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I found Mathis's death to have a lot of "point" to it, and it was actually a very caring send off to the man who partially made CR the wonderful assembly of rich characters it was. While it can certainly be debated if Mathis deserved more time in the era, or should have lasted one or more films longer, I think the way his exit was handled was very impressive, and very emotionally powerful, doing the job of underscoring what the whole message of that film was: forgiveness. The whole point Mathis serves in QoS is to show Bond that he needs to move on from his past and heal. He always urges Bond to treat Vesper with more respect, but with his wounds too fresh, Bond relents and just views her as nothing more than a cruel betrayer. It's Mathis, more than anyone else, that sees the pain Bond is trying to hide, but instead of just watching him destroy himself, he tries to talk to the man and get to his heart. The scene on the plane, with Bond drinking himself in the bin, is a great one, because we see two men in a very covert business being very overt with one another. Bond isn't ready to hear what Mathis has to say, but he soon will.
It's fitting that Mathis is the one that ends up not being as corrupt as he was implicated as being at the end of CR. Though Bond assumed he was in league with Le Chiffre and White, he indeed was not, which should be a sign to Bond that not everything is what it seems and not everyone that looks as if they are betraying him truly are. It makes sense then, that in his dying moments, Mathis stands up for the innocence of Vesper, as Bond has already forgiven him. What not her, too? The death scene is actually immaculately caring, another reason I don't think it fits the bill of this discussion topic. Mathis's death is harsh, to be sure, but his final moments on screen are incredibly profound, powerful and delicately handled, which pays respect to the character and the wonderful Giannini who brought him alive.
In a movie full of non-stop, pulsating action as speedy as the editing, it was nice to have a quiet, understated moment where all the momentum stopped and two rather hard and jaded men had a very intimate and emotional moment together. As Mathis is shot, Bond is anything but uncaring, making quick work of the two policemen who helped to finish him off before hurriedly emptying the rest of the gun's clip and rushing to be with his friend, who he knows is in critical condition. It's not Bond who wishes to stay there with Mathis and cradle him in his arms like a child; he'd have probably preferred trying to rush the man to a hospital, as ineffective as it may've been in the long run. It was Mathis who wanted to have a more relaxed final moment, and Bond allowed him to do just that. In this moment, the whole point of the movie comes to a head, and Bond is faced with the final wishes of Mathis. The dying man is less interested in repairing whatever drama occurred between them from the last film, though I think Mathis knows Bond forgives him: they wouldn't be in that situation together if he didn't. Instead, Mathis uses his final breaths to speak up for Vesper, but also for Bond himself. This was truly the crucial moment, more than any other, that makes Bond realize he's misstepped, and needs to properly heal himself once and for all. That Mathis was caring enough to not just attempt to redeem Vesper in Bond's heart, but that he also fought for the man to forgive himself for what he'd done in the time since her betrayal, is incredibly powerful. It shows Mathis's genuine care for Bond and his soul, for his wellbeing and his wish that he could move on and be happy in his life. Because while it's plain to see the pain Bond feels because of Vesper, and how hurt he is to have been led on and lied to, we don't think about how Vesper would feel to have her entire character put into question as she's painted as a malicious villain by Bond in his time of anger and heartbreak. Bond is too hurt to see the trouble Vesper herself was in, a woman so in love she allowed herself to be manipulated. It is only when he is able to heal that he is truly able to see just how much of a victim of circumstance she was, just like him.
Is Bond uncaring for how he dispatched of Mathis? I don't think so. As rough and rugged as it may seem to drop the man in a trash bin, it does call back to what Mathis taught Bond in CR: that even dead, a person's body can be of use. Perhaps Bond thinks that leaving Mathis there, an apparent victim of robbery with dead police just paces away, will confuse the locality there and make the chief of police's job a little harder because questions will be raised about just what happened and why. Either way, and no matter Bond's intention, he's right: Mathis wouldn't have cared. He's dead, and just as the dead don't care about vengeance, another thing the man teaches Bond, they also don't care where their body is laid out. It's of no use to them anymore. If there's anything that points to just how much Mathis meant to Bond, it's the fact that 007 goes out of his way to ensure that the chief of police meet his end at the Desert Hotel at the end of the movie, the last words the bastard ever hears being, "You and I had a mutual friend!" It is clear the care Bond had for Mathis, as well as the gratitude you can feel inside of him because the man allowed him to move past Vesper, and move past himself. It is a sign of Bond's respect for the man that he listened to his advice and made good on his final wishes, to heal himself and be the man he deserved to be.
