• Casino Royale Vesper Death
• Casino Royale Vesper Death
• James Bond Casino Royale Theme
• James Bond Casino Royale Vesper Drink

1. See full list on jamesbond.fandom.com.
2. Inspired by the Necklace that Bond Girl Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green) wore in Casino Royale! The Algerian Love Knot is intriguing and slightly mysterious. Worn on the neck with a triple strand chain which drops down from the knot, it is enigmatic and emanates seductive beauty and perfectly taps into this year's red-lipped femme fatale look.

Mathis welcomes James Bond and Vesper Lynd in Montenegro, where he has been stationed by MI6. Le Chiffre has already bribed the chief of police so Mathis had him arrested for bribery (with photoshopped evidence). Mathis attended the poker game at the Casino Royale and watched Bond defeat Le Chiffre.

Vesper Lynd is a fictional character featured in Ian Fleming's 1953 James Bond novel Casino Royale. She was portrayed by Ursula Andress in the 1967 James Bond parody, which is only slightly based on the novel, and by Eva Green in the 2006 film adaptation.

In the novel, the character explains that she was born 'on a very stormy evening', and that her parents named her 'Vesper', Latin for 'evening'. Fleming created a cocktail recipe in the novel that Bond names after her. The 'Vesper martini' became very popular after the novel's publication, and gave rise to the famous 'shaken, not stirred' catchphrase immortalised in the Bond films. The actual name for the drink (as well as its complete recipe) was mentioned on screen for the first time in the 2006 film adaptation of Casino Royale.^[1]

In 1993, journalist Donald McCormick claimed that Fleming based Vesper on the real life of Polish agent Krystyna Skarbek, who was working for Special Operations Executive.^[2]

Novel biography[edit]

Vesper works at MI6 headquarters being a personal assistant to Head of section S. She is lent to Bond, much to his irritation, to assist him in his mission to bankrupt Le Chiffre, the paymaster of a SMERSH-controlled trade union. She poses as a radio seller, working with Rene Mathis, and later as Bond's companion to infiltrate the casino in Royale-Les-Eaux, in which Le Chiffre frequently gambles. After Bond takes all of Le Chiffre's money in a high-stakes game of baccarat, Vesper is abducted by Le Chiffre's thugs, who also nab Bond when he tries to rescue her. Both are rescued after Le Chiffre is murdered by a SMERSH agent, but only after Bond has been tortured.

Vesper visits Bond every day in the hospital, and the two grow very close; much to his own surprise, Bond develops genuine feelings for her, and even dreams of leaving the service and marrying her. After he is released from the hospital, they go on a holiday together and eventually become lovers.

Vesper has a terrible secret, however - she is a double agent working for Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and worked with Bond only because she was ordered to see that he did not escape Le Chiffre. (Her kidnapping was staged to lure Bond into Le Chiffre's clutches.) Before she met Bond, she had been romantically involved with a PolishRAF operative. This man had been captured by SMERSH and revealed information about Vesper under torture. Hence, SMERSH was using this operative to blackmail Vesper into helping them. After Le Chiffre's death, she is initially hopeful that she can have a fresh start with Bond, but she realizes this is impossible when she sees a SMERSH operative with an eye patch, Adolph Gettler, tracking her and Bond's movements. Consumed with guilt and certain that SMERSH will find and kill both of them, she commits suicide, leaving a note admitting her treachery and pledging her love to Bond.

Bond moves at top speed through all the Kübler-Ross model stages of grief following Vesper's death, eventually seeing past his sense of loss the clear implications of her espionage. He renounces her only as 'a spy,' packing her away as a memento in the box room of his life and recalling his professional identity immediately within the present situation. Through to his superiors on the telephone, with quiet emergency he informs them of Vesper's treasonous identity, adding, upon a request for confirmation, 'Yes, dammit, I said 'was.' The bitch is dead now.'

