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French music on Silva's Island

kiramdearkiramdear
edited November 2012 in Skyfall Posts: 9
Forgive me if this has been discussed. I was unsuccessful in my search of the discussions in satisfying my curiosity about the music which played from loudspeakers on Silva's island hideout during Severine's death scene. Can anyone tell me about the singer and/or composer of that intriguing song, or the story behind it? Thanks in advance.

Comments

  • TrueMiracle85TrueMiracle85
    Posts: 300
    The song is called "Boum" and it's performed by Charles Trenet.
  • kiramdearkiramdear
    Posts: 9
    Oh, thank you! Wikipedia can take it from here. I wonder why they chose to include it.
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    It's a great inclusion. Adds a creepy atmosphere to proceedings when it's played through those speakers on the island.
  • kiramdearkiramdear
    Posts: 9
    I think I get it now. It's onomatopoeia and relates to the song he blasted during the helicopter attack on Skyfall. Very clever.
  • Suivez_ce_parachuteSuivez_ce_parachute
    Posts: 2,015
    For French audiences, as the singer was "notoriously" gay or bi (ie : he was outed but he never made his coming out), it may also be perceived as another hint since it happen just after the leg rubbing... Although I doubt it was the intent.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,127
    I never liked Charles Trenet, but loved that song in the movie, the way it was used, all upbeat and innocent, about the heart beating when one falls in love, and there is this life and death game being played... It just makes the song better than it ever was.
  • robboadamrobboadam
    Posts: 224
    Actually, I think it's a very subtle link to the music played through Silva's helicopter speakers in Scotland, 'Boom Boom' by The Animals.

    Or maybe it's just coincidence.
  • DRESSED_TO_KILLDRESSED_TO_KILL Suspended
    edited November 2012 Posts: 260
    I thought the inclusion of the music was very cliched and tacky. like I feel the writers were thinking at the time ,"YEA LETS GIVE THE BAD GUY A CREEPY SONG TO PLAY AT HIS MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, YEA THATS A COOL IDEA!" No not really, I felt like this Silva character was a very poor and lame attempt to mimic the jOker from TDK.

    Lol Its sad to say this but the dark Knight was more realistic and believable than skyfail.
  • robboadamrobboadam
    Posts: 224
    DRESSED_TO_KILL wrote:
    I thought the inclusion of the music was very cliched and tacky. like I feel the writers were thinking at the time ,"YEA LETS GIVE THE BAD GUY A CREEPY SONG TO PLAY AT HIS MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, YEA THATS A COOL IDEA!" No not really, I felt like this Silva character was a very poor and lame attempt to mimic the jOker from TDK.

    Lol Its sad to say this but the dark Knight was more realistic and believable than skyfail.

  • DRESSED_TO_KILLDRESSED_TO_KILL Suspended
    Posts: 260
    @robboadam instead of posting YouTube videos mocking me, how about contributing to the topic at hand.

    Thanks buddy
  • robboadamrobboadam
    Posts: 224
    DRESSED_TO_KILL wrote:
    @robboadam instead of posting YouTube videos mocking me, how about contributing to the topic at hand.

    Thanks buddy

    I'm just having a giggle, buddy.

    It's just you're very negative of every aspect of the movie. Every discussion page I seem to scroll down and see you saying that that certain bit of the movie was terrible, and again and again.

    You've barely explained why you didn't like the music and Silva. What's wrong with both of them? Firstly, like I said, it ties in well with the 'Boom Boom' song at the end of the film (giving a lighter touch on a violent word, compared with the more aggressive song by The Animals), and secondly it contrasts well with the emptiness of the island. You say Silva's mimicking the Joker, but in what way? In fact, I think the Joker is much more influenced by Anton Chigurh and Hannibal Lecter than an influencer on Silva.

