day two: did i actually just spend an hour writing about james bond? yes, yes i did.
Amanda just sent me the following message via Tumblr:
i can't stop thinking about skyfall. why are james bond movies so pretty and why do so many people write them off as being stupid/blockbuster movies? i think james bond movies ran away with a part of my soul many many years ago
GIRD YER LOINS FOR SOME JAMES BOND THINKY FEELS. (WARNING: FULL ON SPOILERS AHEAD, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE SKYFALL AND WISH TO REMAIN UNSPOILED.)
Growing up, I watched a lot of the Bond films. I've always been a big action junkie, so naturally I wanted to watch films with lots of explosions and car chases and nifty gadgets; things that are hallmarks of the Bond franchise. And while I enjoyed a lot of those films for their shallow appeal -- the pretty faces, the fight sequences, the special effects and exotic locales -- a large part of me also sort of hated them. Because they could be outrageously goofy past the point of embarrassment. Because they were frequently racist and ALWAYS misogynistic. Because a lot of the shit that happens in Bond films that is portrayed as heroic or dashing or for the good of Queen and Country is SUPER problematic and often made me angry, even when I was too young to properly understand why I was so angry and had yet to develop the vocabulary necessary to define the problematic issues.
Which is part of the reason why I so ardently love the "reboot" series. By which I am, of course, referring to Craig's run as 007. Since Casino Royale was the first ever Bond novel and the movie itself is established as Bond's first mission as a double 0, I look at the newest trilogy as a total reboot -- even an AU when compared to the original twenty-odd movies.
And why do I love them so much? Because they're the best elements of the James Bond character/story plus a lot of introspection and deeper, more character-driven story arcs. I can say I love James Bond and actually mean it. Because Craig's Bond is the most understandable and developed Bond yet. He's not just a handsome face with dashing charisma and a license to kill. He's been shown to be vulnerable, fucked-up, in love, vengeful, self-destructive, driven, tragic, brutal, pragmatic -- but every facet is revealed through superb writing and acting, not simply thrown onto the screen without reason or mentioned in passing. We get to see Bond's development and foibles unfold on-screen. We understand why he's so distrustful of women because of what happened with Vesper, and the films don't expressly condone his womanizing or cavalier treatment of other people. While he may be the protagonist and is often heroic, he is also frequently smacked down, held accountable, and shown to be wrong at times. His relationship with Judi Dench's M is brought to the forefront and they have a psuedo mother/son thing going on that is just AMAZING: I think it's important to remember that Bond's most important relationship in his life has been the one he had with M. She essentially made him what he is, and what he is is a tool shaped for a very specific purpose. And yet she still cares about him, and he obviously cares about her, and I just think that's delightful. Just because it's an action franchise doesn't mean you can't have a bit of heart in them.
Speaking of the ladies, I cannot rave enough about how empowered this generation of Bond Girls is. Vesper Lynd is a fully-formed and three-dimensional character, which in and of itself is shocking in a Bond film. She's smart, she's sharp, she doesn't hesitate to call James out on his bullshit. She has her badass moments but she's also allowed to be vulnerable without being painted as weak at the same time. The fact that it takes most of the movie for her and Bond to have sex is also telling -- they actually develop a relationship first, and go through quite a lot together before they get to frolic naked in a glitzy hotel room. I LOVE THAT SO FUCKING MUCH.
ALSO: CHEMISTRY. RAWR.
Then you've got Camille in Quantum of Solace, who has a tragic backstory and a need for revenge. There's not a lot about that that's breaking the mold, since plenty of Bond Girls have had similar arcs. What IS new and amazing about Camille is that she's not just another bedwarmer. Her relationship with Bond is purely platonic. He takes her under his wing as an older brother figure, trying to train her so that when the time comes she'll finally be able to pull the trigger. And when she can't do it, he doesn't just leave her behind callously -- he refuses to leave her side and actually takes the time to comfort her. There's a real sense of an emotional connection there without any hint of a sexual one. DELIGHTFUL. And with Skyfall comes Eve, who is absolutely Bond's equal. She's a fighter and tough as nails. She doesn't hesitate to smack Bond back into place and yet also has his back physically. And, again, no sex, even with that straight razor scene and the verbal banter. So fucking glad that these Bond films have ladies of all kinds that are allowed to actually be characters rather than objects. Yes, there are still the traditional Bond Girls (Solange, Strawberry Fields, Severine -- huh, that's a lot of 'S's). But at least the treatment of ladies is getting better than what it was.
