KINOGRAPHIAS

By 1967, the James Bond films had stamped a distinct cinematic experience, with a structural formula for the agent’s missions, the recurrence of characters and their portrayers, and visual and musical motifs, among other elements. Encompassing these bonding elements and the franchise they were representing had been Sean Connery’s embodiment of the titular spy. Yet, when James Bond came back to theaters in Peter R. Hunt’s directorial effort, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), a new face was incarnating the character: George Lazenby. The new actor’s entry succeeded five films with Connery as Bond, and in retrospect, ended up sandwiched in its predecessors’ tenure, with the original actor returning to the role for the film that followed.  Recasting was not entirely uncommon during the earlier Bond films: Desmond Lewellyn’s Q turned out to be armorer Boothroyd from Terence Young’s Dr. No (1962), and by 1965, Felix Leiter, portrayed by Jack Lord, Cec Linder and Rik Van Nutter, beca...

In June, 1981, audiences facing the big screen were introduced to the first film featuring the character of Indiana Jones. The brainchild of a team led by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Raiders of the Lost Ark presented a storytelling ride that reinvigorated the moviegoing experience. On one hand, it displayed the virtuosity of classical motion picture epics, while adding on the other a freshness in its incorporation of narrative, dramatic and filmic elements. With a story, character and spectacle that became a staple for modern filmmaking, it remains, 40 years later, an unmissable cinematic achievement for audiences of all ages. The plot, set in 1936, follows the story of Indiana Jones, renowned archaeologist, as he is summoned by the United States government to find the mythical Ark of the Covenant. He must do so before the Nazis locate its hidden resting place in Egypt, as the artifact, believed to irradiate supernatural power, is feared to be destructive in the wrong hands. In ...