When we first see Bond
much of his face, like his past, is shrouded in shadow. He creeps into the
light, illuminating his face, his perfectly tailored suit, and his situation;
he’s on the hunt. This is our man, the Bond we know. Suited and armed, he proceeds
with caution.
Bond, suave and collected, engages in a shoot-out
that seems almost like a pissing contest. Both contestants are trying to show
off or outdo each other instead of kill each other. It’s no surprise his adversary’s gun takes the
shape of a phallic symbol. The inevitable car chase follows, with quick shots
and shaky camera work. Sam Mendes loses no time in zooming in on Bond’s watch
as he ever so casually lifts his arm to commandeer the wheel and send the car
flying into their prey. Crunching,
smashing, panting, and zooming follows; but it’s not all onomatopoeia from there.
M sends this into chaos by consciously
ordering the shot that may take out Bond. And it does, or so it seems. With that one ringing shot, the familiar Bond
is ended.
A
Golden Oldie
M
makes the tough calls, as the film reminds us with repeated shots of a ceramic
bulldog with the British flag painted across its back. M is branded with
patriotism and makes the “bloody best calls” she can, as she reminds Bond. Their sharp, yet loving banter throughout the
film resembles a shadow of the Bonds of past. She is sentimental about Bond as
her Boss dares to point out. But still, she is a bulldog.
When we see him again, he looks like hell. Unwashed, soaked in alcohol and with a beard
flecked with grey, James Bond is transformed. Perhaps he resents M for
trigger-happy decisions. Well, at least he got a 3-months’ vacation from it. He
returns to work, but he isn’t the same. He shuffles through the running test,
wheezed through strength tests and I don’t even want to talk about the shooting
range. The film often suggests that James is old, outdated, or past his prime.
M’s boss, Ray Fiennes, questions whether James should think about retiring. Are they talking about the agent or the
franchise? This movie marks 50 years of James Bond, perhaps it’s time to throw
in the towel as it were. What’s your
hobby, the villain asks. “Resurrection.”
Evil
is as evil does.
Silver, the villain is
the best Bond villain yet. He is Bond’s perfect foil. As he is first
introduced, Silver tells Bond a story of how his grandmother trapped rats to
keep them from eating coconuts. Instead of burning the rats or throwing them
into the ocean, his grandmother chose to starve them so they would eat each
other instead. They are reprogrammed so they only eat rat, he informs Bond. His
speech is terrifying, not only because we’re worried about the mental health of
his grandmother, but because his speech is erratic. He stumbles over the words,
his pauses in all the wrong places, until he finally releases the last bit of
information ever so slowly and menacingly. To call him an unstable evil genius
is a gross understatement. A maniacal, insane child playing a game as sick and
twisted as his anecdote is far more fitting. “Don’t lose your head” he giggles
as he places a shot glass on a woman’s head in preparation for a test of
William Tell-like marksmanship. Bardem
is phenomenal. Sometimes subtle and terrifying, other times hysterical, slightly
humorous, and completely menacing, Bardem balances somewhere between
calculating villain and overly emotional toddler. This villain embodies the
sociopath, the narcissist, the unhinged manic, and a slight Oedipus complex in
one neat package. He is as theatrical as
his garish, overly peroxide-treated locks.
There’s
a New Man in Town
Sam Mendes takes
Bond in a whole new direction. From the opening credits sequence to the last
images, He transforms bond into something completely new. The series has always
been evolving, always changing but now, with Mendes at the helm, it ventures
forward into uncharted waters. He creates a more artistic film. There are metaphors
everywhere. In one particular symbolic scene, Bond heads into a gambling den
associated with the villain. It is gated by a giant Chinese dragon head; he
literally enters the mouth of the dragon. Mendes masters the blending of drama,
humor, action, and style into one memorable film. It just may be the best Bond
yet. That doesn’t mean the series has to
end with a bang. James Bond: 50 years young.
James, is that a gun in my face? Or am I just happy to see you(r new movie)?
]
James, is that a gun in my face? Or am I just happy to see you(r new movie)?
]
