Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

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Esoteric Cakes
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Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Esoteric Cakes »

Hi, new user! I made a video on James Bond and why he avoids Ireland. Just looking for feedback, and discussion hopefully. Personally, I dont think he should go there, as it's a minefield.

Video is here, if you forgive the shameless self promotion for my video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XctNeRzikOA
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Kristatos
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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Kristatos »

Welcome to the forum, EC. I haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, so I can't really comment much, but on the whole, I think the Bond films should stay away from real-world controversies. Not only would it spoil the escapist mood, but it runs the risk of dating the film very quickly.
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Esoteric Cakes
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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

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Kristatos wrote: Sat Apr 12, 2025 7:51 pm Welcome to the forum, EC. I haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, so I can't really comment much, but on the whole, I think the Bond films should stay away from real-world controversies. Not only would it spoil the escapist mood, but it runs the risk of dating the film very quickly.
Thanks for the welcome :) There might be a point there, actually, as the Mujahadeen in Living Daylights dated that film awfully! And we all know how that end in the end...
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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Omega »

That’s an interesting idea. I haven’t watched your video yet . Just on the premise I assumed nobody including Fleming wanted to touch that conflict. I kind of took that to mean there were some sympathies for the people just that nobody knew how to portray it fairly.

But when brosnan got the role you’d think there’d at least be a nod to Ireland maybe use it as a location if not as part of the story.

A lot of other spy movies used it including Ronin , Bond could have done something in some capacity. Man now I can’t stop wondering why out of all the places Fleming wrote about and all the places the film makers went to nobody thought about Ireland.

Was it ever used in continuation novels ?
If it something maybe UK film industry would discourage the use of?
I probably should have watched your video first.


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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Esoteric Cakes »

Omega wrote: Sun Apr 13, 2025 12:17 pm That’s an interesting idea. I haven’t watched your video yet . Just on the premise I assumed nobody including Fleming wanted to touch that conflict. I kind of took that to mean there were some sympathies for the people just that nobody knew how to portray it fairly.

But when brosnan got the role you’d think there’d at least be a nod to Ireland maybe use it as a location if not as part of the story.

A lot of other spy movies used it including Ronin , Bond could have done something in some capacity. Man now I can’t stop wondering why out of all the places Fleming wrote about and all the places the film makers went to nobody thought about Ireland.

Was it ever used in continuation novels ?
If it something maybe UK film industry would discourage the use of?
I probably should have watched your video first.


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Hey thanks for reply! I think the main reason was the producers worried about IRA retaliation. They had form for blowing stuff up. The bond studio would defo be a target.
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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Kristatos »

Also, the height of the IRA's mainland bombing campaign was during the Roger Moore era, when the films were at their most light-hearted. The disconnect would have been tonally jarring, I think.
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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Omega »

Esoteric Cakes wrote:
Omega wrote: Sun Apr 13, 2025 12:17 pm That’s an interesting idea. I haven’t watched your video yet . Just on the premise I assumed nobody including Fleming wanted to touch that conflict. I kind of took that to mean there were some sympathies for the people just that nobody knew how to portray it fairly.

But when brosnan got the role you’d think there’d at least be a nod to Ireland maybe use it as a location if not as part of the story.

A lot of other spy movies used it including Ronin , Bond could have done something in some capacity. Man now I can’t stop wondering why out of all the places Fleming wrote about and all the places the film makers went to nobody thought about Ireland.

Was it ever used in continuation novels ?
If it something maybe UK film industry would discourage the use of?
I probably should have watched your video first.


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Hey thanks for reply! I think the main reason was the producers worried about IRA retaliation. They had form for blowing stuff up. The bond studio would defo be a target.
True. I can see that , look at what happened with delorean. But Hollywood by the mid 1990s was willing attempt the subject, from a distance . I wonder if it was too delicate a situation for the uk after all.


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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by carl stromberg »

James Bond maybe have would fought the Provisional IRA and the other terrorist groups in Northern Ireland; maybe the Irish terrorists would be assisting one of the Bond villains or Communist states. But they did not bother to have the them in the same way as they do not have ISIS, in that James Bond is more of a fantasy and these real life terrorist groups/organised group are very depressing.

Also, remember that Pierce Brosnan was in the IRA :D :

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Re: Should Ireland be in a James Bond Movie?

Post by Kristatos »

Wasn't Red Grant in the IRA?
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