Craig's Bond is easily the most pragmatic and committed, willing to do just about everything to finish his mission and stop the baddie. He comes across as a war-weary soldier, not simply a slick comic book spy. And I love how physical he is, whereas past Bonds were very smooth and sophisticated. Craig's Bond feels like a real man because he doesn't hesitate to use his hands and is never over-reliant on flashy gadgetry. The reboot films strip away almost all of the cheesiness -- the ridiculous names, the Inspector Gadget quality of the Q Branch, the silly vehicles and overly zany villain plots -- and ground the series in reality again, which makes everything feel more solid and actually raises the stakes. There's more tension when Bond is a man doing a job rather than a superhero with a Batman-ish utility belt to save him in the nick of time. And making the fight sequences more brutal (for instance: that bathroom fight-to-the-death sequence that opens Casino Royale) was a really wise choice that makes the action more gripping. I'm so glad the Bond crew took notes from the Bourne series.
And the baddies! CAN I RAVE ABOUT THE BADDIES FOR A BIT? So Greene of Quantum of Solace was a pretty classic and bland Bond baddie, I'll grant you that. But Le Chiffre and especially Silva totally make up for that. Le Chiffre's motivations are purely selfish and personal. He doesn't have grandiose plans to take over the world or hold a country hostage with stolen nuclear weapons. THANK GOD FOR THAT. He's small scale, and that's okay, because the movie itself is so very contained and personal. Casino Royale is all about how Bond became Bond, how his first mission and first love shaped him. And having Le Chiffre, who oozes quiet menace but isn't histrionic about his malevolence, be his first real foil is great. Then there's Silva, who I am more than a little in love with. His motivation is pure vendetta and his methods are terrifyingly possible and serious in this world of unexpected terrorism and deep-cover intelligence operatives. He's got a mother fixation with M, terrible abandonment issues, an ego the size of Gibraltar -- he is, in fact, Bond's warped reflection. Psychotic without crossing the line into ridiculous, physically and mentally imposing, deliciously askew and unhinged. Bardem's performance is just a miracle, omfg. SO MANY LAYERS. SO MANY NUANCES. EVERY LITTLE CHOICE IS PERFECT.
Throwing a Sassy Grenade 101 with Silva.
The writing in the reboots has actually been knocking my socks off. Bond gets to have a few prerequisite snappy one-liners and some verbal banter, but his dialogue never sinks to the hammy levels of Moore or Brosnan. Other than Strawberry Fields (whose first name is never actually revealed in-film, if I remember correctly) there aren't any laughably kooky names. And the entire plot and character arc in Skyfall is staggeringly good. Bond and M as allegories for the Cold War mindset and defensive policies, the continual harping about age and diminishing returns and old sins, the passing of torches and the mingling of old with the new, the fact that innovation and new blood will always need the support of experience and practice in the field... Just thinking about how the last half of Skyfall became Scottish gothic full of backstory and personal stakes makes me wibble with joy.
And then there's the technical aspects of everything. The impossibly gorgeous locales, the cinematography choices, the lighting, the costuming, the effects, the stunts, the action choreography, the music, the editing. It's all lightyears ahead of the Bond films of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Never has Bond been more beautifully crafted, more detailed or layered. There are so many things to delight in over Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall.
