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Thanks, @Thunderfinger.
That is not even all of what SirHenry posted originally. But I took some of the highlights to get us remembering what the Bond film world was at the time of Casino Royale's release. The background info and trivia that SirHenry provided for each film (over the course of more than one year) are always interesting to me. Each time I re-post some of his info, I'll state which page of this thread people can find all of it. Tons of info, and surely we cannot remember all of it. It's helpful to me to read about the writing process for this one, for example. So I do hope people appreciate the re-posting of some of these highlights.
CASINO ROYALE ~ our retro look begins with this film ...
I'll be giving my thoughts on this origins/reboot story pretty soon. I am personally excited by the connection that Craig's Bond films now have. I feel sure SPECTRE will give us a more cohesive story arc to hang all 4 of Craig's Bond films on ... and leading right into his 5th, of course. ;)
Calling all Originals and non-Originals (that means you!) ...
Please hop right in and give us your take on Casino Royale -
1) What elements from CR do you feel were used correctly in QOS and SF?
2) What do you feel what was wasted?
3) What you expect or hope to find in SPECTRE? :>
1) First off I think it's important to say that, as Sir Henry stated, this was one powerfull debut for a Bond actor, moreover a distinct departure of the films before. With CR there was set a new 'universe' if you will with Bond beeing hard-edged, dark humoured and blunt. The bluntess he slowly uses, but I was very happy with the kind of understated humour Craig has, which he repeated in QoS and Skyfall. I like it that we again have recurring characters played by the same person (Felix, for example), but White as well. It gives a far more complete sense of the Bond universe.
Craig I find is one of the closest impersonations of the Bond of the novels. Allthough here, he first 'becomes Bond', in CR and QoS, instead of slowly but steadily losing it. But then there's Skyfall. I think this is the first film where Bond shows the same traits as in the books: beeing almost beaten, but crawling back on resolve and sense of duty.
Inso, Bond as a character is well shown through the three films. I hope this is something that continues on through SPECTRE. QoS is a bit odd becouse of the obscuring camarework and editing. Which is sad, as I think it starts out with a spectacular chase. Here we have a director trying too much. If he hadn't, it would've been an absolute gem, even though Greene may have been a forgettable villain.
2) I don't think anything was really wasted. I'm actually quite content with what they had, what they kept and what they let go. I think Skyfall was a nice way of saying goodbeye to the best M since Bernard Lee, whom was sort of irreplaceable as he resembles the M from the books so much. I think Dench was an extremely well picked M, and I did like the fact that she returned in CR, making the connection to the previous films, not completely dropping 35 years or so of legacy.
3) what I was hoping for was a new Thunderball. But I guess a 'just a mission' film isn't in the stars. However, a new OHMSS would be just as welcome. The tone a bit lighter then the previous films, but not a lot. I like the darker humour, I really like the new M, Moneypenny and Q. They fit the day and age and are proper incarnations of the roles from the past. For now the trailer looks very, very promising. Somehow I have the feeling Daniel makes these films work in more then one way. With Roger Moore, a bit with Dalton and certainly with Brosnan, things didn't always make too much sense. I've got the feeling this is what Daniel brings to the films the most. Things must make 'sense' in such a way that we can take the story seriously without feeling silly. It's a fine line to balance, and I think the last few entrances in the series got it right most of the time. And still there's room for some fun and handcuffs.
the novel.
Moonraker I remember as sort of a dissapointment. Perhaps it's the day and age I live in, or my cynisism, but I've always had a hard time getting into an uncritical support feeling of anything. Yes, I watched the space shuttles going up as a kid and yes I was in awe, so beeing enthousiastic about the Moonraker I would've been, but not beeing critical of human hero's, i cannot. Even my biggest hero's of our day and age, for me, Mandela and Branson, are very much flawed. But I guess that's just me.
And then, of course, there's the lack of exotic locations, which for me agian, is a very important part of Bond. You can't be cool if you're not send to the Bahama's, right?
But again, that's my personal trait I guess.
It starts good enough, with M asking Bond a personal favour. Public hero Drax is risking making a fool of himself, and we all know how dangerous that is in stiff upper lip England of the time (how far have we come with Beckham and co these days!). The cardplay is entertaining and tense. Here Fleming, as always, excels. I can only think of one other writer who can put me at the edge of my seat, and that one's style, time and language (Dutch) is utterly different.
But then Bond is send to help out Gala at the firing station, and it's way too obvious that it's an evil Nazi plot. Somehow I feel this is too easy for Fleming. It's so overtly clear that I just don't understand why Bond isn't capable of looking past the glory of the rocket. Crebs is a dead giveaway, and so are the scientists, whom just happen to all be German. Not an English expert in sight. And yes, it's a private venture, but still: no British government would allow such things to happen without proper oversight at all levels.
I like the interaction between Gala and Bond, but the story is too easy, too flawed for me to get really into it. Only when Bond chases Drax in his (German....) car is it that the tension returns. Again, this is where Fleming is almost unequalled. The final stages of the book are increadably tense. Just a pity it's considered a succes, whilst a nuclear warhead does still go off in the North Sea, killing thousands of my countrymen. Very considerate, Mr. Fleming!
Oh well, can't win them all I expect. But I never understood why this book is loved so much, as I find, i.e. LALD a far more interesting read. Fleming's descriptive powers are a bit lost in the white cliffs of Dover.
And your fine mini review of Moonraker! I agree with much of what you said, including the Nazi plot being obvious. I'll write more on that later, too, as I have just finished Moonraker myself.
Everyone else, please hop in any time - for thoughts on Moonraker, or any Bond novel/short story - or our current main topic of looking at Craig's Bond films as they lead up to SPECTRE. Cheers! :-bd
I think this is the sort of issue that is specifically appropriate for this particular thread, and that is, @Ross’ "critical" attitude toward the topic of heroism. I believe that those of us who grew up with a living President John F. Kennedy …the commanding officer of PT 109 and the author of “Profiles in Courage,” as well as the noted fan of Fleming’s novels at a crucial point in the author's career …we found it much easier to take heroism seriously in those days. It occurs to me that perhaps those who grew up after the assassinations of JFK, RFK and MLK…those who saw Richard Nixon ascend to the presidency, only to fall in disgrace after Watergate… might have been a bit more inclined to view the entire concept of heroism more critically, more cynically. Perhaps that’s one reason why the lighter, more playful Bond embodied by Roger Moore was successful in the seventies and eighties. And perhaps one reason why, after 9/11, the deadlier, more serious Bond portrayed by Daniel Craig was so successful. His gritty approach to the character was once again appropriate for the times…while the earlier attempt by Timothy Dalton was never really embraced by the general public, who weren’t quite ready to give up the good time Bond offered by Sir Roger.