However, Bond's genuine feelings for Vesper never fade. Fleming's tenth novel, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, reveals that Bond makes an annual pilgrimage to Royale-Les-Eaux to visit her grave. In Diamonds Are Forever, Bond skips the song 'La Vie En Rose' in Tiffany Case's hotel room 'because it has memories for him'; this is a song closely associated with Vesper in Casino Royale. In the novel Goldfinger, when Bond has been severely poisoned and believes he is about to enter heaven, he worries about how to introduce Tilly Masterton, who he believes has died along with him, to Vesper.

Film biography[edit]

1967[edit]

In the 1967 version of Casino Royale, Lynd was portrayed by Ursula Andress, who had portrayed another Bond girl, Honey Ryder, in the 1962 film version of Dr. No.^[3]

In this version, which bore little resemblance to the novel, Vesper is depicted as a former secret agent who has since become a multi-millionaire with a penchant for wearing ridiculously extravagant outfits at her office ('because if I wore it in the street people might stare'). Bond (played by David Niven), now in the position of M at MI6, uses a discount for her past due taxes to bribe her into becoming another 007 agent, and to recruit baccarat expert Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) into stopping Le Chiffre (played by Orson Welles).

Vesper and Tremble have an affair during which she eliminates an enemy agent sent to seduce Tremble ('Miss Goodthighs'). Ultimately, however, she betrays Tremble to Le Chiffre and SMERSH, declaring to Tremble, 'Never trust a rich spy' before killing him with a machine gun hidden inside a bagpipe. She presumably does this for the same reason she does in the novel, as she remarks that it isn't for money but for love. Though her ultimate fate is not revealed in the film, in the closing credits she is shown as an angel playing a harp, showing her to be one of the 'seven James Bonds at Casino Royale' killed by an atomic explosion.

Eon films[edit]

In the 2006 film version of Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd is a foreign liaison agent from the HM Treasury's Financial Action Task Force assigned to make sure that Bond adequately manages the funds provided by MI6. Vesper is initially skeptical about Bond's ego and at first is unwilling to be his trophy at the hold 'em poker tournament hosted by Le Chiffre. However, she assists Bond when Lord's Resistance Army leader Steven Obanno attacks him, knocking a gun out of Obanno's hand and giving Bond the chance to kill him.

She retreats to the shower afterwards, feeling she has blood on her hands from helping to kill Obanno. Bond sits next to her and kisses the 'blood' off her fingers to provide comfort, and they return to the casino. His kindness does not prevent her from doing her job, however; she refuses to bankroll him after he misreads Le Chiffre at the table and loses his table stakes. Shortly afterwards, Vesper saves Bond's life. Poisoned by Le Chiffre's girlfriend, Valenka, Bond struggles unsuccessfully to connect a key wire to his automatic external defibrillator and enters cardiac arrest, but Vesper arrives in time to connect the wire properly, enabling the machine to revive him.^[1][3]

After Bond wins the tournament, Le Chiffre kidnaps Vesper, and Bond gives chase. They fall into Le Chiffre's trap and are tortured by him and his thugs, but are ostensibly saved by Quantum henchman Mr. White, who shoots and kills Le Chiffre for misappropriating the organisation's funds.^[4]

While both are hospitalized to recover, Bond and Vesper fall deeply in love, and Bond plans to resign from the service to be with her. As in the novel, Bond and Vesper go on vacation to Venice, both of them hoping to start a new life. Unknown to Bond, however, Vesper embezzles the tournament winnings and intends to deliver them to a gang of Quantum henchmen. Leading the group is Adolph Gettler, who (like his novel counterpart) has been spying on the two agents since they arrived in Venice, and was spotted by Vesper, much to her visible dismay.

