SPECTRE: In Particular, Ernst Stavro Blofeld

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Comments

  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited April 2023 Posts: 4,629
    In this day and age of the internet, it would be hard to keep a faceless Blofeld a secret. But I believe EON could and should do better than last time.

    On a side note, I’m surprised that Blofeld never got his own thread. Especially on this site.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,789
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    In this day and age of the internet, it would be hard to keep a faceless Blofeld a secret. But I believe EON could and should do better than last time.

    On a side note, I’m surprised that Blofeld never got his own thread. Especially on this site.

    Yes, though you could generalize it by making it a SPECTRE thread or Blofeld and SPECTRE thread.

    Where it's not just Blofeld, as we could have a chance to discuss the organization as a whole itself, and understandably it involves Blofeld.
  • edited April 2023 Posts: 15,116
    I often wonder if had they kept Jan Werich, would they have brought in Eric Pohlmann to do the dubbing. Perhaps it’s just me, but I have a very easy time putting Pohlmann’s deep and commanding voice to Werich’s face. But it also may not have worked at the same time to have this big dramatic reveal be nothing else but, in the words of Lewis Gilbert, “a poor benevolent Santa Claus.”

    I personally wonder why they didn't have Pohlmann in YOLT. With the scar. Maybe it's because voice actors are not always good "physical" actors?
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    SIS_HQ wrote: »
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    In this day and age of the internet, it would be hard to keep a faceless Blofeld a secret. But I believe EON could and should do better than last time.

    On a side note, I’m surprised that Blofeld never got his own thread. Especially on this site.

    Yes, though you could generalize it by making it a SPECTRE thread or Blofeld and SPECTRE thread.

    Where it's not just Blofeld, as we could have a chance to discuss the organization as a whole itself, and understandably it involves Blofeld.

    Changed it! If Charlie Higson is writing Adult Bond for the long term, Blofeld will have an appearance. It seems likely, in my opinion. Dynamite Comics brought Blofeld, Mr. Big, Goldfinger and Oddjob back, it seems like he would follow in particular with Blofeld.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,016
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,547
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.

    Agreed; feels like TB novel Blofeld for sure.
  • SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷SecretAgentMan⁰⁰⁷ Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
    Posts: 2,016
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.

    Agreed; feels like TB novel Blofeld for sure.

    Very much so. My sentiments exactly.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.

    Agreed; feels like TB novel Blofeld for sure.

    Very much so. My sentiments exactly.

    I agree with you both. There is technically hope one day!
  • Posts: 15,116
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.

    Agreed; feels like TB novel Blofeld for sure.

    I have been saying this for years. He's my dream cast for Blofeld. When I read TB I imagine him in the role.
  • edited April 2023 Posts: 2,917
    Contrarian take: I'm not so sure that Blofeld can be a major character in Bond films anymore, with his usual name or appearance at least...

    Not so much contrarian as common sense. As you said, resurrecting the character would have required re-conceptualizing and re-visualizing him to avoid decades of self-parodic tropes. The filmmakers failed to do so in 2015, and they also gave him a silly backstory to give him a unnecessary personal connection to Bond. This version of the character was killed off in the next film, and it will probably be a long time until Blofeld can be re-introduced, to wash the bad taste out of the public's mouth.

    I agree that we can and should have a new Spectre, whether or not Blofeld is involved. John Gardner was able to resurrect the organization under different leaders, most effectively under Tamil Rahani. So let's bring in some new modern leaders for a still relevant nemesis. The idea of a freelance terrorist organization that's run like a modern corporation is too good to discard, especially since it's unlikely that future films will have the Chinese or Russian governments as villains (though now would be a great time for a version of SMERSH based on the Wagner Group!).
  • Posts: 4,139
    I think Ciaran Hinds would have been a great Blofeld vs Craig's Bond.