Just a thought. Anyway, thanks for your contributions, @Commander...and have a great weekend, everybody!
And now, with all those crisis going on, and attacks never too far away, we like our hero's the way Craig portrays Bond, and the way the passangers reacted in the high speed train from Amsterdam to Paris a couple of weeks ago.
Taking a retro look at Daniel Craig's second Bond film. B-)
This one explicitly brings up Quantum as an organization - and with the appearance of Mr. White soon to happen in SPECTRE (along with other obvious hints of a secret evil criminal organization), it's a great time to look back on this film and reflect.
How much of Quantum will be tied into SPECTRE in a direct way? How much merely hinted at?
Here is the finest help we can have as we think about Craig's Bond films. SirHenry's extensive trivia and background notes (that can be found in entirety on page 63 of this thread). I have only copied some of that. Do yourself a favor and go back and read all of it. (any bolding or underlining of text is mine, however.)
For me, let me just say that the writers' strike did take a toll on this film.
Reading SirHenry's notes really gives you a flavor of what everyone was thinking, what kind of film they were aiming for, the logistics involved, and unforeseen difficulties shaping the film in several ways.
******* SirHenry said:
Trivia notes for Quantum Of Solace - sources used were IMDB, Jon Burlingame's "The Music Of James Bond" book, and a few items were researched and contributed by myself.
CHARACTER NOTES -
- Reportedly, Daniel Craig was paid (UK) £4.5 million for his 2nd appearance as James Bond, more than twice as much as the (UK) £2 million he received for Casino Royale.
- Screenwriter Paul Haggis described James Bond in this film as "a very human and flawed assassin, a man who has to navigate a morally complex and often cynical world while attempting to hold onto his deep beliefs of what is right and wrong." Daniel Craig further described Bond as "an unfinished article with a sense of revenge, who is still headstrong and doesn't always make the right decisions."
- Mathieu Amalric is the third male French actor to play a leading Bond villain in the official James Bond series. As Dominic Greene, he follows Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax in Moonraker, and Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan in Octopussy.
- Mathieu Amalric based his character of Greene on two political figures: France's then: President Nicolas Sarkozy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
- Mathieu Amalric portrayed the son of former Bond villain Michael Lonsdale (as Hugo Drax in Moonraker) in Steven Spielberg's Munich. Daniel Craig also co-starred in that film.
- The names of villain Dominic Greene's henchmen or cohorts are Yusef, Elvis, Mr. Slate, Gregg Beam, Craig Mitchell and General Medrano. The character of Mr. Slate was originally called Mr. Black whilst Dominic Greene was originally called Maurice Greene. There are three villains in the finished film with names representing colors: Dominic Greene, Mr. White, and Mr. Slate.
- Out of the 400 women who auditioned for the role of lead Bond girl Camille Montes, Marc Forster chose Olga Kurylenko because she seemed the least nervous of them all. She spent three weeks training with weapons and learned how to fight and body fly, a form of indoor skydiving. Kurylenko dislikes filming stunts, but Daniel Craig's compassion helped her to carry them out. Kurylenko also trained with a dialect coach to perform with a Spanish accent, which was easy since "she had Spanish friends and has a good ear and can imitate people." She was also given a DVD box set of all the 007 films since she has not seen many of them, although the Bond franchise is quite well known in her homeland of Ukraine. She is also the first Ukrainian Bond girl.
- Gemma Arterton won the part of of Agent Fields over 1500 other applicants. The full name of her Miss Fields character is never revealed in the film and is only ever referred to as "Fields". Her full name is given in the film's closing credits and publicity documents as "Strawberry Fields," named after the 1967 song by The Beatles. She has red hair, like strawberries. Strawberry Fields can be considered a typical Ian Fleming-esque moniker. Arterton has reportedly based her character on a number of 1960s Bond Girls, particularly Pussy Galore and Tracy di Vicenzo, on whose hairstyle Arterton based Fields' hair. She's the fifth major redheaded Bond Girl in the series, the first 4 being Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) in Thunderball; Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) in Diamonds Are Forever; Helga Brandt (Karin Dor) in You Only Live Twice; and Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
- The character of MI6 Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton) is a tribute to the Bond girls of the 1960s, notably Tracy Bond from On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Goldfinger's Pussy Galore, both of which are Arterton's favourite performances. Arterton described Fields as "not as frolicsome or femme-fatale as other Bond girls, but is instead fresh and young."
- The media in 2008 reported that Gemma Arterton once had six fingers on each hand. This is a condition known as polydactyly. She called it her "little oddity".
Bond villains have long been famous for having some kind of physiological dysfunction. To date, no Bond movie villain characters have had this trait, though Dr. No had metal hands, Carl Stromberg in The Spy Who Loved Me had webbed-hands and there was also Mr. Goldfinger. Lee Fu-Chu in the Bond novel "Brokenclaw" was born with his left hand's thumb on the opposite side of his palm whilst The Sheik villain in the Eurospy movie Agent 505: Death Trap Beirut has four fingers.
- Marc Forster thought Judi Dench was underused in the previous films, which is why she has such a much bigger part to play this time. He had her interact with Bond more because "she is the only woman Bond doesn't view in a sexual context", which Forster always found interesting.
- First time that an actor (Jeffrey Wright) has played the Bond ally character of Felix Leiter in a consecutive Bond movie (the precursor film is Casino Royale). It is only the second time that an actor has played Leiter twice. David Hedison played him in Live and Let Die and Licence to Kill.
- Mr. White is only the second Bond Villain to be played by the same actor (Jesper Christensen) in two movies. The first one was Jaws (Richard Kiel) from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. Ernest Stavro Blofeld was also played by the same actor in From Russia with Love and Thunderball, although we never see his face in either. Anthony Dawson had that privilege, and also appeared in Dr. No as the villainous Professor Dent.
