James Bond's Black Rose
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 12:41PM
Andreas in David Niven, May Flowers

Andreas here with today's May Flowers.

Look at my garden. Out there, there is a b-b-black rose. Not dark red, but black—as a raven's wing at midnight.

David Niven, as the first of many James Bonds in the mega-spoof Casino Royale (1967), manages a surprisingly sentimental moment as he gushes over his beloved, unique flower. It's his proudest possession, and a symbol of his self-imposed isolation. Unfortunately, the flower (and his home) are about to be destroyed, forcing him out into this frantic, incomprehensible mess of a movie.

Are you acquainted with the old Casino Royale and its bizarre sense of humor? Trying to describe it is like recounting a fever dream: Well, Orson Welles was there doing card tricks, and Peter O'Toole plays the bagpipe, and Woody Allen has a flying saucer, and most of the characters are 007. Now I'm not even sure it exists anymore...

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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