    Good shout. I think he would have had a lot more immediate gravitas and menace than Waltz, which I think is needed for Blofeld.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    I cannot disagree with Hinds as Blofeld. The man oozes a menacing charm which Waltz had in spades as Col. Landa, but much less so, regretfully, as Blofeld.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    While I’m happy that we got Waltz as Blofeld, I agree that he deserved better story material.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,423
    The sixties had a great progression. Have him in the shadows for two films, he appears with great fanfare in the third film. The stakes rise when he appears. Have scenes that show his ruthless nature. The TB board room scene is a wonderful scene, it quickly communicates SPECTRE's interests and scope around the world. It seems believable because some of the events are based on real world situations. Then in the third film we finally see Blofeld in all his glory. Don't hide who is playing him, but do hide what he looks like, hold off showing him till the third act. Either Bond dispatches him in this film, or we get a "personal" story for the final appearance of the character.

    My biggest complaint with modern day SPECTRE is that they crammed everything into the one film. They followed the template with the fashion and even the eye and scar. I would have preferred a fresh take on the character.

    Don't remove Blofeld from the shadows. He should not be a tycoon, or a well known member of the public. He is best as a shadowy figure doing dirty things from behind a curtain.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 3,152
    Said it before, but Werner Herzog would've made a chilling Blofeld. Too late now.
    I've also probably already said that I went to the same school as Donald Pleasance! Decades apart, obvs. It was a grammar school when he was there and a sinkhole comp by the time I arrived, so I'm guessing we had different educations. ;)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,179
    Venutius wrote: »
    Said it before, but Werner Herzog would've made a chilling Blofeld. Too late now.
    I've also probably already said that I went to the same school as Donald Pleasance! Decades apart, obvs. It was a grammar school when he was there and a sinkhole comp by the time I arrived, so I'm guessing we had different educations. ;)

    I'd still vote for Herzog as a bad buy. Such a charismatic man!
  • Posts: 2,917
    Venutius wrote: »
    Said it before, but Werner Herzog would've made a chilling Blofeld.

    That's a brilliant suggestion. Herzog had never crossed my mind for the part, but he would have brought the right brand of otherworldly Teutonic creepiness to it. Now I'm rewriting Spectre in my head.

  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited April 2023 Posts: 3,152
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    Venutius wrote: »
    Said it before, but Werner Herzog would've made a chilling Blofeld. Too late now.
    I've also probably already said that I went to the same school as Donald Pleasance! Decades apart, obvs. It was a grammar school when he was there and a sinkhole comp by the time I arrived, so I'm guessing we had different educations. ;)

    I'd still vote for Herzog as a bad buy. Such a charismatic man!

    Absolutely. He'd be so good. Weirdly 'other' and convincingly menacing too - you'd believe a Herzog Bond villain was capable of anything.
  • Posts: 1,986
    After rewatching Waltz's two appearances, I've warmed up to his Blofeld (but never will accept the stepbrother angle.) Within the context of the DC series, his portrayal probably justified, just not fun. I liked TS as ESB, but a similar portrayal in these films might have been too campy. But I don't think we need to see Blofeld again. It will feel too much like going back over what's been done before. Also emphasizes the incompetence of MI6 and Bond never getting their man.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited April 2023 Posts: 3,152
    Revelator wrote: »
    Venutius wrote: »
    Said it before, but Werner Herzog would've made a chilling Blofeld.

    That's a brilliant suggestion. Herzog had never crossed my mind for the part, but he would have brought the right brand of otherworldly Teutonic creepiness to it. Now I'm rewriting Spectre in my head.

    It is a brilliant suggestion, Revelator - but unfortunately I can't claim the credit for it :D. cwl007 suggested it a couple of years ago and I haven't been able to unsee it since. I did exactly the same as you and immediately revisualised SP - Herzog would've been so good. We'd've been spared Brofeld too! Thought it deserved a mention in a dedicated thread.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I always have believed, and always will: Mr. White was perfectly set up to be revealed as Ernst Blofeld. That to me is the greatest miss in the Craig Era.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    edited April 2023 Posts: 2,641
    I hope the next version of Blofeld is similar in creepiness to, Sean Harris's villain Solomon Lane in Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation in particular.