- The characters that return from Casino Royale include James Bond, M, Felix Leiter, Rene Mathis and Mr. White. Characters referred to from that film mentioned in this movie include Le Chiffre and Vesper Lynd. Characters that appear in this film who were in the original "Casino Royale" novel include James Bond, M, Rene Mathis and Felix Leiter. Of all these characters, only James Bond appeared in the original Ian Fleming "Quantum of Solace" short-story. The character of Strawberry Fields has been considered a version of Mary Goodnight.
- As with Casino Royale, the traditional film series characters of Q and Miss Moneypenny do not appear. Producer Barbara Broccoli has said: "In 'Casino Royale,' the book, there was no Moneypenny or Q so that is why they are not in that story. And, in this follow-up, there didn't seem to be a reason or a place for them".
- It was once extensively rumored that Al Pacino would be making a cameo appearance at the end of this movie as the head of the QUANTUM criminal organization in a brief role equivalent to that of a master villain like Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Apparently, Pacino was more interested in taking the role of General Medrano.
PRODUCTION NOTES -
- 22nd official James Bond movie in the EON Productions franchise, the second to feature Daniel Craig as James Bond, and the sixth to feature Judi Dench as M.
- With an estimated (US) $225,000,000 budget, to date this is the most expensive James Bond movie ever made.
- Pre-production work for this film began before Casino Royale started filming, as producer Michael G. Wilson conceived the film's story as a sequel to Casino Royale.
- Of the film's somewhat different title, Daniel Craig said that it was "meant to confuse a little. It's meant to make you sort of wonder" and "We want people to start thinking as they come and see the film" whilst producer Michael G. Wilson said an original Ian Fleming title was "really important to us" and "We thought it was an intriguing title that references what's happening to Bond and what's happening to him in this film." In an interview, the producers explained: "It means that a relationship cannot be salvaged unless there is a 'quantum of solace' between the two parties - 'Quantum' meaning 'measure' and 'solace' meaning 'comfort' - so if they are not willing to share that then their relationship is not redeemable. In our case, it is a couple of things: Bond is looking for a 'quantum of solace' after his experiences in Casino Royale, and QUANTUM also happens to be the name of the villainous organization in the film."
- In July 2006, director Roger Michell was in negotiations to direct. He decided to turn down the job as he felt that that set production schedule of 18 months was not adequate for him "I was very nervous that there was a start date but really no script at all. And I like to be very well prepared as a director." The release date was consequently pushed to November 2008.
- Writer Paul Haggis turned down the role of directing the movie.
- Daniel Craig, a fan of Marc Forster, recommended him to be the film's director. Forster is the first director in the EON Productions James Bond series not have a nationality from the British Commonwealth. Forster was born in Germany whereas all previous directors were from England or New Zealand.
- Whilst the film was in pre-production, some filming of background shots occurred during August 2007, long before principal photography was scheduled to start. This was because of the Palio di Siena Horse Race which forms the opening to a chase sequence through the medieval architectural town of Siena and its famed Bottini underground aqueduct which evokes From Russia with Love and its Basilica Cistern.
- Word of the film's secret title was discovered by fans when it was noticed that the domain name of quantumofsolace.com had been registered by Sony Pictures on 22 January 2008. The title of the movie was then leaked onto the internet prior to the official press conference on 24 January 2008. A similar domain name quantumofsolacemovie.com was registered by Sony Pictures in September 2007.
- The film's title was selected only a few days before its announcement on 24 January 2008. For a long time, it had been considered unsuitable for an 007 film; Daniel Craig admitted he was unsure about it, but it seemed to fit in the context of the film: "Bond is looking for his Quantum of Solace, that's what he wants. Ian Fleming says that if you don't have a Quantum of Solace in your relationship, you might as well give up. Bond doesn't have that because his girlfriend has been killed, therefore he's looking for revenge to make himself happy with the world again." QUANTUM is also the name of the organization in the film; a kind of new-age SMERSH, or the fictitious S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
- QUANTUM, the name of the criminal organization, is not actually an acronym. James Bond creator Ian Fleming was famous for creating the acronymic criminal organization. SPECTRE stood for Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion whilst SMERSH is derived from "Smiert Spionam" which means "death to spies". Many James Bond and spy parodies have organizations with spoof acronyms, but QUANTUM isn't an acronym, at least not yet.
- The criminal organization revealed as QUANTUM in this film, which was active but unknown in the previous film Casino Royale, is something which producer Barbara Broccoli has revealed to be intended to be an ongoing and regular foe of James Bond, much like SPECTRE in the early Bond movies of the 1960s. EON Productions has just legally obtained the rights to the name SPECTRE due to a legal settlement with the estate of the late Kevin McClory, so perhaps the organization headed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the classic era of Sean Connery may one day return.
- An early draft of the script involved Bond discovering that Vesper had a child (by a previous relationship) and who had been kidnapped by Quantum. Paul Haggis' submitted script included a scene at a UN-style international conference, with Bond having to follow a Quantum secret conference by constantly switching frequencies. The scene was rewritten to take place at an opera, as director Marc Forster feared that it wouldn't be visually interesting.
- The Q symbol on Dominic Greene's lapel pin represents the name of his organization, QUANTUM. Q has previously been made famous in the EON Productions series as the code-name of the gadget-master Major Boothroyd.
- Screenwriter Paul Haggis finished his final draft of the script for the film only two hours before the Writers Guild of America Writer's Strike started.
- Marc Forster hired screenwriter Joshua Zetumer to reshape any scenes that didn't satisfy his goals. Each day Zetumer rewrote dialogue every day according to the actors' ideas and contributions.
- As the first ever direct sequel in the series, Daniel Craig has commented: "We felt we needed to tie up the loose ends from Casino Royale and make sure people realize we are back making Bond movies. For me it's about creating something that is going to stand alone but if you put the two films together, you're going to have an incredible experience because you will see one continuous story."
