It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
I think people get taken in by the cinematography and long shots of characters looking wistfully out of windows. I was constantly checking my watch when I saw it in the theater, something I didn't do for CR or QOS.
I wholeheartedly agree with this.
It's one of my gripes with CR.
The book's ending was really emotional and cathartic, leaving readers gut punched and speechless, there's Bond who found Vesper's corpse (like she's sleeping) and she left a letter to him and there's Bond, alone with mixed feelings along with a quiet atmosphere, that we readers feel nothing but sadness and devastation, we feel Bond's grief and his anger and regret, very introspective.
Another gripe that I also have in the film's third act was the action scenes in that scene was unnecessary, stealing away the supposed emotion to excitement, and the way they've made Vesper's death in the film felt like a scene from a horror film with her look in that sinking elevator scene.
If I compare Vesper's death with Tracy's death (in the films), it's not on par when it comes to emotional impact, Tracy's death is still the saddest moment in the whole series, the second was M's death in SF.
It's just made of taking away the emotional atmosphere for the aesthetic quality like the cinematography.
Well, to be fair, the romance of Bond and Vesper also for me hits more harder in the novel than in the film.
Sometimes, being bombastic doesn't make for a film's emotional impact, sometimes you need to keep it just quiet and simple to feel the supposed emotion more (look at Bond's death in NTTD, for example, too bombastic and grand).
Actually in all of the deaths in the Craig Era, it's only M's death that affected me emotionally, the rest.....
I think they've done this a bit in Skyfall in the Macau Casino scenes (except the CGI Dragon), but there's a classical touch into it, especially in the scene where Bond meets Severine, there's a vintage look into it.
You have the Casino playing at the background while Bond and Severine are having conversation.
Looks like the Writers and the studios are in the same room again, at least..
That must’ve been the thinking, and yet I think you can feel movie doesn’t want it: it’s actually getting in the way of the more interesting and shocking betrayal by Vesper.
I think Mission Impossible Rogue Nation is a good example of a big action film that knew that it didn’t need a big action climax.
I'm with you. Action done well is always a treat, but Bond isn't an "action hero" necessarily. Action can also be "compartmentalized". Take HEAT: not exactly "action porn", but a film with a handful of nearly perfect action scenes in it.
I suppose a more faithful adaptation of the novel’s ending could potentially have felt anti-climactic to most audiences. As much as I’m on the fence about the sinking house and can definitely understand how it gets in the way of the drama for many, I can see why they went with it for the film they were making. It does feel like the film is building towards that sort of big climax, and unfortunately the novel doesn’t provide that.
It would make sense if Bond 26 were more stripped back and perhaps more along the lines of DN, FRWL or even SF. Usually the bigger Bond films tend to come mid-way into the actor’s tenure. The priority is creating a gripping story that reintroduces Bond and establishes the actor’s portrayal. I mean, I’m not sure if I’d personally want a big budgeted epic Bond film so soon after NTTD.
But that third act was about the conclusion regarding the emotional impact that Vesper's death should have, it worked so much in the book, that's the main point of the story, but it's all forgotten when something ticked their mind that they need an action sequence, they've forgotten the story and what the story supposed to deliver towards the audiences.
Is it anti-climactic, sure for those who don't care about the story and more about the action, but for those who care for the story, that action scenes deflated the emotional atmosphere that Vesper's death should have.
Like I said it’s something I’m mixed about myself so it’s a bit tricky for me to defend it as such. But I can definitely see why it was included.
It’s worth saying that film and books can be very different mediums, and it’s especially true with Bond, and indeed a novel like CR. In adaptation CR was made much more elaborate than the relatively low key, drama heavy novel. We saw scenes such as Bond thwarting a terrorist bombing, chasing villains, his heart stopping after getting poisoned etc. This isn’t a bad thing. For a film these more action/visually orientated sequences are arguably more appropriate to the medium and a film of its kind.
Really, you kind of need a climax for a Bond film. It’s pretty much expected by the audience based on the pattern CR established. So we were always going to get a sequence of some kind for Vesper’s death, whether it was a chase or a sinking house. I know it’s a scene some us fans dislike, but regardless I know many people who are emotionally impacted by Vesper’s death in this film, so it works on some level to at least a portion of its audience. But again, I’m mixed on it myself so….
I think if you compared to Skyfall perhaps, we have a climax in the chapel that works perfectly for the rest of the movie and isn't a big stunt. Yes there's some action beforehand but it all works in harmony with the rest of the film more for my money.
I like CR a lot like most folk and I think it's one of the very best Bonds, but Skyfall always feels the more considered and coherent piece of work for me. Yes there's some plot holes if you look too hard, but I find the finished product is a very slick and stylish and perfectly weighted and streamlined film, where CR is a bit messy and craggy and ugly from certain angles, with stuff bolted on here and there, and hangovers from the Brosnan films still sticking up.
I do agree that SF feels a lot more coherent. I never really understood the criticism that it has plot holes - CR does as well. Neither takes me out of the movie. I’d argue the script for SF is a lot stronger (the dialogue in CR can be pretty weird as we’ve mentioned in the past).
I'd rather we went all the way back to films like DN or FRWL
Not a remake or period piece, but a story that is thrilling. The action happens because the story warrants it.
I respectfully disagree. I like that Vesper gets one last moment with Bond underwater before her death. It's much more cinematic than the novel.
I don't want a lot less action, but I'd love more suspense, like everyone has said.
Those are the spinoffs I'd want to see: Vesper, the early years, or even Tracy, the wild years.
It's a testament to how indelible both actresses are/were to the franchise.
Vesper's death involved a fight scene with Bond against the Quantum Agents, a sinking house, Vesper's drowning, grand, bombastic.
Actually, even M's death in Skyfall do have some grandioseness in it with the whole attack on Bond's house with Silva in the helicopter and all (explosions, fight scenes, and shootouts), that it led to M's death in the Chapel.
Then here comes NTTD, with Bond, again, having this big time, grand death scene, with a shootout, a fight with Primo, then a confrontation with Safin, closing the silo doors, and infecting him with nanobots, before killing him with a rain of missiles, bombastic.
Imagine what the ending of OHMSS would've looked like if filmed in this day: for sure it would also be grand, maybe Blofeld and SPECTRE would go and attack Bond's wedding, Blofeld and Bond would fight mano-a-mano, then the Unione Corse and Draco against Irma Bunt and the other SPECTRE agents but Irma Bunt would've been killed by Draco, then Bond would beat Blofeld to the ground, until Blofeld (in his frustration) would aim up a gun but Tracy saw this and she would be shot instead to cover Bond, Bond got angry and shot Blofeld dead.
Honestly I would have loved to see flashbacks and additional footage of Eva Green, Particularly in Spectre when bond finds the interrogation video tape of vesper in Mr White's secret room. And yes a series with Diana Rigg would have been amazing!!