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Severine in Skyfall: SPOILERS!

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  • nobodydoesitbetternobodydoesitbetter
    edited November 2012 Posts: 1,021
    I really thought Sévérine was a fantastic character and well played by Bérenice. I would have liked her to have been in the film more. However - even if Silva didn't finish her off on the island there wasn't anywhere for her to go during the rest of the story. Plus his actions make you despise his character even more. Still - it would have been nice if she hadn't been shot!
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    LeChiffre wrote:
    Sexy lady.Looks even hotter in the Heineken ad. Wished she'd had a bigger part mind (in the film I mean!)

    I think we all agree on this point. But as I've said, the female focus of this film was on Dench and the introduction of our new Moneypenny. Sadly, we were not supposed to see Bond get the girl in the end.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    LeChiffre wrote:
    Sexy lady.Looks even hotter in the Heineken ad. Wished she'd had a bigger part mind (in the film I mean!)

    I think we all agree on this point. But as I've said, the female focus of this film was on Dench and the introduction of our new Moneypenny. Sadly, we were not supposed to see Bond get the girl in the end.

    But what an end Sir Henry, what an end!
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    She got more screentime the Naomi in Spy or Manuela in MR.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Sandy wrote:
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    LeChiffre wrote:
    Sexy lady.Looks even hotter in the Heineken ad. Wished she'd had a bigger part mind (in the film I mean!)

    I think we all agree on this point. But as I've said, the female focus of this film was on Dench and the introduction of our new Moneypenny. Sadly, we were not supposed to see Bond get the girl in the end.

    But what an end Sir Henry, what an end!

    Yes indeed dear Sandy, and thank you as well for the warm welcome back. If one can understand Severine was the sacrificial lamb, then the ending was entirely satisfying. We've come full circle. But I have my niggles as my British cousins would say, and I had hoped he'd have rescued Severine and had the girl in the end.
    actonsteve wrote:
    She got more screentime the Naomi in Spy or Manuela in MR.

    Yes, she definitely did. More than Solange, one of my favorite sacrificial lambs of all time. Excellent point.

  • LeQueuxLeQueux
    edited November 2012 Posts: 33
    Severine's character was a tragic figure in a fated sort of way, that had been her life. For this reason, she was a far more sympathetic character than we have been used to in the past in the role of the 'sacrificial lamb'. The brevity of her screen time only added to that effect on us. That's why it made such an impact. Bond probably knew he couldn't save the girl, but he knew what he could do next. LFH nailed the significance of the scene with Bond's reaction to Silva's dark gamesmanship, 007's throwaway line was a riposte used as a blind to cover his next reaction. Mendes and Logan really shook the template up and by doing so made M the Bond girl/woman. This was not your typical 007 story of broad strokes but rather of deft touches and sly asides. How deft? Check out Tennyson! Fellow Bond viveurs when you consider the time we spent on QOS, we're going to be mulling over Skyfall's subtext till Bond 26! Adieu.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    DRush76 wrote:
    Maybe Eve was afraid of killing another agent. I'm sure that put alot of emotional stress on her. She tries to shoot Patrice but Shoots Bond accidently and he gets away. Do you know what kind of guilt that would put on a person? She most likely chose to be a secretary so she wouldn't have to put someone else's life in her hands. It's not sexist, it's human.


    Ah. Another excuse. When did the movie displayed Eve's anxiety or guilty over shooting another agent? If she was really that upset over it, why assist Bond in Macao (where she saved his ass, by the way)? Why didn't she give up being a field agent earlier?

    Did the writers really expected the viewers to fill in the blanks over this matter? Or expect us to be stupid enough not to mind their crappy writing?

    And this has what to do with Severine (the title of the thread BTW)?
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    LeQueux wrote:
    Severine's character was a tragic figure in a fated sort of way, that had been her life. For this reason, she was a far more sympathetic character than we have been used to in the past in the role of the 'sacrificial lamb'. The brevity of her screen time only added to that effect on us. That's why it made such an impact on us. Bond probably knew he couldn't save the girl. He knew what he could do though. LFH nailed the significance of the scene with Bond's reaction to Silva's dark gamesmanship, 007's throwaway line was a riposte used as a blind to cover his next reaction. Mendes and Logan really shook the template up and by doing so made M the Bond girl/woman. This was not your typical 007 story of broad strokes but rather of deft touches and sly asides. How deft? Check out Tennyson! Fellow Bond viveurs when you consider the time we spent on QOS, we're going to be mulling over Skyfall's subtext till Bond 26! Adieu.

    This also follows the "mirroring" of characters in SF. Bond is initially furious and resentful that M sees her agents as disposable (ordering Bond to leave Ronson to die, commanding Eve to "take the bloody shot!") because they are not as important as achieving the objectives of the mission. But then Bond acts in the same way; using Severine to get to Silva because that's the most important thing to him (it also gives resonance to the scene where he tells M at the lodge that she was just "doing her job").

    As I said in another thread, I like that (character wise and psychologically) a lot of the stuff in SF was subtle and not hammered home. I would imagine that more will become obvious when I see it a second time.

