Octopussy (1983)

This polarizing scene from Octopussy (1983) starts out lighthearted but ends with high tension as an undercover James Bond disguises himself as a circus clown to defuse a nuclear bomb. All in all, it is by far the dorkiest look of Roger Moore’s Bond, but looking past his costume and apparent masterful makeup artistry, I’m not sure there is a more defining “James Bond saves the world” scene in all of the movies.

Sure, Bond has defused many a bomb in his time, and even another nuclear one in Goldfinger (1964) albeit without a large audience like Bond has here. And yes, maybe they could’ve dressed Bond in something more flattering (a ringmaster with a top-hat, perhaps?), but the buildup for this scene and how an obstinate American general eventually tells everyone in the audience to shut up and let the absurdly dressed clown Bond defuse the bomb makes it all the more climactic. You can feel the tension! And I also think (to a degree) Bond’s look of desperation is made even more urgent because of his clownface makeup!

I won’t get over Bond’s look in this scene any time soon (and I wish at the end of the scene he would’ve just kept his red nose on for the full effect or took it off entirely, rather than having it hang awkwardly on his neck), but I also won’t let it take away from it significance amongst other times in the series when Bond heroically saves the world. Not many other scenes can top this one in that regard!

1. Roger Moore’s clown costume in Octopussy (1983) takes the cake…the ultimate dorkiest Bond moment!