James Bond Never Talks About His Feelings — That’s What the Music Is for

Director Sam Mendes and longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli discuss the importance of music to the classic spy franchise in a new clip from the documentary, The Sound of 007, premiering Oct. 5 on Amazon Prime Video. 

The upcoming film, directed by Mat Whitecross, will examine how music has helped shape the history of the Bond franchise, from Dr. No through No Time to Die. That includes not only digging into the classic Bond theme — composed by Monty Norman and originally performed by John Barry — but sharing stories behind the creation of the numerous hits that have been recorded for the franchise.

In the new trailer for the film, Mendes (who directed 2012’s Skyfall and 2015’s Spectre) plainly states the practically preternatural stature that Norman’s Bond theme has assumed in pop culture: “You’re in the womb, what do you hear? The heartbeat and the Bond theme.”

Broccoli, meanwhile, notes how inextricable the music is from the actual character of James Bond: “[Bond] doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about what he’s doing or how he’s feeling. So the music has always had to kind of give you a sense of what’s going on within Bond — the adrenaline, the tension, the joy, the anxiety.”

Along with Mendes and Broccoli, The Sound of 007 will feature interviews with Daniel Craig (who just wrapped his tenure playing the secret agent), composer David Arnold, and some pop stars who’ve recorded particularly famous Bond songs: Paul McCartney, as well as Billie Eilish and Finneas.

From Rolling Stone US.