- In a later interview, Daniel Craig revealed that the script originally wasn't intended to be as much of a sequel to the previous as it ended up being. However, because of the writer's strike, they had only the "bare bones" of a script and Craig and Forster ended up rewriting a lot of scenes between them, with many decisions being made on the fly and at the last second. Much of the content that made it such a direct sequel to the previous film was a last-second addition. Also, the title was chosen more or less at random, with Craig saying that most Bond movie titles are "meaningless" anyway, and they hoped it would sound intriguing. The title didn't really connect with the script they had at the time, and the revenge-story elements that actually made the title relevant were last-second additions.
- The phrase "Quantum of Solace" is never spoken or seen as written text in this movie.
- Dennis Gassner's production design in this Bond movie is a homage to the pioneering work of Bond production designer Ken Adam. Daniel Craig described this film as "a classical Bond movie, with a touch of Ken Adam." Art Director Adam was renowned for creating the lairs of the villains in the early 007 films. Michael G. Wilson also described Dennis Gassner's designs as "a post-modern look at modernism."
- Director Marc Forster had wanted to film in the Swiss Alps which was a location for On Her Majesty's Secret Service and is where he grew up. Switzerland was also the nationality of the literary James Bond character's mother. However, the Swiss Alps location was written out of the movie for cost reasons. The film's climax originally featured here. There were concerns that the locale would be too similar to On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The finale now takes place in the desert, a terrain which has never before housed a villain's lair in a Bond movie.
- This is the first James Bond movie to utilize the now rebuilt (for a second time) Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage which burnt down (for a second time) one week after Casino Royale finished filming there on July 30, 2006.
- Daniel Craig felt Casino Royale was physically "a walk in the park" compared to this film; his training was extremely intense, involving more boxing, running, speedboating and stunt driving.
- The principal photography was plagued with many accidents. For example, stuntman Aris Comninos was seriously injured in a car accident whilst filming the opening sequence of this movie. Daniel Craig was injured at least three times during the making of this movie. The most prominent ones included an injury to his face, which required several stitches; another to his shoulder, which required 6 surgical screws to be inserted in an operation and his arm in a sling; and then his hand was injured when one of his finger tips was sliced off. In Austria, a technician was stabbed by his wife while working. An outdoor set in Pinewood Studios was damaged by fire.
- This is only the second time that production designer/art director/set decorator Peter Lamont has not worked on an official Bond movie since Goldfinger. The other time was Tomorrow Never Dies when he won an Oscar for Titanic. This film marks his retirement from the series.
- Stuntman Gary Powell and other members of his family have worked on every EON Productions official series Bond movie since Dr. No. Father and uncle Nosher Powell and Dinny Powell worked on all the early 60s and 70s Bonds with Sean Connery and George Lazenby; brother Greg Powell worked on the 70s and 80s Bonds with Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton whilst Gary has worked on all the 90s and 00s Bonds with Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
- At 106 minutes long, this is the shortest James Bond movie in the EON Productions Official Series. This film is a direct sequel to Casino Royale which coincidentally is the longest film in the official series. This film is also the first Bond movie to run under two hours since Tomorrow Never Dies.
- Editing this movie was so stressful that co-editor Richard Pearson was brought in to assist Matt Chesse to speed up the editing process. Marc Forster only had five weeks to edit the entire movie. In his previous movies, Forster would take an average of 14 weeks to edit.
- This film marks the first time since You Only Live Twice that Bond does not introduce himself with the catchphrase "Bond, James Bond." The line was shot for several different scenes but was completely cut out as Forster and the producers found it unnecessary. (The Bond films From Russia with Love, and Thunderball also do not use the line) The other staple Bond line stating a "vodka martini, shaken not stirred" does not appear in this movie either.
- According to the documentary Bond on Location, this film spent more time on location than any previous Bond movie whilst the production notes for this film state that it utilized more locations than any other Bond movie. It was filmed on three continents (Europe, North America, South America), in one studio (Pinewood), and across six different countries (Austria, Chile, Italy, Mexico, Panama and the UK). This feat is close to the record held by Moonraker which was was filmed on three continents, in four studios, and across seven countries.
- This is the first ever James Bond film in the series that has no gun barrel sequence at all at the start of the movie, and the first to use it at the very end of the movie. This is also the first James Bond movie where we see Daniel Craig perform the gun-barrel walk synonymous with the sequence and the series. The gun-barrel walk was not part of the alternate gun-barrel sequence in Casino Royale which had a gun-barrel sequence at the start but with different graphics but was not the traditional sequence.
- This movie marks the return of semi-clad/naked girls dancing in the opening title sequence, a trademark of the series.
- This is the first James Bond movie to have both a boat chase and a car chase since Live and Let Die. This film is the only Bond movie that has a foot chase, a car chase, a plane chase and a boat chase.
- The MacGuffin in this film is the natural resource water. Producer Michael G. Wilson has referred to the movie Chinatown where it was used as a MacGuffin. This is the first environmentally themed Bond movie since the Solex Agitator solar power source appeared in The Man with the Golden Gun.
- Real life intelligence operatives acted as on-the-set consultants for the movie including spies and assassins from the British Mi6 and the Israeli Secret Service, the Mossad.
- The film shoot used 200,000 rounds of blank bullets which were used for training, testing and filming.
- It's the first James Bond movie since Tomorrow Never Dies where Bond uses the Walther PPK as his main weapon. It should be noted that in that film, Wai Lin given Bond a Walther P99 before he joins her in searching for the stealth boat, becoming it in his new main gun for the following three Bond films. The Walther PPK was used also by Daniel Craig in promotional photos of Casino Royale.
- American fashion giant Tom Ford was personally commissioned by Daniel Craig to design exclusive clothing for his 007 character.
- Designer Tom Ford, working with the film's costume designer, Louise Frogley, to create made-to-measure suits, shirts, knitwear, and ties for Bond. More than 400 pieces were made for 11 costume changes. For each scene they made three suits that were perfect, three suits that were bloodied and blown up, three suits that were bloodied, blown up and had been in a pool. These were made for various stunt-men as well.
- All of the suits worn by Daniel Craig in the film are the Tom Ford Regency model, which features a 3-roll-2 button closure, double vents, pick-stitching, straight flapped pockets, a ticket pocket, & side adjusters rather than belt loops. The suits also feature 5-button surgeon's (functional) cuffs, which is a Tom Ford trademark.
