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Yale Professor Skyfall Theory

jolearonjolearon
edited November 2013 in Skyfall Posts: 645
What are your thoughts on this! He does make some valid point.

Copied from Business Insider's Website:
If you saw last year's James Bond movie "Skyfall," you may have left thinking it seemed very similar to "The Dark Knight Rises."

However, one fan theory that came about was that villain Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) may be M's (Judi Dench) son. (Remember Silva was the one who wanted revenge on M for leaving him to rot in a cell in Hong Kong.)

javier-bardem-skyfall-8.jpg

Sound crazy?

Yale law professor Stephen L. Carter doesn't think so.

Carter says he came up with evidence to explain this theory a year ago after the film first came out, but claims he didn't want to divulge info because of spoilers.

The professor claims there's a hidden anagram in a message Silva sends to M before an explosion at MI6 headquarters. The anagram reveals that he's Silva's adopted son.

The original message "THINK ON YOUR SINS" is supposedly an anagram for "YOUR SON ISNT IN HK."

Here's Carter's reasoning behind how he got to this anagram:

" ... why on earth did the screenwriters go to the trouble of telling the audience that Silva had been arrested in Hong Kong and was thought to be still languishing in prison there rather than, say, transferred to the Chinese mainland, as a British spy likely would be? Second, why was Silva’s enmity toward M so intimate and full of moments of appalling grief? And third, why, after vowing revenge -- and spending the entire film seeking it -- did he find himself in the climactic scene unable to kill her?

"Suddenly, it all made sense. Silva, thought to be in Hong Kong, was M’s son -- adopted, possibly, but undeniably her son. (Why adopted? Because otherwise we can make no sense of M’s comment to Bond that orphans make the best recruits. Yes, Bond was an orphan, but the poignancy and faraway gaze as M says the words tell us she is thinking of somebody else.)"

As far as evidence goes, it seems a bit thin and convenient.

Does Carter's theory seem plausible, or is he just reading way too much into a movie?
Yale Professor Comes Up With Theory To Explain A Fan Mystery In James Bond Flick 'Skyfall'
Taken from here: http://www.businessinsider.com/silva-is-m-son-skyfall-theory-2013-11

Mod edit: direct link to Bond film pic removed according to our MGM/UA/Sony copyright agreement.
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Comments

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It just goes to show that so-called Yale professors are just as stupid as all the rest of the pretentious idiots who try to act clever for the media. I would respond as to why this theory is absolute hogwash, but it doesn't deserve my time, seeing as the professor didn't seem to pay much attention to the film at all in the first place and analyzed more than a few scenes incorrectly. This tripe is right up there with all the dimwits who try to argue that The Shining is a film Kubrick made to secretly tell the world he shot the fake moon landing footage. I mean, give me a break. 8-|
  • DeJunkanoooDeJunkanooo Banned
    edited November 2013 Posts: 25
    Some intellectuals will go to any lengths to get their shot in the papers, like this guy. Just because Silva says "Mommy is very angry" does NOT MEAN THAT M IS SILVA'S MOMMY! Urgh it makes me so angry when the film is misunderstood. The themes in Skyfall will stay with us forever and it is one of the best films ever made, James Bond or not. This is just a conspiracy theory at best. Look at the psychology of Silva. he's a psycho. I doubt he even had parents, or if he did they were probably drug addicts or neglectful. What makes a man like Silva? You must look into his childhood.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    This sure looks like a duplicate thread, or at least similar to a past argument that "M was James Bonds mother" (quickly rejected chicken litter), only this time it's 'M is Raoul Silva's mother' ?

    Watch this space, for next up, it will be "M is Theodore Roosevelt's mother" or some other outlandish claim/s

    Either way, it's not above nonsense
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    jolearon wrote:
    Does Carter's theory seem plausible, or is he just reading way too much into a movie?
    He's definitely reading way too much into it. If he was supposed to be her son they would have directly revealed it to the audience to ramp up the tension. Also, if we assume that there is a hidden message, it could be interpreted to mean that she is the "Mother" and all of the 00 agents are her sons. It doesn't have to be taken literally. Lastly, the idea that Silva is her son is absolute hogwash.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    With that, Bond and Silva are both agents, so they're probably brothers, so I'm guessing M is their Mom and 007 is just a code name. I think I nailed it, guys. Wave Link.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited November 2013 Posts: 9,117
    Have Yale professors really got nothing better to do than come up with pathetic fanboy hypotheses?

    It's no wonder China and India are overtaking the west if this twat is representative of our academia.
  • 00Ed00Ed
    Posts: 140
    Is he the same Stephen L. Carter as the best selling novelist (The Emperor of Ocean Park)?

    In any case, his Skyfall analysis leaves me with one thing to say:

    Go Harvard!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    Utterly ridiculous and esoteric. And I'm skeptical about it coming from a Yale professor. Anyone checked the website? And a professor of law knows zilch about literature. This one doesn't anyway.
  • Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
    Posts: 4,409
    It's definitely a theory and the film dosen't dispel it; I think in fact you can argue that the film encourages it.