When Bond receives a timely phone call from M and realizes Vesper's scheme, he pursues her as Gettler takes her hostage and throws her in a caged elevator while he and his fellow thugs battle Bond. He eliminates them, including Gettler, but in the process causes the building to flood and start sinking. Vesper resigns herself to death and, after apologizing to James, locks herself in, even as Bond frantically tries opening the elevator. In a final gesture, she kisses Bond's hands as if to clear him of guilt; she begins to run out of air and drowns. Bond finally extricates her and attempts to revive her using CPR, to no avail.

As in the novel, Bond copes with his lover's death by renouncing her, saying 'The job's done and the bitch is dead.' M chastises him, assuming that, when held captive by Le Chiffre, Vesper had cut a deal with her Quantum blackmailers to spare Bond in exchange for the tournament money, pressured by their kidnapping of her boyfriend Yusef. When Bond opens Vesper's mobile phone left in their Venice hotel room, he discovers her note for him with Mr. White's phone number; this enables Bond to track down and confront him at the movie's end.

At the end of the 2008 film Quantum of Solace, Yusef is revealed to be an agent working for Quantum, asked to seduce high-ranking women in the world's intelligence agencies. He is then 'kidnapped' by Quantum, and the women are forced to become double agents in the hope of securing his freedom. This information vindicates Vesper in Bond's eyes, as he realizes she was coerced to embezzle the winnings in Casino Royale. He does not kill Yusef, but leaves him to MI6 and tells M that she was right about Vesper. As he walks away, he drops Vesper's necklace in the snow.^[5]

In the 2015 film Spectre, Bond finds a VHS video tape in Mr. White's hotel room in Morocco labelled 'Vesper Lynd Interrogation'. Ernst Stavro Blofeld, whose Spectre organization is the power behind Quantum, taunts Bond by explicitly taking credit for Vesper's death as part of his personal vendetta against him.

Related character[edit]

The character of Vesper Lynd does not appear in the 1954 television adaptation of Casino Royale. Instead, the character was replaced by a new character named Valerie Mathis, played by Linda Christian, who is depicted as an American. She also betrays Bond (played by Barry Nelson), but comes to his rescue after he is shot by Le Chiffre (played by Peter Lorre). Valerie does not die in this adaptation.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abDeMichael, Tom (2012). James Bond FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Everyone's Favorite Superspy. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN978-1-4803-3786-2.
2. ^McCormick, Donald (1993). The Life of Ian Fleming. Peter Owen Publishers. p. 151.
3. ^ ^abCawthorne, Nigel (2012). A Brief Guide to James Bond. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN978-1-84901-829-6.
4. ^Pratt, Benjamin (October 2008). Ian Fleming's Seven Deadlier Sins and 007's Moral Compass. Front Edge Publishing. ISBN978-1-934879-12-2.
5. ^Newby, Richard (4 December 2019). ''No Time to Die' and Finding Closure for Daniel Craig's Bond'. The Hollywood Reporter.

“A dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”

“Oui, monsieur.”

“Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”

“Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

“Gosh, that’s certainly a drink,” said Leiter.

Bond laughed. “When I’m…er…concentrating,” he explained, “I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I can think of a good name.”

—Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, Chapter 7, “Rouge et Noir’

Later in the novel, after Bond first meets Vesper, he asks to borrow the name. And thus the Vesper martini was born in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. But before you run off to make the perfect Vesper for your Casino Royale 10th Anniversary parties, let’s dwell on some details. Preferably details that will make you sound incredibly snobbish at gatherings, am I right?

Fleming’s friend Ivar Bryce first concocted the recipe for the Vesper martini in the early 1950’s. Since then, however, the ingredients are no longer Bryce’s. If you search for the recipe, you’ll note many variations of the drink. I’ve collected a dozen slightly different variations on the original — and yes, I’ve made and tried them all.

Casino Royale Vesper Death

Let’s start with the basics as detailed by Fleming.

The Vesper Martini (from Casino Royale):

3oz Gordon’s gin

1oz vodka

1/2oz Kina Lillet

Shake all ingredients. Strain into a martini glass and add a lemon twist.