- The only film in the James Bond Series where Bond isn't captured or taken prisoner by one of the villains (although he is arrested by the British Secret Service)
- James Bond and the leading Bond Girl (Camille, played by Olga Kurylenko) share a kiss in this movie but do not make love, making it a first for the series.
- Second consecutive James Bond movie ending with Bond alone, without a leading Bond Girl with him.
- This is the third James Bond movie where James Bond is either suspended, decommissioned or has his license to kill revoked. The first was Licence to Kill and the second was Die Another Day.
- This is the third consecutive time in the official Bond movie series that James Bond has acted as a rogue agent. The previous two times were Casino Royale and Die Another Day. Bond has acted as a rogue agent four times in the series altogether with Licence to Kill being the first time.
- Dominic Greene is the second leading Bond villain in the EON Productions series to die not by the hand of James Bond, a Bond Girl or Bond ally. Nor are any directly involved with events that lead to his death. As with both the Ian Fleming novel and film of Casino Royale, Dominic Greene shares the same fate as Le Chiffre in that he is a major villain (i.e. not including henchmen) who is killed by his own people.
- There is a deleted scene that runs for about a minute from this movie where the film was originally going to end. It involves James Bond meeting Mr. White and it was taken out of the film so Skyfall, the next movie in the series, would not be compelled to continue this storyline (hence making a trilogy) if the producers decided to go with a different story. CinemaRetro reports that MI6 Declassified discloses: "The movie was originally intended to end with a one-minute sequence where 007 introduces himself to Mr Haines at his estate, setting up the next movie. The gun-barrel sequence, uniquely positioned at the end of "Quantum of Solace", would have appeared after Bond dispatches Mr White for good." The deleted scene was intended to be included in the DVD release, but has yet to see the light of day.
Fascinating notes, truly fascinating. I like the film mainly because I like Craig - he has the masculinity of Connery that the part lacked for so many years. Although it doesn't have a chance to breathe like CR it doesn't need to be another CR. the films have always changed shape and texture which is why they are endlessly interesting.
My only gripe is I would have liked to see more of Fields - ultimately a tragic figure, once you know her brief back story.
I remember reading an early draft of TND with Bond climbing up a frozen waterfall. Obviously it never made the film. But ommitting it made the film completely different.
So here are some more, for your reading enjoyment when you have a few minutes ~
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
PRODUCTION NOTES
- This film's release year was planned to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Ian Fleming, James Bond's creator. Fleming was born on 28 May 1908 and this film was originally scheduled to be released on 2 May 2008, a few weeks before the 100th Birthday on 28 May 2008. However, the general release date was deferred until 7 November 2008 to allow more time to produce the movie. The film was released in the UK, and some other countries, on the 31 October, a week before the general worldwide release. This was the first Bond film to be released in a year ending with the number 8. There was no Bond film in 1968, 1978, 1988, or 1998.
- Dan Bradley was hired as the film's second unit director on the basis of his work on The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, so the film would continue the contemporary gritty action style begun in Casino Royale. Alexander Witt, the second unit director on Casino Royale, was also second unit on The Bourne Identity.
CIAO, ITALIA-
- For the Lake Garda sequence, where a truck explodes and falls into the Lake, a custom-made net was designed to catch the truck.
- The pre-credits car chase took months of preparation and eight weeks to film on location in Italy. It involved 40 stuntmen, six doubles for Daniel Craig, seven 162,500 pound Aston Martin DBS's and eight Alfa Romeo 159s.
- To shoot the foot chase in Siena, officials supplied 1 million Euros to the filmmakers for them to build four camera cranes, alter rooftops, and hire 300 extras needed for the scene. The centuries-old roof-top tiles had to be removed by the production from the old houses and the roofs reinforced so actors and stunt-men would not fall through them.
- A sequence where James Bond was to come out of the underground cisterns at Siena Cathedral was cut from the script as it was considered culturally insensitive, disrespectful and offensive to have the character arise from this location. Instead, James Bond will be seen emerging from the Fonte Gaia.
PANIC IN PANAMA-
- While filming in Panama, Daniel Craig had to change hotels a number of times after the press discovered his whereabouts. Problems for the cast and crew were caused by the increased attention of the paparazzi.
- Whilst filming in the hot and humid town of Colon in Panama, the film crew drank over one thousand bottles of cold water per day.
- Bond hands a Universal Exports business card to one of Greene's men in Haiti (Panama) that shows the pseudonym R. Sterling. The same name was used by 007 in The Spy Who Loved Me when he introduced himself as Robert Sterling to Stromberg, with Anya Amasova as Mrs. Sterling.
- Gemma Arterton's character is found dead covered in oil - a call back to a similar discovery in Goldfinger. In that film the victim is covered in gold. Both bodies are also found in similar locations and positions. The media went onto label this scene "Oilfinger". Arterton filmed the scene on her first day of filming for the movie. In another Goldfinger reference, the opening title sequence features dancing girls colored as golden sand. Barbara Broccoli ran into Gemma Arterton later on and said how they lamented bumping off her Strawberry Fields character in the film.
AUSTRIA AND A NIGHT AT THE OPERA-
- The Bregenz floating opera sequence was filmed during Philipp Himmelmann's 2007 production of Giacomo Puccini's "Tosca" at the Bregenz floating opera stage on Lake Constance in Austria. A full version of Himmelmann's "Tosca" can be seen by viewing Tosca. The part of the "Tosca" opera seen in this James Bond movie is the Te Deum scene and parts of Act 2.
- The set for the floating opera sequence utilizes a gigantic EYE which invariably references For Your Eyes Only as does the distinctive appearance of the eyes of the film's chief villain. The "For Your Eyes Only" book is the anthology which includes the short story "Quantum of Solace" from which the movie takes its title.
- The floating opera stage sequence utilized 1700 extras who were paid £42 a day for three day's work. CGI visual effects enable the audience to appear as almost 7000 patrons.
- The opera itself, dealing with deception and revenge, holds a parallel to the film. The fight ends when the double agent chasing Bond falls from the roof, mirroring Tosca's suicide at the end of the opera (by throwing herself off the castle ramparts).