    A very layman interpretation of the film would clearly suggest that Silva is M's son as he does explicitly refer to her as 'Mother' a number of times. The film also only hints at the life that Silva and M had before he was captured but never fully explains it. So it is possible that Silva could have been her actual child or possibly adopted.

    However, it seems likely that Silva was just an agent working for her who like Bond revered his boss highly. He obviously felt a great kinship with M and when she betrayed him he became psychotic.

    A better question to ask is; does M know Silva is likely the one behind the attacks? She says she has no clue who's doing it but at the same time she thinks it's likely someone from her Hong Kong days. Furthermore, Silva was a computer whiz back when they worked together so wouldn't it likely be him who's committing this cyber-warfare now? Maybe there is something to the theory he is M's son as she clearly makes a conscious choice to send her surrogate son to kill her actual son.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    I think the Scots would call this theory "Pish".
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    It makes no sense whatsoever. He calls her mummy because he associates her with a mother, he makes her a mother figure. And one can find anything with anagrams. They are not even evidence.

    And again, are we sure this professor does even exist? Looks like the doctor's picture of the Loch Ness monster. He never took it but the scammers thought it would give more credibility to their hoax to claim the pic was taken by a doctor.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Forest...too deep...can't see trees.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Someone's been having too much time on his hands, that is all I'm going to say about this story 8-}
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    I love how "Yale law professor" is added in to make the theory seem like it's fact.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    It's a hogwash theory for sure, but damn, this would have made for an even more interesting story to have Silva as M's son. Just think how much more emotional weight that would have carried? My problem with the plot as it is, is that the backstory of M and Silva's relationship isn't fully satisfactory. It's merely told and explained with the horrific cyanide scene. I never really truly cared about the relationship they had, so the final scene didn't carry that much weight for me. I did enjoy this angle, I just thought it wasn't as developed as it could have been. Adding in a familial relationship would have been even more interesting.

    Again, this prof. is reading too much into it, but what a good idea for a backstory!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    It would have been the stuff of soap opera, a cliche. How about an evil and identical twin brother for Bond while we are at it? It wouldn't be a backstory but a gratuitous shocker.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    I think it could have been quite interesting actually - a son so betrayed by his mother that he sets out to kill her. If we are going to dig into M's past life, why not go deep? I think any story arc like this can work if it is written well. I thought the final scene in the church with Silva and M was bit overly-dramatic tbh. The Craig films have already gone down the route of dealing with "feelings" and SF deals directly with Bond's family past, so I don't think showing a family backstory for a secondary character is too out of bounds.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Aren't most professors crazy, eccentric types ? Maybe one reason to this whole issue. Furthermore is it allowed to show shots from the James Bond franchise on these pages, as demonstrated in the authors initial post ? I'm sure I remember reading in rules that such things were prohibited. As before, just trying to find the right words to respective threads now, but still insist this debate is one going down a blind alley. One or two other participants in the above such as @JBFan626 do make some interesting points though
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117

    JBFan626 wrote:
    I think it could have been quite interesting actually - a son so betrayed by his mother that he sets out to kill her. If we are going to dig into M's past life, why not go deep? I think any story arc like this can work if it is written well. I thought the final scene in the church with Silva and M was bit overly-dramatic tbh. The Craig films have already gone down the route of dealing with "feelings" and SF deals directly with Bond's family past, so I don't think showing a family backstory for a secondary character is too out of bounds.

    I can see where you're coming from and it would've added some dramatic heft, however Bond is peripheral enough in SF as it is with the story really being centred on M. To have Silva as her son would make her even more obviously the central character and further relegate Bond to a supporting role.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    Ludovico wrote:
    It would have been the stuff of soap opera, a cliche. How about an evil and identical twin brother for Bond while we are at it? It wouldn't be a backstory but a gratuitous shocker.
    I agree. Plus, how could a mother send her son to his death at any given time? It's just not realistic to think that she would have her own flesh and blood as a 00 agent.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    pachazo wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    It would have been the stuff of soap opera, a cliche. How about an evil and identical twin brother for Bond while we are at it? It wouldn't be a backstory but a gratuitous shocker.
    I agree. Plus, how could a mother send her son to his death at any given time? It's just not realistic to think that she would have her own flesh and blood as a 00 agent.
    well Silva was not a double 0 but yes, that would have been far fetched, to say the.least. and sending an agent she trusted and nurtured to the Chinese because he betrayed her trust and was acting erratically already were good enough motivations. Why add melodrama to a perfectly believable drama?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    JBFan626 wrote:
    I think it could have been quite interesting actually - a son so betrayed by his mother that he sets out to kill her. If we are going to dig into M's past life, why not go deep? I think any story arc like this can work if it is written well. I thought the final scene in the church with Silva and M was bit overly-dramatic tbh. The Craig films have already gone down the route of dealing with "feelings" and SF deals directly with Bond's family past, so I don't think showing a family backstory for a secondary character is too out of bounds.

