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Hitchcock Nod in QoS?
Watching Hitch's Strangers on a Train--the hell of a film, by the way--last night, I noted that the movie's protagonist is named Guy Haines. And, of course, a certain Guy Haines was also a treasonous adviser to the PM in Quantum of Solace. Now I see no obvious similarities between the two characters, so I can only assume that the name Guy Haines was chosen as a bit of homage to Hitchcock, who, incidentally, was approached to direct Dr. No, I believe. This has probably been mentioned before on the site, but I thought I'd post it on the off chance that it hadn't.
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Comments
It would make perfect sense that one of the writers got it in the script as a nod to Hitchcock.
The Vertigo nod is acknowledged by Mendes himself.
If Mendes says it was a nod, it was a nod; however, nothing about that sequence ever made me recall Vertigo. But now that I think long and hard on it, still nothing about it reminds me of Vertigo.
Purely the musical cue. I thought it the first time I saw the movie and it was verified by Mendes.
There was also this:
Oh I forgot that one! Of course!
Helluva coincidence. Guy Haines isn't exactly John Smith when it comes to commonness. And a nod need not be terribly clever to still be a nod. There are far daffier things in Bond than ripping a character's name from a Hitchcock film that came out in 1951.
I have read this hypothesis before and I do think it has legs. And it is also a very good name for s shifty character.
Thanks, Dragon.
And, perhaps not incidentally, haine means hatred in French.
I was about to mention it. In James Bond movies and novels, no name is arbitrary.
Allow me to indulge in a fantasy conversation.
"Here's an idea, let's do a nod to Hitchcock!. We'll use the name Guy Haines in QoS."
"Why?"
"The name reminds us of Hitchcock."
"A name film students might know, but not necessarily the average viewer."
"It doesn't matter if average viewers don't recognize the name."
"So it's really for the benefit of those in the industry. Not especially clever."
"It doesn't have to be witty or clever."
"Yet, Hitchcock's film were exactly that, witty and clever. I'm not seeing the point."
"It's just a nod, okay? It's just a nod. It doesn't need a point."
As many know, Connery made Marnie with Hitch, immediately prior to shooting GF.
He took much of what learned from Hitch and applied it to his very smooth relaxed performance as Bond in GF.
The resemblance is uncanny.
I'd seen GF a million times before I ever got around to watching Marnie, and at first I thought Sean was playing Mark Rutland much like he played Bond in GF, and then I realized, noooooo, Marnie came first!
Hitch taught Sean a whole bunch of stuff, that Sean happily carried over into GF.
Its plain as day. Body language. Even the way Rutland and Bond dress. Speech mannerisms and inflections, posturing, facial expressions etc.
Watch the two films back to back , and you will see.
I find this very interesting, because my take on Hitchcock was that he was not exactly warm and fuzzy with his actors. He was known to treat them like "cattle." In his book "The Side of Genius" Donald Spoto says Hitchcock "Resented" Connery (page399). What's more, it was during the filming of Marnie that Hitchcock became deeply infatuated with Tippi Hedren, so much so that he obsessed over her during filming. There didn't seem to be any record of a good working relationship with Connery.
I am not trying to argue your point. But I would like to know the source of your info for my own records. I love Hitchcock, and I think I'd admire him more if your presentation of his relationship with Connery (and maybe other actors) is closer to the truth.
I'll second that. A nod can be obscure. Actually, they often are.
I guess you haven't seen Marnie the film or maybe you have, I don't know.
Connery's Rutland performance carries over into GF. It's plain as day.
Whether the relation was happy, sad, good or bad isn't really the point.
As you point out Hitchcock was like a dictator on set. He mapped out every scene and bascially ordered actors to play it the way he wanted it. So this approach is perfectly consistent with him shoving a lot of stuff at Sean on how to play the Rutland character, and Sean having to go along with it.
But put yourself in Connery's position.If its good advice and helps find the character that Hitch wants, then lap it up, especially if the direction is good. Connery was a practical sort. He liked getting paid.
Personally, just MO, but I think a guy like Sean would be happy to take heavy direction on Hitch film. Hitch was a legend. It only makes sense to defer on his set, otherwise what are you doing there.
Anyway, whether they got along or even liked each other is immaterial. Point is that Hitch shaped Connery's portrayal of Rutland, and Sean carried a lot of it over to GF.
The Rutland character was a very smooth dude. He had to deftly deal with the loon, that was the Tippi Hedren character.
I'm just guessing, but maybe Hitch based on what he saw in FRWL, decided that Connery would be a good fit for Rutland.
But we do know that Sean wanted to work with Hitch. He told Cubby this and Cubby helped set it up, so Sean understandably would not be there to cause waves.
He's trying to show the world at this point that he's got range beyond Bond. He's there to learn. DN and FRWL combined had made him a big star, so now he's got opportunity.
But anyway my only observation is that the Rutland performance carries over into GF.
I think its plain to see. I noticed it immediately upon first viewing of Marnie.
Just watch Marnie and you will see GF Bond. :D
Believe me, I see what you mean. I've watched Marnie several times, though not as often as GF. You're on to something. But I wonder if Connery's portrayal of Bond in GF was more a result of autonomy in Marnie (resulting in Connery finding his own voice) than instructional help from Hitchcock. It's definitely worth looking into further.
Actually the blazer carryover was from Woman of Straw,not Marnie.
Sean brought some of that wardrobe to GF. I learned that on this site, a while back.
Connery did both Woman of Straw and Marnie, in the interval between FRWL and GF.