  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Severine was a great and stunning Bond girl that was not featured enough in the film. Eve was terrible - incompetant and quite frankly not a good character!
  • LeQueuxLeQueux
    Posts: 33
    I always kept wondering about those reflective glass doors/panels that Bond negotiates to observe/reach Patrice. Then when I thought more about Severine, of course she's The Lady From Shanghai! So the noir thing was there all the time.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,960
    I thought Severine should have played a much bigger role in the film. She already proved herself in the Macau sequences, and just having Silva kill her moments later on his island was a real shock and waste.
  • dundadunda
    Posts: 116
    About making the black dress she's wearing in the casino

  • ElektraKingElektraKing
    Posts: 2
    She was amazing in the 13 minutes of screentime she had. Would've loved to seen her more though, she was beautiful and an amazing actress. Amazing Bond Girl.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    LeQueux wrote:
    I always kept wondering about those reflective glass doors/panels that Bond negotiates to observe/reach Patrice. Then when I thought more about Severine, of course she's The Lady From Shanghai! So the noir thing was there all the time.

    Yes, thats it. 'The Lady from Shanghai'. She doesn't need any more time

    Her stories over. Like Jill Masterson shes still memorable

    Some people are stuck on the "girl kisses Bond at finale" cliche.

  • GetafixGetafix
    edited July 2014 Posts: 11,425
    actonsteve wrote:
    LeQueux wrote:
    I always kept wondering about those reflective glass doors/panels that Bond negotiates to observe/reach Patrice. Then when I thought more about Severine, of course she's The Lady From Shanghai! So the noir thing was there all the time.

    Yes, thats it. 'The Lady from Shanghai'. She doesn't need any more time

    Her stories over. Like Jill Masterson shes still memorable

    Some people are stuck on the "girl kisses Bond at finale" cliche.

    I think it's less about wanting the traditional 'Bond gets the girl ending' and more that people were interested and intrigued by her character and then suddenly she's gone. You want more - not sure any one really feels that about Jill Masterson.

    IMO the film also goes markedly down hill after Severine's death. Up to that point it builds quite nicely. However, the moment they leave the island it just becomes incoherent and really diappointing. There was a nice intertwined story to be resolved between Silva, Severine and Bond, but instead we just get 'M- The Movie'. I know some people love it because of that, but I would have prefered a more Bond-centric film.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,557
    ElektraKing wrote:
    She was amazing in the 13 minutes of screentime she had. Would've loved to seen her more though
    Same here- but if it's any consolation, she also appeared in the expanded Bondiverse with the Heineken promos! ;)
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    QBranch wrote:
    ElektraKing wrote:
    She was amazing in the 13 minutes of screentime she had. Would've loved to seen her more though
    Same here- but if it's any consolation, she also appeared in the expanded Bondiverse with the Heineken promos! ;)
    And she will continue to live on forever in our wildest fantasies! ;)
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,557
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    in our wildest fantasies! ;)
    Wild? They should be locked up in a cage!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    QBranch wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    in our wildest fantasies! ;)
    Wild? They should be locked up in a cage!

    Oh, they are. The cages of our sick, lonely, loveless minds, always searching yet never capturing the touch of one so alluring as Ms. Severine...

    Er-I mean..yeah, man, cages and all that... :-\"
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    edited July 2014 Posts: 1,492
    LeQueux wrote:
    I
    I think it's less about wanting the traditional 'Bond gets the girl ending' and more that people were interested and intrigued by her character and then suddenly she's gone. You want more - not sure any one really feels that about Jill Masterson.

    Jill Masterson? The most famous Bond girl of the lot. One featured in two scenes and who made cover of TIME mag?

    Severine is very memorable and works within the structure of the story.

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I think my problem with Severine isn't so much that she's killed off early but more that the story seems to forget her from that point onwards. As much as I love SF that was something I noticed when I rewatched it. Jill Masterson was at least acknowledged a few more times later in the film.

    It doesn't kill SF for me at all. I still think there's a lot to love...but it wa
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I wonder whether Severine had more potential than Masterson did the way the characters were portrayed. True Jill was the first real "trapped woman" but she was marketed more as eye candy and the character was never given the depth and power of Severine. We remember Jill because of the striking image of her painted gold - not because she was a tortured soul.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    I wonder whether Severine had more potential than Masterson did the way the characters were portrayed. True Jill was the first real "trapped woman" but she was marketed more as eye candy and the character was never given the depth and power of Severine. We remember Jill because of the striking image of her painted gold - not because she was a tortured soul.

    We remember Severine because her depth, her shivering fear about Silva. Such a small role but very memorable

  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    I wonder whether Severine had more potential than Masterson did the way the characters were portrayed. True Jill was the first real "trapped woman" but she was marketed more as eye candy and the character was never given the depth and power of Severine. We remember Jill because of the striking image of her painted gold - not because she was a tortured soul.

    For such a small role she is very memorable.

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    My point is Jill is remembered for the 'golden girl' image rather than being a tortured character. Severine I agree was a strong character but perhaps short-changed a bit by the script. Like I said no one ever mentions her again once she dies.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    My point is Jill is remembered for the 'golden girl' image rather than being a tortured character. Severine I agree was a strong character but perhaps short-changed a bit by the script. Like I said no one ever mentions her again once she dies.


    Why would anyone mention her after her death?
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    They did with Jill, they did with Della, they did with Paris bloody Carver.
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