    I can see where you're coming from and it would've added some dramatic heft, however Bond is peripheral enough in SF as it is with the story really being centred on M. To have Silva as her son would make her even more obviously the central character and further relegate Bond to a supporting role.

    I don't think Bond played second chair at all. We learned so much more about him, and got to see him rise from the ashes, so to speak. The themes of survival and endurance through hardship that echo all over the film are symbolic of both he and M, so I'd say they share that central role together, if nothing else.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    Anybody checked if this professor even exists?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited November 2013 Posts: 18,270
    Ludovico wrote:
    Anybody checked if this professor even exists?

    Yes, he certainly exists. See his university profile here:

    http://www.law.yale.edu/faculty/SCarter.htm

    Below is posted the original link to the article in question where he is identified as the author both by name and picture:

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-11/the-secret-james-bond-missed-in-skyfall-.html
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    JBFan626 wrote:
    I think it could have been quite interesting actually - a son so betrayed by his mother that he sets out to kill her. If we are going to dig into M's past life, why not go deep? I think any story arc like this can work if it is written well. I thought the final scene in the church with Silva and M was bit overly-dramatic tbh. The Craig films have already gone down the route of dealing with "feelings" and SF deals directly with Bond's family past, so I don't think showing a family backstory for a secondary character is too out of bounds.

    I can see where you're coming from and it would've added some dramatic heft, however Bond is peripheral enough in SF as it is with the story really being centred on M. To have Silva as her son would make her even more obviously the central character and further relegate Bond to a supporting role.

    I don't think Bond played second chair at all. We learned so much more about him, and got to see him rise from the ashes, so to speak. The themes of survival and endurance through hardship that echo all over the film are symbolic of both he and M, so I'd say they share that central role together, if nothing else.

    Well the clue is in the title - it's a 'Bond' film not a buddy movie. Bond shouldn't be sharing the main role. And I certainly think M's character arc is more integral to the story than Bond's.
  • Pierce2DanielPierce2Daniel
    Posts: 4,409
    I think this article is excellent and really summaries the M/Mother thing excellently:

    http://www.mindswork.co.uk/wpblog/in-skyfall-m-stands-for-mother/

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    JBFan626 wrote:
    I think it could have been quite interesting actually - a son so betrayed by his mother that he sets out to kill her. If we are going to dig into M's past life, why not go deep? I think any story arc like this can work if it is written well. I thought the final scene in the church with Silva and M was bit overly-dramatic tbh. The Craig films have already gone down the route of dealing with "feelings" and SF deals directly with Bond's family past, so I don't think showing a family backstory for a secondary character is too out of bounds.

    I can see where you're coming from and it would've added some dramatic heft, however Bond is peripheral enough in SF as it is with the story really being centred on M. To have Silva as her son would make her even more obviously the central character and further relegate Bond to a supporting role.

    I don't think Bond played second chair at all. We learned so much more about him, and got to see him rise from the ashes, so to speak. The themes of survival and endurance through hardship that echo all over the film are symbolic of both he and M, so I'd say they share that central role together, if nothing else.

    Well the clue is in the title - it's a 'Bond' film not a buddy movie. Bond shouldn't be sharing the main role. And I certainly think M's character arc is more integral to the story than Bond's.

    But Bond films have been full of those great "buddy" relationships since its inception, with Quarrel and Kerim being just two grand examples of great pairings in a long line of team ups. Bond and M have a great dynamic in the Craig era that takes their relationship farther than anyone has dared to previously, and CR, QoS and Skyfall are just as much great studies of Bond as they are of M. I even like to call those films The M Trilogy, because they do reflect very much on her tutelage of Bond that transformed him from a reckless rookie to a brilliantly skilled and dependent agent, the best of the lot and her clear favorite.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited November 2013 Posts: 16,351
    The Doctor's James Bond's companions.
    DN: Felix, Quarrel, Pussfella
    FRWL: Kerim Bey
    GF: Felix
    TB: Felix, Pender
    YOLT: Tiger, Aki, Kissy
    OHMSS: Campbell, Draco
    DAF: Felix
    LALD: Felix, Quarrel Jr.
    TMWTGG: Lt. Hip, Goodnight
    TSWLM: Anya, Captain Carter
    MR: Holly
    FYEO: Luigi, Columbo
    OP: VeeJay, Q
    AVTAK: Tibbet, Chuck Lee
    TLD: Saunders, Felix
    LTK: Pam, Q, Sharky, Felix
    GE: Jack Wade, Valentin
    TND: Jack Wade, Wai Lin
    TWINE: Valentin, Jones
    DAD: Jinx, Raoul, Mr. Chang
    CR: Mathis
    QOS: Mathis, FIelds, Camille
    SF: Q, Eve, Mallory, Kincade, M, Tanner.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Felix is the ultimate "buddy" to Bond's lead. Good list there, @Murdock. ;)
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Thanks @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7. :)
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