    He's ruthless and evil, but his creepiness gives off an unpredictability that I think Blofeld should have.
    peter wrote: »
    I always have believed, and always will: Mr. White was perfectly set up to be revealed as Ernst Blofeld. That to me is the greatest miss in the Craig Era.

    Yep absolutely. He should have been Blofeld, it would have been the perfect twist they were looking for. Mr White was in the background throughout the Craig run, then finally he emerges from the shadows to be revealed as Blofeld.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,547
    Rogue Nation did the archvillain dynamic really well, for sure.

    I wouldn't personally really have wanted Mr. White to be Blofeld, but have Blofeld be someone up the chain from him. But certainly they could have done it better than how it was actually done.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    As for Charlie Higson and the future. I hope he writes more modern day novels, and possibly a spinoff novel for a character. He listed Blofeld and Irma Bunt as two of his favorite villains. I think he should write them in a modern day novel. He should be able to be trusted.

    https://www.mi6-hq.com/news/index.php?itemid=6231
  • Posts: 15,116
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I cannot disagree with Hinds as Blofeld. The man oozes a menacing charm which Waltz had in spades as Col. Landa, but much less so, regretfully, as Blofeld.

    I've been advocating for him as Blofeld (or pseudo Blofeld when they didn't have the rights) since 2006 at least. Now I think he's too old, sadly. Blofeld must be more mature than Bond, but physically capable to take him on. Hinds would have been perfect not only because he's a great actor but because he looks like the Blofeld of the novels.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    Ludovico wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I cannot disagree with Hinds as Blofeld. The man oozes a menacing charm which Waltz had in spades as Col. Landa, but much less so, regretfully, as Blofeld.

    I've been advocating for him as Blofeld (or pseudo Blofeld when they didn't have the rights) since 2006 at least. Now I think he's too old, sadly. Blofeld must be more mature than Bond, but physically capable to take him on. Hinds would have been perfect not only because he's a great actor but because he looks like the Blofeld of the novels.

    That is one of the many things that should change with the next version of Blofeld. A man who’s not afraid of doing his own dirty work. I strangely want to see his gold tooth from YOLT make appearance as well.
  • Ciaran Hinds as Blofeld would be genius casting. The man can act and has a physical presence like Telly Savalas had.
  • edited April 2023 Posts: 15,116
    Ciaran Hinds as Blofeld would be genius casting. The man can act and has a physical presence like Telly Savalas had.

    He's a bit old now. At least for the physical side of the character. There is something else in his background that fitted Blofeld: he is of mixed heritage (having an Italian mother). Hinds is the great Bond villain that never was.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,629
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Ciaran Hinds as Blofeld would be genius casting. The man can act and has a physical presence like Telly Savalas had.

    He's a bit old now. At least for the physical side of the character. There is something else in his background that fitted Blofeld: he is of mixed heritage (having an Italian mother). Hinds is the great Bond villain that never was.

    Same with Sir Anthony Hopkins. Ironically, I don’t know who they could or would cast as Blofeld next. One suggestion would be Eddie Redmayne, in a few years. I’m just guessing, given EON’s recent casting trademarks.
  • I love Blofeld as a character but honestly I think I’m good with not using him for some period of time. I was severely disappointed with how he was portrayed in the Craig era, and that’s not the fault of Christoph Waltz, I think it’s more to do with the writing and how he’s directed that caused it to fall apart. My hope with NTTD was that Waltz would’ve been able to perhaps become a bit more gratuitous and scene chewing, especially with a new director the 2nd time around, and while he comes across as slightly campier than he did in SPECTRE, he still just comes across as a poor 21st century take on the Donald Pleasence Blofeld.

    Plus in hindsight, Blofeld really needed to be drastically reinvented, because it no longer became about stepping out of the shadow of previous portrayals, but also axing any comparisons to Dr. Evil, which I don’t think EON was that successful at doing.

    Besides, did Fleming seriously think Blofeld was the big bad to beat in all his books? He seemed more interested in building up SMERSH from the few novels I’ve read.
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