- This is only the third time that an M character's home has been shown in an official EON Productions James Bond film. The first was in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and the second was in Casino Royale.
CHILLIN' IN CHILE-
- Marc Forster chose to film in Chile's Atacama Desert, the Cerro Paranal Observatory and the Observatory's ESO Hotel to represent Bond's rigid emotions.
- The Atacama Desert (where the finale was filmed) is the driest region on planet earth with no record of any measurable rainfall ever having occurred there.
- The Atacama is a significant terrain in the third act of this movie and it's only the fourth major time that a Bond movie has featured desert terrain. The Nevada and Black Rock deserts in Nevada were the first deserts featured in the series in Diamonds Are Forever. Next was perhaps the most famous so far, the Egyptian desert in The Spy Who Loved Me. The Desert would next feature in The Living Daylights featuring both the Moroccan and Mojave Deserts.
- Plans to film near the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, Peru were scratched due to uncertain weather conditions in the area.
- A free-fall scene with James Bond and Camille was shot in the Bodyflight Wind Tunnel in Bedford with 17 small digital cameras. It was going to be shot in the conventional way (with a large fan blowing the actors faces), but Craig disliked the idea of a fan in his face and stunt coordinator Gary Powell suggested filming in a wind tunnel. This vertical wind tunnel (VWT) which shifts air up through a vertical column wind tunnel at about 120 mph. People can fly through the air without having to skydive or parachute. As a person floats in mid-air, their action is so described as body flight or bodyflight. This activity is a legitimate pastime similar to sky-diving and is also used as training for that sport. For safety, Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko shot for only 30 seconds periodically, and wore wind-resistant contact lenses that enabled them to open their eyes as they fell. The Body Flight Wind Tunnel is 26 feet (about 8 meters) long with a diametric width of about 16 ½ feet (about 5 meters) and can simulate free falling at 170 mph (about 274 kph).
- The use of Bodyflight/Indoor Skydiving in this movie continues an often overlooked tradition in the official Bond series of using new and different sports, activities and pastimes.
Parkour / Free Running and Texas Hold 'Em Poker appeared in Casino Royale;
Die Another Day showed Kite-Surfing and Switchblades (one-person gliders modeled on fighter jets aka PHASST - Programmable High Altitude Single Soldier Transport);
Thunderball had Sky-Hooking and the Bell Jet-Pack Flight;
Winter Sports featured in For Your Eyes Only and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the latter of which showed a Stock Car Rally on ice;
Moonraker was the first movie to feature a modern Space Shuttle and it also showed the space training ride in a centrifuge chamber (though hardly a sport);
You Only Live Twice showcased the mini-helicopter Little Nell;
Octopussy had the mini AcroStar Bede jet;
GoldenEye had a Bungee jump;
The Living Daylights opened with Paintball;
Live and Let Die and Moonraker had the 1970s popular sport of hang-gliding
Tomorrow Never Dies had the free-falling parachuting HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) Jump (aka a military free fall);
A View to a Kill sparked international interest in Snowboarding; and
The Spy Who Loved Me premiered the water Jetski Wetbike.
Cheers! :>
Quantum = SPECTRE? 8-X
Let's take a brief look at CR and QOS in the light of the organization so far called Quantum. As SirHenry's excellent notes above lay out, it was the producers' intent to keep Quantum as an evil organization and ongoing foe for James Bond.
It seems obvious this was their way of introducing SPECTRE without calling it by that name because at the time QOS was made, EON Productions still did not have the rights to use the name SPECTRE. A couple of years ago they acquired those rights.
I'm now quite glad that they did not kill off Mr. White at the end of QOS because I love what they've done with his character in SPECTRE - just judging from the trailer. That scene with Mr. White and Bond has a great, intriguing quality about it - the atmosphere, cinematography, and excellent dialog really make me want to see this play out in the new film.
Here are some questions: B-)
1) Would you have preferred that the name Quantum stay buried and finished with QOS and not bring it up at all in SPECTRE? Keep it totally aside.
2) Do you think that it will be made clear in SPECTRE that Quantum is SPECTRE? If so, how do you feel that would best work? Did they step by step morph into it? Were they always the same thing?
3) Do you think SPECTRE will even have a history explained in this upcoming film?
Any other thoughts or ideas of how you feel you would best like SPECTRE, the organization, to be introduced and dealt with in this new film are very welcome. I'd love to hear other members' thoughts on the way this organization has been portrayed already - and especially how it would be best shown, in your opinions, in this new Bond film.
I wasn't overly fussed about it being mentioned, especially just for the sake of it. I know the continuity lovers were aching to see some sort of resolution, but I genuinely thought it wouldn't have mattered and in other circumstances I don't think EON would have cared either. The only real loose end wasn't so much Quantum, but White, so in that sense I am actually very excited to have him back. I think he will go down as one of the most memorable characters in the canon and given how bloody good he is in CR and QoS I'm very happy with that.
Given EON's very loose adherence to continuity (which I do like as it doesn't constrict them) instinct says Quantum will likely not be mentioned, but if they are I don't believe they'll go into the specifics of whether they morph into SPECTRE, are a subsidiary, a proto-SP etc etc I don't think they'll feel it necessary to explain. As I said above, I believe White will be the link, emotionally and narratively and I don't think they'll get bogged down in Quantum exposition imo. Perhaps a passing remark, nothing more, I feel.
One thing to remember is that Mr. White never explicitly says he is 'Quantum', only Greene is clearly Quantum. From that point of view the simplicity of having two criminal organisations in co-operation is a feasible retcon. Quantum therefore being an arm of SP, or even just an independent organisation contracted by SP. The specifics don't really matter. The link is White, who one assumes is SPECTRE, or ex-SP given his shoddy appearance in the trailer. In short, the dynamic between SP and Quantum doesn't actually need to be explained, so for that reason I don't think it will be.
Potentially. You can imagine Oberhauser, in the ilk of DN, explaining it via a disturbing monolgue. Also I think we'll be drip fed bits of information throughout which fleshes out the organisation and it's origins/aims. I don't think there will be too much exposition, I think it'll be more geared towards a personal battle between Oberhauser and Bond.
In that way it would be SPECTRE beeing around the corner all the time, hence 'I'm the author of all your pain' from the trailer.
