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Well... it's kinda explained by Q's laptop - White, Greene and Silva (colour codes instead of numbers is a thing this time around I guess) are all SPECTRE operatives... Blowers controls SPECTRE.
Earlier drafts had Blowers talk more about how he controlled and used Silva I think... something that's missing from the film. But Quantum are name-checked a few times and Greene appears on Q's laptop (which hilariously puts him at level pegging with Patrice).
In terms of mentioning these things without going into continuity porn Quantum poses a particular problem. For CR you get the great moment of "Vesper Lynd... the big one!" (I love it, Blowers trivialising Bond's great trauma is great villainy), and with Silva it's any allusion to Dench!M being polished off, but how would you reference Quantum in a way that the average punter would go "Oh yeah!"? "Remember that Chinatown thing in Bolvia, James? It was me! All that precious water!" The main takeaway for Bond is, as mentioned, the Yusef Kabiria thing, but that constitutes about 120 seconds of QoS? It's under the "Vesper Lynd" umbrella honestly, and probably fitting to as QoS always feels like more an appendix to the previous film rather than its own adventure.
FWIW, earlier drafts of the script recommended that the oiled-up Fields appear in the opening titles, but I guess Kleinmann found his own way to reference that.
Although, in retrospect, it would have been better if Quantum had existed as its own entity until Bond caused it irreversible damage in QOS, leading to the "rise" of Spectre - who ultimately shunned all remaining Quantum members including White. This all happens before they free Silva from a Chinese prison and set him loose to do his work with MI6.
That's just how I would have done it though. No matter what way they went with it, it would have raised as many questions as it would have answered.
Slightly disappointed that Monica Bellucci was underused, as well as Dave Bautista, although the fight between him and Bond on the train was excellent.
All in all a cracker. Classic Bond with a modern twist.
Greene on the other hand wasn't particularly important. The tagged bills that led to slate was a lead that led to Greene, who appears to be someone who was trying to develop and make an impact within Quantum by focusing his efforts within the Latin American region. It just so happens that Bond got caught up in Greene's scheme. Hell, even Mr.White inconspicuously attended the meeting at the Opera, likely unbeknownst to the other quantum members who decided to bail when Bond outed himself with White casually staying behind and enjoying the show.
Silva was extremely useful because he was instrumental in not only distracting MI6 and the entire secret service and renderinh them vulnerable but there was also the added personal element with M; all I'm all making life that much difficult for Bond.
Seems like Blofeld had every right to be somewhat pleased with himself with the added benefit of the stress, pain and loss caused to Bond.
Spectre is getting better and better. I relaxed and watched it through without the tension and anxiety of the first time. I bloody enjoyed it. It almost reaches the heights of Skyfall and Casino Royale. Of course the tone is different but there are so much inspirational stuff in Spectre: gunbarrel back at the start, the PTS, the whole Rome scene (it really is a highlight for me, the scenes with Lucia and the meeting in the castle), the scene between Bond and mr White, the introduction of ESB... man, I love this movie!
I´m going to see it couple of times more but it´s growing in me like a beast... they surely delivered with this one!
May have been dumb of me but never picked up on the White, Green(e), Silva thing. Though I guess Le Chiffre and Mr Hinx, both SPECTRE members according to the film, don't abide by that rule so whether it's actually a "Thing" or not remains to be seen
"Le Chiffre" is a nickname/pseudonym if we go back to Fleming (IIRC) and Hinx is on the Sciarra/Patrice level of the organisation I guess... hitmen with limited influence.
It keeps getting better and better. :)
They sure did. I think Mendes deserves more praise than he receives. Some people who haven't even seen it want to see the back of him which is ridiculous.
It's certainly put SF down as my fourth\least favourite Craig Bond film! CR is superlative for the Fleming bits but less so for the earlier part of the film and the Venice sinking house so for re watchability of the Craig films it'll be competing with QOS for my attention.
Couldn't agree more, how about Bond with M just giving him the mission & the total support of the service.
I have now seen the film 3 times and i waited until i saw it at the IMAX before writing a review. I can honestly say i think SPECTRE is a really really good/great in places Bond film.
The opening tracking shot (after the Gun-barrel, yay) is just brilliant and seamless. From the first shot where the camera picks up Sciarra to when Bond crouches behind the wall listening to the whole blowing up a stadium is a touch of genius and looks to be without cuts (but i may be wrong). The ensuing action of blowing the block up was very well executed and the slight humor of Bond falling onto the sofa worked for me. We then get a very exciting chase through the parade which leads to helicopter stunt work which is extremely impressive and edge of the seat stuff, the whole Day of the Dead sequence is a joy to watch.
We then get the titles and song and to be honest for me both are OK but out of the Craig era it is only Quantum Of Solace that is worse in my opinion, it is not that either are bad they just don't reach the heights of CR or SF.
The next hour or so i pretty much loved. I like the slight tension to begin with between Bond and M, i really like the scene in Bond's apartment with the Moneypenny and the video message from Judi's M explaining what Bond was doing in Mexico and i really love the Q scene. Whenever Ben Whisaw and Daniel Craig are on screen together it is a highlight.