    Be careful, you're starting to sound like a Nolan fanboy.
  • kiramdearkiramdear
    Posts: 9
    Here's a link to the whole song:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XynZmtepV0o
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Further questions can be posted here:

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4349/skyfall-questions-spoilers

    Most things now, must have an answer of some kind.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    That music......ehhhhh.......so creepy. If that was the intent, which I'm more than certain that it was, then well done Sam Mendes, you pulled that off greatly! Silva's unusually creepy menace was only enhanced by this music. Very original too, because I don't remember other Bond villains in the past having some sort of musical gag to along with their colorful antics.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    I would say that both Charles Trenet and The Animals' pieces are by far the best additional music included in Bond, way over California Girls and The Clash.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,127
    Maybe I am reading too much into it, but anyway, here is a thought I had last night: Charles Trenet, who was loved by the French bourgeoisie for his silly harmless songs, has also been accused, like many artists of his generation, of being a Nazi collaborator during the war. This song was made in 1938. Quite telling. There is in its background a sinister side to it, a sinister side to the carefree tone, to the carefree words. Sing "Boum" when the bombs are falling and killing, when your audience is sending people to Auschwitz. Of course you don't know it when you watch it. It doesn't mean it is devoid of significance.
  • jackdaggerjackdagger
    Posts: 498
    Could playing a French song be a way of mocking Severine as well? He knew he was going to kill her there. (I know Severine's character is supposed to be Asian, but her name is still French and she still has the accent, so she still might be partly of French descent)
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    edited November 2012 Posts: 1,261
    robboadam wrote:
    DRESSED_TO_KILL wrote:
    I thought the inclusion of the music was very cliched and tacky. like I feel the writers were thinking at the time ,"YEA LETS GIVE THE BAD GUY A CREEPY SONG TO PLAY AT HIS MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, YEA THATS A COOL IDEA!" No not really, I felt like this Silva character was a very poor and lame attempt to mimic the jOker from TDK.

    Lol Its sad to say this but the dark Knight was more realistic and believable than skyfail.


    :)) :-)) =)) =D> :-SS

    And SKYFAIL is quite subtle... Well, maybe not really, but compared to other issues... :-B :-? :-bd \:D/

    And why does this have a familiar ring? (replace Cato and Carthago by whatever you like to do so):

    "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse:"
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    edited November 2012 Posts: 1,261
    Double Post
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    jackdagger wrote:
    Could playing a French song be a way of mocking Severine as well? He knew he was going to kill her there. (I know Severine's character is supposed to be Asian, but her name is still French and she still has the accent, so she still might be partly of French descent)

    Interesting point! I never thought of it that way.
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    Posts: 1,261
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    jackdagger wrote:
    Could playing a French song be a way of mocking Severine as well? He knew he was going to kill her there. (I know Severine's character is supposed to be Asian, but her name is still French and she still has the accent, so she still might be partly of French descent)

    Interesting point! I never thought of it that way.

    Do we not put too much meaning in this song and its usage in the movie? After all, it is an enteraining action flick...
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    DoctorKaufmann wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    jackdagger wrote:
    Could playing a French song be a way of mocking Severine as well? He knew he was going to kill her there. (I know Severine's character is supposed to be Asian, but her name is still French and she still has the accent, so she still might be partly of French descent)

    Interesting point! I never thought of it that way.

    Do we not put too much meaning in this song and its usage in the movie? After all, it is an enteraining action flick...

    Craig's era is so much more than the stupid action. They have the best drama in Bond yet!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,127
    DoctorKaufmann wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    jackdagger wrote:
    Could playing a French song be a way of mocking Severine as well? He knew he was going to kill her there. (I know Severine's character is supposed to be Asian, but her name is still French and she still has the accent, so she still might be partly of French descent)

    Interesting point! I never thought of it that way.

    Do we not put too much meaning in this song and its usage in the movie? After all, it is an enteraining action flick...

    Even in action flicks, everything is significant. Especially good ones.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,997
    Just like I can't hear "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and the "Chicken Dance" (or, as we call it in France "La Danse des Canards" the same way after Doctor Who, I won't be able to hear that song the same way again after watching Skyfall.

    BTW, Charles Trénet is also the original performer (and writer) of at least two songs which have become famous the world over: "La Mer" (Beyond the Sea") and "Que Reste-t-il de Nos Amours" ("I Wish You Love").
  • bamberbarrybamberbarry
    Posts: 3
    Very interesting comments on the music. When I worked at Watford Palace Theatre we used to include music in our plays that we hoped would make the audience question its intent and research into the way music is so important in theatre and films. It is a fine line though between being 'too clever by half'. I am still trying to find a 'way in' to the music of Sky Fall as it does not help me suspend my disbelief and deliver in a way that Zimmer's music for the Batman trilogy did
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