In all, I think it would be a very interesting plot, neatly fitting in with the previous films (perhaps they'd een manage a link to Silva?) and still get an original story.
Yeah, precisely. I feel like that is the most suitable conclusion. White as liason.
The confrontation between Bond and Mr. Whites looks to be so very memorable. I am so glad that didn't leave him as a lose end. I think that was smart having him. Let the rest go, but it's very good to bring this character back. So I agree with you, RC7, that the best thing being brought back is Mr. White.
I like very much what you all said, and you do seem to be thinking along the same lines. So Mr. White as a liason between Quantum and SPECTRE makes sense to me.
And yes, CommanderRoss, Greene did seem to be the pivot for Quantum.
I don't think there needs to be much in the way of explanation to the audience of SPECTRE's past history, just some, and it can be done smartly. I want this film well paced; I don't want it to get bogged down - but I feel Mendes is on top of that.
The way the Craig films have had these gaps of more than 2 years, and the tantalizing plot threads/characters available to bring in again or drop, is interesting. I think if the films were made quicker, we may well have gotten quite different films. And I love Skyfall and the way this has developed now, giving us SPECTRE. The writers had plenty to build or and also the freedom to discard. I think it is good that Skyfall is between QOS and SPECTRE. This gave the story time to settle, and the producers/director time to decide exactly what story they wanted to bring to the table when unfolding SPECTRE. Because they had the rights to that name now, they had already hinted at a hidden evil worldwide criminal organization before, and they had Mendes returning to direct this next one. All great ingredients to make an outstanding Bond film. So far, the quality I've seen in the trailers has impressed me. I'm optimistic about SPECTRE. I'm open to Quantum being a different competing evil crime organization in the shadows OR being just an arm of SPECTRE itself.
By the way, I have still not read any leaked info and don't want to. So as other folks chime in here (and please do!) I would prefer that everybody keep that in mind. No leaked info, please ...I don't even want leaked info in spoiler tags on this particular thread.
But if you have some general thoughts, regarding the Quantum/SPECTRE connection, and can do that without spoiling things for others, then I'd love for more members here to comment. Thanks!
SPECTRE TITLE SONG
AND we get the title song released today - woo hoo!! Yeah!! I will be stuck at the Post Office then biking home like crazy to catch it. So there will be many comments by the time I get to it. I do want to hear it! Hearing the title song does not spoil things for me (no matter the lyrics), it helps me get into the mood for the upcoming film. So yes, we will be talking about the title song here a little bit , too, for sure.
Signing off for a few hours now ... dear Originals (you know who you are), please give us any further thoughts on Quantum/SPECTRE and also on the new title song if you are going to listen to it. I'll be posting it here also. I know we will all be discussing the song in other threads, too ... but this is the Originals special home, so I'd like to hear from more of them as we get so close to SPECTRE's release. NonOriginals are indeed very welcome to comment, too; I just want to keep our core Originals involved as well. Thanks!
Cheers for now! :>
It will be interesting to see how this - what Quantum is, what SPECTRE is, how they merged or not - is dealt with in the film. It needs some basic level of explanation, but that also needs to be brief enough, succinct and put into the script in a way that is not jarring but goes smoothly with the story. I have confidence the script will ... I still have a very positive feeling about the film.
Moving on to .... :-\"
Title song, anyone? We now have: Writings On The Wall
I know there is a whole thread on that. For me, it is just adequate or less, and is definitely disappointing. Not the worst Bond title song, no. But bottom half, yes for sure.
Fantastic lyrics? No. Okay, simple lyrics. Not wonderful or killer lyrics. Meaningful to the story? Somewhat but these are simple lyrics. The lyrics do not kill the song; not really all that crucial.
Vocals? Yes, that is a big problem, especially the highest falsetto parts. Another singer doing this, and singing it NOT so highly anyway, would be an improvement. Or simply Sam singing it NOT so highly at all, that would improve it.
Melody? Ah the tune itself is a big problem. It is not great. There is no catchy, haunting, or very lovely melody either. Not memorable. Barely serviceable. I don't hate it; it is not repulsive. It is just okay ... and that is disappointing.
So not just Sam. No.
The orchestration/arrangement starts out Bondian and then peters out. After the first 15 seconds ... (which ends up feeling almost like a tease) ... no obvious specialness, no power, no real build, no oomph. Keep in mind, I don't want a complete copy in style or arrangements of previous Bond films. One of my favorites is "You Know My Name" - which was so utterly different at the time - but right away fit the film, rocked, and had wonderful lyrics. It was noticeable, so exciting! I also love "A View to A Kill" which rocked and was fun. So ... I don't need a traditional "typical" Bondian song (a la classical Bond by John Barry, whom I respect the most, yes). I am open to different kinds of songs. Slow, ballad, romantic, haunting, fun, upbeat, rocker, etc. But what I really do want is a visceral, strong emotion when I hear a Bond title song.
The arrangement seems unfinished to me. Like this is still all a work in progress; underwhelming. At no point did I feel thrilled or intrigued. I kept feeling like I was waiting for it to take off, have some power, depth, or be more moving, more meaningful, soar or at least be more lovely ... but no, to all of that. It is not catchy. I have made myself listen to it carefully. But without my own goal involved, I really had no desire to listen to it again. Not so hot.
Perhaps it's not too late to really punch up the orchestration for the score. :) I can be hopeful about that. If that is improved, then sitting in the theater and hearing this unfold will be so very much better. Cannot change the melody at this point, but I think the melody will fit into the score in later bits fine (please, Newman; that may work well). Just as a title song, in itself, it is not memorable. Newman is working on the score now, so let us hope he can still (like tomorrow!) improve the orchestration of the title song in the actual film ... one can hope, anyway.
The song as released does need more work, which it won't get. So it is what it is.
And what it is to me is ... honestly, rather just like Bond sounding like a lovesick, yearning teenager. Having listened to it many times now, I can appreciate Sam's voice in itself (he can sing); but I do not feel his voice, the way he sung this song, is a good fit for a Bond film. If he would have sung it in a lower key, that would have helped, yes. But that still leaves the matter of the tune itself being lackluster.
