Thunderball (1965)

Overview

Released in 1965, Thunderball was the fourth official James Bond film and the most ambitious to date. Directed by Terence Young (returning after Dr. No and From Russia with Love), and based on Ian Fleming’s ninth Bond novel, Thunderball was a landmark production in terms of scale, budget, and scope. With Sean Connery back in the role at the height of his popularity and SPECTRE making its grand return, the film built on the foundations laid by Goldfinger and pushed the franchise into even grander territory.

Thunderball was a massive box office success and introduced underwater filmmaking on a scale rarely seen before. However, its reception has been mixed over time—praised for its spectacle, but often critiqued for pacing and overindulgence. Nonetheless, it remains a defining chapter in Bond history.

Plot Summary

SPECTRE is back, and this time with a plan of global blackmail. The organization hijacks a NATO jet carrying two nuclear warheads and threatens to detonate them unless a ransom of £100 million in diamonds is paid. Bond is sent to the Bahamas after picking up leads at a health clinic, where he had a suspicious encounter with a man named Count Lippe and a mysterious patient recovering from facial surgery.

In Nassau, Bond crosses paths with Emilio Largo (SPECTRE Number 2), the man behind the plot. Bond investigates Largo’s yacht, the Disco Volante, and romances Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo’s mistress and the sister of the pilot who was murdered in the hijacking. As the deadline for SPECTRE’s ultimatum approaches, Bond must track the bombs hidden beneath the sea and stop Largo before he can bring the world to the brink of nuclear catastrophe.

Direction and Visual Style

Terence Young brings a sleek, confident touch to the film, once again balancing Bond’s debonair persona with gritty espionage. However, Thunderball leans heavily into spectacle, particularly underwater, where a significant portion of the action takes place. These sequences were ground breaking at the time, but their sheer length and slow pace are often cited as pacing issues by modern audiences.

The cinematography by Ted Moore is lush and saturated, with the Caribbean locations shining in bright blues and greens. The underwater scenes, choreographed by Ricou Browning, are beautiful but sometimes test the viewer’s patience. Above water, the film features classic Bond visuals: casinos, grand villas, exotic beaches, and opulent interiors.

Sean Connery as James Bond

By this point, Sean Connery had perfected the role of 007. In Thunderball, he’s in his element—charming, ruthless, and physically commanding. There’s a particular casual confidence in Connery’s performance here that few Bond actors have matched. He moves from jet-setting playboy to action hero with ease, and his rapport with Domino, though a bit cool, still carries the right romantic spark.

Bond’s humour in this film is drier than ever, with plenty of quips, but Connery never lets it undercut the stakes. He also handles the underwater action convincingly, performing many of his own stunts.

Villains

Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi): With his eye patch, white hair, and powerful physique, Largo is a visually iconic Bond villain. He’s calm, methodical, and terrifying when crossed. Though not as flamboyant as Goldfinger or Dr. No, he exudes a quiet menace. Celi’s performance was dubbed due to his Italian accent, but it still works, lending the character a cool, aristocratic demeanour.

Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi): One of the best femme fatales in the series. She’s lethal, seductive, and gleefully evil—everything a great Bond villainess should be. Volpe’s motorcycle ambush and eventual seduction of Bond (followed by her betrayal) are among the highlights of the film. Her mocking of the “Bond converts women with love” trope is one of the series’ most self-aware moments.

Bond Girls

Domino Derval (Claudine Auger): A classic Bond girl in terms of look and role, Domino is stunning and elegant but more passive compared to other leading ladies. Her character’s arc gains emotional weight in the final act, especially after learning about her brother’s murder. Auger’s French-accented English was dubbed, but her chemistry with Connery works well enough.

Patricia Fearing (Molly Peters): The nurse at the health spa where Bond recovers. Their scenes are flirtatious and lightly comedic, though once again, Bond's aggressive tactics in early scenes haven’t aged well by today’s standards.

Underwater Sequences

The film’s biggest innovation—and point of contention—is its extensive use of underwater photography. The climactic battle between scuba divers, complete with spear guns and aquatic vehicles, is visually stunning but very long, spanning over 10 minutes. At the time, these scenes were revolutionary, and they still look impressive, but modern audiences often find the pace slows considerably during these segments.

That said, underwater action gives Thunderball a unique identity in the Bond canon. No other film in the series commits this fully to a specific style of action, for better or worse.

Action and Set Pieces

Jetpack Escape: One of the franchise’s most ridiculous but awesome moments. It’s brief but unforgettable.

Health Clinic Brawl: Bond’s fight with Count Lippe is brutal and well choreographed—an early highlight of the film.

SPECTRE Conference Room: A chilling sequence showcasing Blofeld and his cold efficiency. The electrified chair scene is iconic.

Underwater Battles: Technically amazing, if drawn out. The harpoon-fuelled chaos is like ballet in slow motion.

Final Yacht Fight: Bond and Largo’s brutal hand-to-hand fight aboard the Disco Volante is intense, if a bit visually chaotic due to rear projection effects.

Gadgets and Tech

Jetpack: Completely impractical, wildly fun—peak Bond.

Geiger counter watch, rebreather, underwater propulsion units—Thunderball fully embraces the gadget era, thanks to Q (Desmond Llewelyn), who once again delivers one of his delightfully grumpy briefings.

Music and Score

John Barry returns with a lush, brassy score that perfectly captures the film’s tropical setting and high-stakes espionage. His underwater themes are dreamy and tense, enhancing the submerged sequences’ eerie calm.

The title song, “Thunderball” by Tom Jones, replaced the originally planned “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.” Jones delivers it with bombastic flair, even allegedly fainting while holding the final note. While not as catchy as “Goldfinger,” it’s undeniably powerful and well-suited to the film’s epic tone.

Themes and Subtext

Power and Nuclear Anxiety: As with many 1960s Bond films, the fear of nuclear war underpins the plot. SPECTRE’s use of atomic weapons for profit adds a layer of Cold War paranoia.

Seduction as Strategy: Bond’s manipulations of Domino and others raise questions about consent and morality that modern viewers find more troubling.

Technological Arms Race: The gadgetry and underwater warfare reflect mid-century fascination with advanced tech and the spy vs. spy arms race.

Legacy and Influence

Thunderball was the highest-grossing Bond film of its time, adjusted for inflation, and a cultural juggernaut. Its legacy includes:

Cementing SPECTRE as the Bond franchise’s prime antagonist.

Establishing the visual and narrative grandeur expected from future Bond outings.

Inspiring decades of underwater adventure films and spy movie parodies.

It also had a turbulent legal history. The screenplay for Thunderball was developed in collaboration with Kevin McClory, who would later gain rights to remake the story—resulting in 1983’s Never Say Never Again, a non-EON Bond film with Connery returning.

Final Verdict

Thunderball is a classic Bond film—bold, ambitious, and dripping with exotic style. It’s filled with memorable villains, ground breaking underwater action, and Sean Connery in peak form. While it stumbles in pacing due to overlong sequences and some dated attitudes, its sheer scale and confidence make it one of the most significant and distinctive entries in the franchise.