Ultimately it is Mathis more than any other character that truly allows Bond to see the errors of his ways, and to achieve true forgiveness for the woman that got closer to him than any other. Without Mathis, Bond may've stayed bitter and alone the rest of his life, not trusting in anyone or anything ever again. He wouldn't have opened himself up again, dropped his guard, and attempted to make a life with Madeleine, and he likely would've remained an isolated man focused only on his work and when off the job, caring only to distract himself with unhealthy obsessions. It is because of Mathis that Bond is able to have the wonderful exchange he has visiting Vesper's grave all that time later, having had years of reflection and healing to be able to admit that he misses her and giving himself the ability to ask for forgiveness himself. For all this and more, Mathis must be commended for giving Bond the tools he needed to be a better man, and to open himself up to more meaningful connections later in his life. I think Mathis would be very proud of Bond, not just for how he lived his life, but for how he spent his own last moments. Like Mathis, Bond didn't focus on his death as it was approaching, just as he didn't become angry at the fact his life was over, or allow bitterness, regret, sadness or pity to overtake him. Instead he accepted his fate and used his last few minutes to look out for others, to lift up Madeleine in the way Mathis helped to lift him up as he was dying, and knew with certainty that he was leaving behind a far better world than what existed before.
Long story short, all this and more makes me want to see this death nominated in a topic discussing the best and most meaningful deaths in the series, as I truly think it's earned it. Though I can't imagine what death would be able to beat out Bond's own, in terms of its meaning and power.
Yes, it's both pointless and uncaring, I liked her character much better than Kissy Suzuki, but is there any reason why she needs to die?
Bond also forgot her when he gets to Kissy Suzuki.
Aki's death didn't served any purpose, really.
Anybody have any possible background on why Aki was killed off to make way for Kissy?
If you say her death is pointless then almost every death of allies could be critisised for the same?
I'd say it's different. Most allies die because they've fulfilled their expositional purpose for the plot amd so their death is a convenient way to raise stakes. Quarrel, Kerim, Luigi, Vijay, Sharkey, it's virtually always like that. But Aki is replaced by someone who exclusively does things Aki could have done...
I was surprised Severine was not one of the choices because hers is certainly one of the most controversial deaths and characters. I blame Mendes.
Aki's is poignant, more like a Saunders, in that we have grown to like the character and want to see more of her. (I don't get the criticism of "We need to kill girl #1" as a criticism of Aki. This is more a criticism of the famous "1-2-3 girl" Dahl article, and could apply to several other Bond films such as GF.)
My vote is for Plenty. I admit it might have more to do with my frustration about DAF in general than the death itself. But the lackadaisical way in which DAF is written and told is a nuisance, and the film is never as confusing and incomprehensive as during this particular segment. I am sure there must be some cut scenes missing there?
But anyway apart from Mathis, many here forgot about Strawberry Fields from QoS, even Gemma Arterton herself admitted that her role and her scene was not that good, and her death was just made to reference that Goldfinger scene.
Like she just arrived there to have sex with Bond, she failed on her job and ended up dead.
I will nominate her too.
Ah, the formula Roald Dahl was given to write YOLT. It's so bizarre.
This formula is only ever used in YOLT! Not before, and not since!
Yeah, her character has a pretty clear function. A few. In particular to remind us that Bond genuinely does have to look out for MI6.