I realize the lyrics are supposed to be a reflection of Bond ... but for me, this song does not fit James Bond, let alone Craig's Bond. Not really, no.
So there is my basic opinion. I have listened to it 12 times now (as of a few minutes ago). Not improving much, no.
Again, I think the film will rock! And thank goodness the opening titles should be fantastic! Those will enable this song to be okay, and we'll move into the film just fine. :) It will - thank goodness - be more impactful just because of the wonderful opening titles, that ambiance, which I do expect to be interesting & exciting. B-)
What do you think of the title song for SPECTRE?
I'd love to hear you opinion here also - feel free to be quite brief (I am usually not brief) and I especially would appreciate having some Originals give their opinion on the title song here. Any comment - brief sentences or an essay - are all welcome. By all, nonOriginals, too, of course. Thanks!
It may be the worst theme song yet.
I do realize there are some people who like it quite a bit. But there seems to be a lot of "meh" in the comments I am reading everywhere (not just on this forum). We shall see. I can overlook it easily in the actual film, I feel certain. It is not jarringly horrible. I literally cringed in the theater at Madonna's attempt in DAD. So this is not the worst one for me. Just not memorable, I think.
@Mrcoggins, I'd love to know your opinion on this title song. :) You are probably commenting on the other song threads, but if you could give us your two cents here, that would be great.
Cheers!
There you are then that's my two cents worth Yours Coggins .
A bit of background, if you'll indulge me. Since Die Another Day, I've been trying to avoid the theme song. The one-two of the main titles themselves and the unspoilt theme song when I sit down to watch the film for the first time... Unfortunately, it's impossible to not hear the theme song nowadays. I think the one-two of Danny Kleinman's Main Titles and Chris Cornell's theme song had such a lasting impression on me, was the fact the theme song wasn't spoiled, beforehand. Just magical. And so very different – the retro titles, and the aggressive music, just brilliant.
So I decided to let the inevitable happen and listened to Sam Smith's theme song. Maybe that was the problem – maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind to get into it; the sense of inevitability.
Anyway, Chris Evans played it twice on his breakfast show – and once more in the Ken Bruce show – so I've had plenty of time to let the new theme song sink in.
The first time I listened to it I thought about the scene in Skyfall where M and Bond are discussing his obituary; appalling.
On the second and third times - not by my own violation mind you - after the initial shock wore off, I came to appreciate the lush orchestration. Kind of reminds me in part to the soundtracks to Moonraker and The World Is Not Enough. Very Bondian in its sound. It is a shame then, that the song is ruined by Sam Smith's awful, high pitched caterwauling.
@4EverBonded thank you for your extended thoughts on the title song. A real food for thought. I wonder what SirHenry would have said?
Edit - This is the best thread on the forum, and one I can go into, safe from any pesky spoilers, so thank you for that!
Thanks, @royale65 - for your kind words about our thread and for your comments. This is the home for Originals ... and I hope more post here soon ... but we do want interaction and plenty of input from everybody else, too (and that is per SirHenry's original intentions). >:D<
Writings On The Wall
Sam's song ... I do wonder what SirHenry would have thought. I think he would have loved the intro, with all its Bondian tones and promises, but I doubt he would have enjoyed all of what followed. However, I won't speculate to say further than that.
I listened to it so many times simply because I want to get past my initial reaction and also focus on different things for the subsequent plays. Doing that did enable me to appreciate that Sam can sing. And that the arrangement does have some Bondian instrumentation and flavor. But it is not lush enough for me, @royale65. It does feel unfinished to me, and lacking. So it is still not a great title song, in my opinion.
Some folks say the lyrics fit this particular story so well - that's nice and good if it does (I still don't want to know key points of the plot for SPECTRE). But I look at other title song lyrics and realized that they really don't matter all that much! It's great when they sizzle and do bring something more to the experience. If they are just fun or not very relevant, that's okay too ... as long as the melody itself, the singer, and the orchestration/arrangement are all top notch and fit a Bond film.
I think the way Sam sang is the biggest problem - because if you can take a moment and really try to think of either Sam singing this in a lower key, or an entirely different singer singing it, that is a great improvement.
But the melody itself is not a small issue. The tune itself is also a problem; that is not insubstantial. That does matter. I simply wish it were better, had a melody that was catchy or lovely, one you want to revisit. This song doesn't have that for me at all. As has been mentioned, it should, however, fit like a glove into the score and I hope Newman does use it.
Ending Credits??
I have read that some people are now saying Sam's song will possibly be bumped to the ending credits (maybe they are just hoping). I really do not see that happening at all. It is the title song, as proclaimed to the world, it is backed by the people who pushed for it and produced it as well as some other folks in the entertainment industry, and it would sort of make the producers, director, and all the powers that be look foolish if they moved it now after saying "Ta da! Here is the new title song for SPECTRE!". No we're going to have to hang with it. It is not wrenchingly horrible, not the worst in the history of Bond films. I hope the vocals are not overpowering during the opening titles sequence because I'd prefer them to get "lost" in the orchestration (which I hope is improved still), the atmosphere and excitement of that sequence as it unfolds.
I read that Radiohead is doing the ending credits song, and I'm really interested in that.
Lovely to hear from people, and I hope more of you do comment soon. Thanks very much. :-bd
He was a musician, who'd recognise quality even if he didn't really care for the music himself. I think he'd have thought the orchestration interesting, recognising quality. But also a lack of power (which he loved, IRC). Sam can indeed sing. The question is: do you appreciate his voice?
Now that's something only @SirHenry could've answered.
For me this song isn't really doing anything. I like the intro, but it peters out to nothingness. I'm not very fond of Sam's singing nor his songs. He's popular I understand, he is a good singer (No Jack White), but where Adele had the dramatic power all blasted through the speakers in Skyfall, Sam's song seems to doodle away. I listened to it twice, noticing the second time that it just couldn't keep my attention.
It probably works well in elevators.
Anyway, I'll just keep it as a fact that the song is here and hope it will work with the title sequence. The DC films have been good at that. I loved CR's titles and YKMN as a song, same goes for Skyfall. And I dispised both the 'Shouting and Screaming is not Enoug' or whatever the 'song' is called and the desolate,nightmarish titles of QoS. I may have disliked the last, they did fit well together.....