I enjoyed the Rome/funeral scenes but was a little disappointed at how little screen time Monica Belluci had as she had good chemistry with Daniel Craig, and we presume she survived as Bond said he had contacted Felix and she will be safe but because we never see or hear anything of her again we cant be fully certain.
The SPECTRE meeting was brilliant with great entrance's from Hinx (i liked the little touch of the Thumbnails, a little throw back to henchman from the past) and Franz Oberhauser with Christoph Waltz in brilliant form and it is my favorite part of his performance, menacing, almost silent and very chilling.
The ensuing action and car chase were entertaining, i enjoyed how the plot was moved along in this section with Bond on the phone to Moneypenny, but some of the humor in this section fell a little flat and to me felt a little forced but i did enjoy the payoff at the end of the chase.
We then see what is happening back in London and find out more about Max Denbigh ('C') and the 9 eyes sub plot that we found out a little bit about after the PTS. It is a little distracting and it is plain as anything that 'C' is a member of SPECTRE but it's not a bad idea it just never gets the chance to develop into anything other than a subplot and a link, but Ralph Fiennes and Andrew Scott get some great scenes together and both are superb.
The scenes with Mr White are very good and moved the plot along nicely which lead us to Madeleine Swan, the first meeting between Bond and Madeleine is very good and both shine and she is set up as an interesting character and i like the angle of Daughter of a Villain (who has had a change of heart). The action in the snow i really enjoyed with Bond giving chase in a plane and it is executed very well.
We then find out more about what Mr White was telling Bond (L'American), for me this is where things start to slow a tad, though i did enjoy Bond's interrogation of a mouse which on paper sounds awful but works. Bond finds the info he needs and the plot is moved along.
The train fight is great but the whole Bond, Swan love angle is not fleshed out enough in my opinion. The bits in Oberhauser's lair are very well done and feels like a homage and throw back to the 60's films like Dr No. here we see more of Christoph Waltz and he is very good, this is where we also learn 'C' is a member of SPECTRE and Oberhauser has funded the whole 9 eyes surveillance program, something that was pretty obvious.
The torture scene i thought was great and reminded me of the Col Sun novel and this is my favourite part of this section. We knew that Oberhauser was going to be Blofeld (even if we tried to convince ourselves he might not be) but i did enjoy the reveal to be honest and Craig and Waltz are very good. The escape was very well done but maybe a bit lackluster.
We end up in London for the finale and it is pretty good with everything you would come to expect from a Bond finale, great villain, girl in danger and Bond put in a predicament. I like how the rest of the MI6 staff get in on the action in this section and M has a real humdinger of a line to 'C'.
My overall feeling at the end was a very very good Bond film, Casino Royale is probably still the freshest and best of the Craig films but this film is up there with Skyfall, it has some flaws but nothing that detracts from the overall enjoyable experience.
Sorry to ramble on.
M himself had his hands tie with Denbigh, thus he himself was working sometimes against governmental approbation. Personally, I didn't mind, since M was backing Bond, who never truly went rogue (unlike say in LTK).
This is similar to the point I made in the car chase thread. Some think the conversation with Moneypenny kills the suspense but I agree with you that it keeps the plot going rather than the film grinding to a halt for a stunt sequence.
You didn't at all. Nice to read someone so enthused about it.
Good luck, Mrs Sciarra.
Saw this last night. had to go to a late night screening as all the others were full.
The start gave me goosebumps. Didn t mind the song at all when accompanied by those titles. For me this was probably a top three Bond film, and maybe the best from Craig so far. Didn t know Ben Wishaw could be so funny. Waltz and Bautista are the best villains for decades. Sure Waltz is cartoonish, but not in the same way as Silva for instance.
Not sure why people criticize the car chase. It was fun as hell and classic Bond.
The subplot was also good, and Madeleine an endearing character. A few scenes here and there felt a bit forced, but is there any Bond film where this isn t true? Don t think so.
The cinematography isn t quite up there with Skyfall, but what is? Close enough.
As for Newman, I love his Bond music. His version of the theme is different, but really works. All in all, I loved it and expect to love it even more the second time.
Agree with all of this. I probably don't like Newman as much as you, I feel like he could've brought more, but there were some original cues that I really loved (Hinx's entrance) and little flourishes (The PTS chopper vertical flip) that made me smile. Also thought the Westminster Bridge track, where they exit MI6 in the boat worked superbly.
The Morocco crater explosion. I just do not know why they went with rural dessert construction blowing up again. It was a painful reminder of the conclusion of QOS in which the finale in rural dessert hotel was the worst part of the film, feels odd why they would do something so similar so soon.
I just hope Bond 25 does not have a Helicopter now we have seen one shot down in Skyfall and Spectre odd choice to repeat bringing down a helicopter twice in a row. I suppose with SPECTRE taking ideas from all prior Bond films this was a little bit of homage to Sean brining down the helicopter in FRWL.
My biggest problem with Spectre is that it paid too much homage to all prior films rather than it standing on its own two feet with new ideas.
I am not a huge Brosnan fan. But I watched his new film with Owen Wilson No Escape last night, the pace of the story, action and dialog was bang on the money. Brosnan's impersonation of David Bowie leaves a lot to be desired. But it's a very well directed movie and John Erick Dowdle is someone I would not mind seeing taking on a Bond movie.
Yeah, this, IMO.