There's a deleted scene where after Plenty is thrown in the pool, she goes back to Bond's room and finds him there with Tiffany. She takes or checks her ID and then goes to the house based on the address seen. where she is killed by Wint and Kidd(the latter not being shown) but it does show more context of how Plenty ends up at Tiffany's house. It is probably the one deleted scene, if I had to pick, that should have been left in any Bond film
And there's no personal revenge on May Day for the murder as they chose to make her turn sides. So many reasons I dislike this film.
Yeah Aki's death is fairly arbitrary but without it you'd have to shuffle the plot around, and you would lose a couple of good scenes. Plenty's death is entirely arbitrary to the point of not making sense! It would have been better if she'd just disappeared from the movie altogether before this.
I think if you feel sad about a hero character's death then the film has done its job.
You're right. I felt nothing for Chuck Lee. One of the few times the film had me feel that way about something. I actually rooted for Zorin at several points.
I love the write in votes for other deaths. Feel free to write in nominations and others can vote for the write-ins.
Currently looking like Plenty and the secretary are vying for the lead!
Fields’ GF hommage is not much better either.
Just one of the many reasons why I find this film to represent the lowest point of the series.
Chuck Lee's death was pointless, as was the character. They could have easily used David Hedison's Leiter *and* it would have been fitting to have him appear in Moore's final film *and* would have made more sense when he turned up in LTK.
For Aki, I don't know. I don't like her death at all. I wonder if it was already in place when they cast for both roles, as I understand they switched places between Aki and Kissy because Akiko's English was better and Mie might threaten to kill herself if taken off of the film. In any way, her death serves a purpose, allthough the interaction might've been far more entertaining if she had lived, with an jelous Aki beeing kept at distance by Tiger. A missed opportunity there.
Plenty's death is indeed rather pointless. I've once seen the cut scene, and that makes at least a little sense. Allthough you might wonder why she'd go to Case's place. Was she suddenly in love? It's rather doubtfull. She's clearly a golddigger.
Tibbett's death is certainly jarring. Was it necessary? I doubt it. Was it only so they could use the Rolls for Bond to escape? Or is he just first in line, with Zorin expecting to take both men out as he knows they're MI6? It is flimsical at best.
Chuck Lee's death does make sense, as it shows that Zorin is very well aware of what is going on and gives Bond the info of the CIA without haveng then the FBI come over the hill as cavalry.
Max Alba's secretary. Yes, that's an odd one. Is she there to keep Bond until he's killed? Is he then using her as a human shield? How un-Roger's Bond to do so!
In the end my vote goes to Plenty. She could've been just what she started out to be, a golddigger for comical relief. Her death has no influence on the story (or is she used to convince Case that they're fter her too?) and could've been completely avoided, with her character staying where she belongs, in the Casino. Hell ,they could've even had a scene where they meet again in circus circus, to make things slightly more complicated there. Case shouldn't need a death like that to be convinced.
Yes, she's been thrown out of the window by this point hasn't she? You'd think after coming that close to death, and given she'd only known Bond for a few minutes before that, any normal person would just decide to leave well alone and forget about him!
Yes, she has. Personally, no matter how lovely the lady I might've met, if she suddenly has three gangsters enter the room whom throw me out of a- how many strories window? I'd not really be inclined to go back, rather than call the police and dissapear.
I think Aki's death was handled with some emotion, but Bond seems to move on rather quick with oysters with Kissy.
I never understood the secretary taking a bullet for Bond. Or even Bond using her as a shield, not a very gentleman thing to do. She screams no before getting it, almost like she wants to save Bond after a few kisses? The whole thing is puzzling. Looks like Tily's death didn't deserve the Klebbie. Always tough nominating.
By the way if you have ideas for future categories and nominees please message me. We will be having a wasted talent Klebbie coming soon. An actor or actress who is under-utilized in a role.
As for cold death, leaving a shot dead Andrea in a crowd of people as her body literally goes cold is pretty brutal.
As for an unearned death, I'll go for Paris Carver, she died without developing her relationship with Bond, of course for someone whose his old flame, I don't think that death worked, she didn't do much, and we're meant to believe that she's Bond former love but her character arc in that film was too rushed, so her death wasn't earned for me.