Barry composition of the 'James Bond Theme' in 1962s Dr. No to the Billie Eilish / Hans Zimmer title track for 2021s No Time to Die, lovers of both films and music have been treated to some legendary songs and scores that speak volumes about the character and film itself. Now, director Mat Whitecross brings together a host of familiar franchise faces to discuss and explore the sound of 007 in this anniversary year with a 90min documentary streaming on Amazon Prime.
Go back to 1958 and Monty Norman explaining how a penned Indian themed song for the musical 'A House For Mr Biswas', and teaming up with John Barry in 1962 brought the James Bond theme to life. And the rest, to be honest, is true cinematic history! From then we explore how the songs and scores encapsulate their world of 007 in just a few minutes, selling the story and the film sometimes before even a word is uttered.
You are immediately in the company of industry greats who explain how the James Bond films and music captured their imagination at a young age, leading them to where they are now.
This is a stylish, slick and passionately crafted documentary. It is full of brilliant transitions, colour and VFX graphics to take you on this journey. If anything, it makes you wish we had more in-depth documentaries likes this about the Bond films looking at various aspects that brought the films together. The timeline of the films is followed in the exploration of the music, and you can see how each score and song has developed and evolved to honour what has come before, but take a bold new direction. Yet there are times it dives in and out to look at certain changes in cultures and themes, such as taking Bond from ballads to rock to pop, and rebooting the series avoiding the obvious use of the Norman theme. Everything has a point, and everything has a reason for the music to tell as much of the story as the script.
We go beyond the movies to understand the influences on those who created the music and scores. It's this attention to detail via a great array of interviews from people we may not otherwise hear much from. These people give brand new, and well deserved, looks behind the scenes to a crucial element of the franchise. They are not afraid to explore how much simple things like brass instruments work in being a benchmark of the Bond scores, or how hard it is to write lyrics that compliment the word 'Solace'.
And of course we have reflections from the singers and stars themselves, from John Barry, Don Black and Sir Michael Caine, to Dame Shirley Bassey, Daniel Craig and Simon Le Bon. It's really nice to hear their thoughts and experiences on what the music and the writing process means to them as professionals of their trade. We are also treated to behind the scenes glimpses of the stars working on their songs and scores in recording studios, conversations at film premiers and press junkets. There is also reflection on those artists and songs that never got to be, such as material from Radiohead and an emotional moment surrounding Amy Winehouse. You can't ask for more really.
Well, you could, to be fair. Some of those other key players in the musical history of Bond are omitted, such as Eric Serra and 'GoldenEye', and Michael Kamen with 'Licence To Kill'. While the film scores may have not contained much memorable material compared to some, they were still crucial take Bond into the 90s, or portray a different sound with John Barry departing. It's also a shame songs such as 'All Time High' and 'Tomorrow Never Dies' don't get much of a look in, and even looked down upon. Which is a shame, because they too contain memorable and important elements for the films.
Still, this would be a wonderful double feature with 'Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007' - both carry that passion for the franchise, and offer so much material for old and new fans to take away. What stands out is how important the music of the Bond films really is, and the people behind the magic. They deserve their stories, views and thoughts to be shared. Thankfully, their stories are full of humour, charm and fascinating behind the scenes facts! For instance, Sir Michael Caine was the first person to hear the 'Goldfinger' theme, and Billie Eilish is the first artist to have their vocals used within a Bond film as part of the score itself for 'No Time To Die'.
At 90mins, nothing feels rushed and equally nothing feels overlooked. Key milestones in the series are all captured, and regardless of critical and audience thoughts on songs and scores, this is a celebration. It's a celebration of all the creative genius that went into each score and each song to reflect the changing styles of James Bond, but keeping it true what the franchise is all about.
In this 60 year franchise, there is never a lack of new stories to tell, new interviews to hear or new reflections to capture. A superbly passionate and interesting documentary for the music of 007 that shines a much deserved light on this crucial aspect of the films.
'The Sound Of 007' is a co-production between EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and
Ventureland
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