The theories of Bond films! Why didn't Bond lose his memory from the torture in SP?

RichardTheBruce

It's actually not "OO7", it's "LOO" as an attempt to associate the tarot style cards with a game brand (Loo). So it's Loo as with the old card game (loo, Webster's definition follows) in which the winner of each trick or a majority of tricks takes a portion of the pool (of money) while losing players are obligated to contribute to the next pool.

Failed attempt since loo in the Carribean and Mexico and Central and South America and elsewhere is better known as a toilet or bathroom. Rather than associated with winning.

thedove

Wow @j_w_pepper we may need a few more theories here. You brought up some interesting points.

@RichardTheBruce ever play the game Balderdash? Methinks you would rule at it. LOL!

QBranch

Presumably, Bond returns to the San Moniquan hotel's gift shop to buy the tarot cards, requesting dozens of decks just to prepare the manipulative Lovers trick.

In the film, the card brand is not 007, but O.O.7. - 'Oracle Of Seven'.

The number 7 is considered divine or mystical, and symbolizes completeness, inner wisdom, and spiritual awakening.

Gerard

You cn say it was in the cards. Or rather, on the cards.

Okay, I'm out now.

mtm

j_w_pepper wrote: »

And even more interesting: How did Bond get the same type of cards, all showing the "lovers" on their face? Even supposing there is a reasonable explanation for Solitaire having her set of cards, she could have brought it from NYC. But Bond? After he first saw her cards, where the hell should he have been able to obtain his on that island?

Are Mr Big and his team not based in San Monique and kind of more visiting NYC?

thedove

Good stuff folks. I loved some of the creative thoughts to this little Easter egg!

Okay lets jump back 10 years to SP. A film that has it's fans and detractors.

This comes to us from @SIS_HQ as one they would like to see some theories for:

Why Bond didn't lose his memory after the brain torture surgery Blofeld done on him in SP?

Blofeld is being surgical with his needles and drills. He tells Swann that with the right spot and depth he can eliminate the memories that Bond has. He proceeds to drill in that spot and asks Swann if "those blue eyes still remember you". Which seems to indicate he did in fact wipe out some of Bond's memories and yet...Bond recognizes Swann. Watch for a refresher!



What are the theories of why Bond didn't get this memory erased? Was Blofeld bluffing? Did he not drill in the right place? What are your theories as to why Bond was unaffected by the drilling?

Ludovico

Blofeld is not a brain surgeon. He was overconfident in his skills.

mtm

Yeah all I can think of is that Blofeld just got it wrong, but it's really unsatisfying when you've been told the stakes in a tension scene and they just turn out to have been incorrect: it's cheating the audience. Like if the Goldeneye device had gone off over Europe but it just turned out to have one of those flags inside with 'bang' written on it.

I guess because he's James Bond and slightly indestructible? Or maybe it actually worked and from here on in a really confused Bond is just bluffing his way his through his life without letting on that he has no idea who anyone is.

Or I guess more seriously: there are people who do have face blindness or 'prosopagnosia' which means they have trouble recognising faces. I think it varies in strength and people who have it can live normal lives I think: perhaps Bond has that from then on but it doesn't affect him too much.

007HallY

I'm not sure how confident even Blofeld was about it working (he asks if Bond still recognises Madeline). So I suppose the needle didn't find the very specific correct spot Blofeld was going on about and afterwards he was just going to continue to torture Bond.

It's a bit lazy and vague, and comes purely down to luck which isn't ideal, but oh well.

QBranch

The keyword here is 'if'. Blofeld says, "If the needle finds the correct spot..." Clear uncertainty, possibly combined with an uncalibrated computer-to-machine connection.

Scene could've done with Bond stumbling a bit next to the chair, followed by Madeleine supporting him, but it is what it is, and I still like this scene, minus the CGI watch dial effects.

Dragonpol

Ludovico wrote: »

Blofeld is not a brain surgeon. He was overconfident in his skills.

That's my take on it too. He doesn't really knows what he's doing but at the very least he knows he won't be doing Bond any good.

mtm wrote: »

Yeah all I can think of is that Blofeld just got it wrong, but it's really unsatisfying when you've been told the stakes in a tension scene and they just turn out to have been incorrect: it's cheating the audience. Like if the Goldeneye device had gone off over Europe but it just turned out to have one of those flags inside with 'bang' written on it.

I guess because he's James Bond and slightly indestructible? Or maybe it actually worked and from here on in a really confused Bond is just bluffing his way his through his life without letting on that he has no idea who anyone is.

Or I guess more seriously: there are people who do have face blindness or 'prosopagnosia' which means they have trouble recognising faces. I think it varies in strength and people who have it can live normal lives I think: perhaps Bond has that from then on but it doesn't affect him too much.

That's one of the funniest things I've read on here in a while, @mtm! Very good! :))

Interestingly enough, Raymond Benson wrote a non-Bond thriller novel called Face Blind (2003) dealing with this very condition.