10 Times James Bond Films Were Better Than The Books

3. The Climax Of Casino Royale

Casino Royale can be divided into separate parts – before, during and after the events at the casino. Both the ‘before’ and ‘during’ parts of the book and the film are of equal quality but the ‘after’ part is where they differ.

After being tortured by Le Chiffre, Bond recuperates under the watchful eye of Vesper Lynd and the two begin to fall in love. As Bond seems set to resign from the British Secret Service just to be with her, Vesper realises that she cannot escape her past after spotting Gettler, a shady man who works for the opposition (SMERSH in the book, Quantum in the film).

The book version of her takes her own life almost immediately afterwards, leaving behind only a note explaining herself. While a heart wrencher for Bond, it is a bit of a dull note to end on. The film meanwhile sees Bond find out for himself while she is still alive, and Gettler takes her hostage as a fight ensues.

Bond wins, but Vesper drowns herself in front of him as he tries his hardest to save her. Having the shadow of guilt for not being able to save her adds just that bit more to Bond’s character; he can’t bring himself to let someone into his heart like that again, and he can’t let them die on his watch.