Gordon’s gin is not Gordon’s gin. North American Gordon’s is mixing gin, sold by the barrel. It tastes accordingly like swill. Even the superior British Gordon’s has been reformulated to 75 proof from the original 94.6. (A 94.6 proof Gordon’s Export gin exists out there in the wild, but I’ve not yet had the pleasure of procuring a bottle for Vesper sampling.)

Likewise, the vodka Fleming would have used was 100-proof, whereas the vodka currently in your cabinet is likely a 90. Though, this is merely a note for obsessives or people who want to find themselves under the table a little faster. But there is a reason for the high alcohol content of the drink. The shaking produces a greater dilution. If you find yourself with lower proof vodka, dare I say, you might consider stirring your Vesper — which would actually more align with Bond’s stated wish for a drink that is cold. Stirring actually creates the colder drink.

Now the main reason for so many modern Vesper martini variations. Kina Lillet removed quinine from the drink in 1986 and became merely Lillet or Lillet Blanc. The Lillet sold in stores today is most definitely not a straight substitute for Fleming’s Kina Lillet. Modern Lillet is sweeter and doesn’t have enough bite to rise above 3 measures of gin. It never stood a chance.

All that said, here’s my current preferred formulation, including liquors of choice.

007hertzrumble’s Vesper Martini:

2.5oz gin (Tanqueray 10)

1.0oz vodka (Stoli Blue label – 100 proof)

1/2oz Cocchi Americano

splash of lemon juice or even Lillet (each balanced the drink in different ways)

Shake all ingredients. Strain into a martini glass and add a lemon twist.

My preferred gin for martinis has become Tanqueray 10. I find it smoother than the other regular, commercially available gins. Don’t get fancy with your gin in this drink. Find your martini standard and stick with it. For vodka authenticity I stick with the 100-proof Stoli Blue label, but you probably won’t notice the difference between 90 and 100 unless you’re sipping side-by-side.

Replace the extinct Kina Lillet with Cocchi Americano, an Italian apertif wine that contains quinine. In case you’re concerned about never actually finishing that bottle of Cocchi Americano, look up the recipe for a Corpse Reviver #2. You’ll finish the bottle. (You can also try Lillet with two drops of bitters as a substitute, but I wasn’t fond of the bitters and Lillet combo.)

About that splash of lemon juice/Lillet. I hate to say this, but after trying to perfect the Vesper recipe over the last couple years, I’ve concluded that the Vesper is a challenging beverage. And by challenging, I mean it’s quite abrasive. And perhaps this is for the best because more than two of these and you’ll be buggered. The splash of lemon or Lillet sweetens the package just enough. Too much, however, and the drink tastes really confused. It’s a fine line between perfection and a straight up kerfuffle.

For a sweeter version, remove the Cocchi and just add 2/3oz of Lillet and the splash of lemon to give the flavor a fighting chance. Adjust as necessary.

Still, despite the barriers to entry, I’ve come to enjoy these martini half-breeds. Partly because I’m a Bond enthusiast and partly because I find the perfect Vesper slightly elusive. I’ve made a few great ones at home and had one perfect Vesper martini at a French restaurant — which swapped the gin and vodka ratios (3:1 vodka to gin) and used extra Lillet… which I’ve also attempted at home.

Here’s my best attempt at the inversion.

007herzrumble’s Inverted Vesper martini:

3oz vodka (Belvedere or Grey Goose)

1oz gin (Tanqueray 10)

2/3oz Lillet

Stir (blasphemy!) — no really, stir — all ingredients in the shaker. Strain into a martini glass and add a lemon twist.

Casino Royale Vesper Death

A personal warning — never — never ever ever ever drink more than 2 Vespers of any variety. If you need a refresher about how to make a standard, straight up dry martini, here’s a YouTube video that uses my preferred recipe with a bunch of guys who are mostly less annoying that most YouTube bartenders.

James Bond Casino Royale Theme

Cheers.

James Bond Casino Royale Vesper Drink