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What are Blofeld's defining characteristics?

MilovyMilovy
edited August 2016 in General Discussion Posts: 676
In your opinion, what exactly makes Blofeld who he is? This is a question I assume the writers of Spectre must have asked themselves while working on that film. Is he some combination of a hidden face, an eye scar, a white cat, a bald head? Is he the guy who kills incompetent underlings in creative ways and threatens the entire world with his schemes?

For me, Blofeld is a few things: hyper-intelligent and well-spoken (perhaps the most intelligent of Bond's villains), apolitical, and Bond's opposite in a few ways - he's asexual, he's not a lover of food, and he doesn't smoke or drink.

Appearance-wise, I picture a large man (tall, well-built) with a doll-like face (long eyelashes, shining eyes). The first film version of Blofeld I ever saw was Max Von Sydow in Never Say Never Again, and since then he's been my image of Blofeld. His appearance as Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told solidified this image further, as Von Sydow has eyes similar to a doll's in that film. I find the descriptions of Blofeld in Fleming's OHMSS and YOLT a bit silly and difficult to picture.

I liked seeing a carafe of water on the table near Blofeld's chair during the Rome meeting in Spectre. However, I didn't find the character especially intelligent or imposing in the film, which was a shame. I think Telly Savalas in OHMSS captured these aspects of the character best.

What do you think? What physical traits, personality traits, and motives define Blofeld?

Comments

  • MilovyMilovy
    edited February 2017 Posts: 676
    There's a thread on these forums about "who should play Blofeld?" but what I find more interesting is "how should Blofeld be presented?" i.e. how can he be presented in a way that isn't just, you know, Dr. Evil.

    I thought it was very ill-advised for Waltz to wear a facial scar in Spectre (ditto with the cat and nehru suit), but if they really had to go in that direction, perhaps they could have used Fleming's idea of Blofeld reinventing himself physically. Perhaps Blofeld could have purposely disfigured his face and removed all his hair as part of an effort to change his identity after escaping Bond. I think that would have felt fresh and it could have provided a very dark scene of Blofeld scarring his own face.

    Does anyone have any thoughts about what "makes" the Blofeld character, or how he could be presented?
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,127
    I agree that Blofeld should be Bond's polar opposite and a complete puritan. That is why I was never totally convinced by Savalas: he flirts with Tracy and he smokes. Otherwise he is very similar to the novel TB Blofeld. I love how in the novels Blofeld is a shapeshifter, which has never been properly explained in the movies.

    He is maybe the most difficult character to cast faithfully, this is why they used shortcuts in the movies to make him stand out: his scar, bald head, cat, etc.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Right. Those are just movie gimmicks. One thing they got right with SPECTRE, was that he is a gatherer of information.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,409
    Not a dog person, typically.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited February 2017 Posts: 4,025
    A cruel, ruthless megalomaniac, who is slightly insane.

    Always found him a bit dull in the books. I preferred Hugo Drax, Goldfinger and Dr No in the books. They were interesting characters.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    Not a dog person, typically.
    LeonardPine wrote: »
    I preferred Hugo Drax

    There you have a dog person.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    Not a dog person, typically.
    LeonardPine wrote: »
    I preferred Hugo Drax

    There you have a dog person.

    Weapon Dogs. Great idea and still relevant today. :)
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,306
    I like the idea of Blofeld constantly changing disguises--as in the novel OHMSS. I wish they did this in the films. The scar is too obvious...and only in two films! (I suppose of the Blofeld appearances Eon/Mendes sees YOLT as the most iconic?) Really, they only needed the cat...
  • MilovyMilovy
    edited February 2017 Posts: 676
    echo wrote: »
    The scar is too obvious...and only in two films! (I suppose of the Blofeld appearances Eon/Mendes sees YOLT as the most iconic?) Really, they only needed the cat...
    I would even bet the scarred version of Blofeld is best remembered by the public for appearing in three Austin Powers films rather than for his appearance in YOLT.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,127
    echo wrote: »
    I like the idea of Blofeld constantly changing disguises--as in the novel OHMSS. I wish they did this in the films. The scar is too obvious...and only in two films! (I suppose of the Blofeld appearances Eon/Mendes sees YOLT as the most iconic?) Really, they only needed the cat...

    I actually think the cat was overused.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited February 2017 Posts: 18,282
    Ludovico wrote: »
    echo wrote: »
    I like the idea of Blofeld constantly changing disguises--as in the novel OHMSS. I wish they did this in the films. The scar is too obvious...and only in two films! (I suppose of the Blofeld appearances Eon/Mendes sees YOLT as the most iconic?) Really, they only needed the cat...

    I actually think the cat was overused.

    It certainly was but at least they made it a little bit more subtle in Spectre. I'd have been just as happy had it not returned at all of course!
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    edited February 2017 Posts: 6,306
    You could argue that they NEED the cat to telegraph to John Q. Public who Blofeld is because of the many recastings and sometimes boring performances.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The cat did give a boring performance, I agree.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,282
    echo wrote: »
    You could argue that they NEED the cat to telegraph to John Q. Public who Blofeld is because of the many recastings and sometimes boring performances.

    Yes, well I had that exact same thought of course. Bond films are made for a general audience, something us diehards can forget from time to time!
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    The next casting needs to follow Fleming....exactly.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,306
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    The cat did give a boring performance, I agree.

    Cat performances, best to worst:

    1. FYEO
    2. DAF
    3. YOLT
    4. FRWL
    5. TB
    6. SP

    To be honest, I can't remember if the cat is in both FRWL and TB.

    Here's my bold Bond 25 prediction: in the final scene, the cat finally gets a name!
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    Yes Tiddles
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