My final verdict: I pray that they maintain the current trends and pacing of the Bond franchise. I pray that Craig sticks around for several more films. I pray that the writing remains sharp and exciting. And while I do believe that Casino Royale will always hold the foremost place in my heart (for obvious VESPER LYND/EVA GREEN reasons), Skyfall was a bloody brilliant film and totally deserves more awards that it has been nominated for. It was emotional, it was thrilling, it was beautiful, it was moving. And it made me think more than any other Bond film ever has -- quite an achievement after fifty years of derring-do. And to finally address you original question, Amanda: it is a fucking catastrophe that the reboot films are so summarily written off by awards committees and snubbed by pretentious film snobs. Obviously they refuse to see the obvious, because these films are g8 in a multitude of ways.
i can't stop thinking about skyfall. why are james bond movies so pretty and why do so many people write them off as being stupid/blockbuster movies? i think james bond movies ran away with a part of my soul many many years ago
GIRD YER LOINS FOR SOME JAMES BOND THINKY FEELS. (WARNING: FULL ON SPOILERS AHEAD, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO SEE SKYFALL AND WISH TO REMAIN UNSPOILED.)
Growing up, I watched a lot of the Bond films. I've always been a big action junkie, so naturally I wanted to watch films with lots of explosions and car chases and nifty gadgets; things that are hallmarks of the Bond franchise. And while I enjoyed a lot of those films for their shallow appeal -- the pretty faces, the fight sequences, the special effects and exotic locales -- a large part of me also sort of hated them. Because they could be outrageously goofy past the point of embarrassment. Because they were frequently racist and ALWAYS misogynistic. Because a lot of the shit that happens in Bond films that is portrayed as heroic or dashing or for the good of Queen and Country is SUPER problematic and often made me angry, even when I was too young to properly understand why I was so angry and had yet to develop the vocabulary necessary to define the problematic issues.
Which is part of the reason why I so ardently love the "reboot" series. By which I am, of course, referring to Craig's run as 007. Since Casino Royale was the first ever Bond novel and the movie itself is established as Bond's first mission as a double 0, I look at the newest trilogy as a total reboot -- even an AU when compared to the original twenty-odd movies.
And why do I love them so much? Because they're the best elements of the James Bond character/story plus a lot of introspection and deeper, more character-driven story arcs. I can say I love James Bond and actually mean it. Because Craig's Bond is the most understandable and developed Bond yet. He's not just a handsome face with dashing charisma and a license to kill. He's been shown to be vulnerable, fucked-up, in love, vengeful, self-destructive, driven, tragic, brutal, pragmatic -- but every facet is revealed through superb writing and acting, not simply thrown onto the screen without reason or mentioned in passing. We get to see Bond's development and foibles unfold on-screen. We understand why he's so distrustful of women because of what happened with Vesper, and the films don't expressly condone his womanizing or cavalier treatment of other people. While he may be the protagonist and is often heroic, he is also frequently smacked down, held accountable, and shown to be wrong at times. His relationship with Judi Dench's M is brought to the forefront and they have a psuedo mother/son thing going on that is just AMAZING: I think it's important to remember that Bond's most important relationship in his life has been the one he had with M. She essentially made him what he is, and what he is is a tool shaped for a very specific purpose. And yet she still cares about him, and he obviously cares about her, and I just think that's delightful. Just because it's an action franchise doesn't mean you can't have a bit of heart in them.
Speaking of the ladies, I cannot rave enough about how empowered this generation of Bond Girls is. Vesper Lynd is a fully-formed and three-dimensional character, which in and of itself is shocking in a Bond film. She's smart, she's sharp, she doesn't hesitate to call James out on his bullshit. She has her badass moments but she's also allowed to be vulnerable without being painted as weak at the same time. The fact that it takes most of the movie for her and Bond to have sex is also telling -- they actually develop a relationship first, and go through quite a lot together before they get to frolic naked in a glitzy hotel room. I LOVE THAT SO FUCKING MUCH.
ALSO: CHEMISTRY. RAWR.
Then you've got Camille in Quantum of Solace, who has a tragic backstory and a need for revenge. There's not a lot about that that's breaking the mold, since plenty of Bond Girls have had similar arcs. What IS new and amazing about Camille is that she's not just another bedwarmer. Her relationship with Bond is purely platonic. He takes her under his wing as an older brother figure, trying to train her so that when the time comes she'll finally be able to pull the trigger. And when she can't do it, he doesn't just leave her behind callously -- he refuses to leave her side and actually takes the time to comfort her. There's a real sense of an emotional connection there without any hint of a sexual one. DELIGHTFUL. And with Skyfall comes Eve, who is absolutely Bond's equal. She's a fighter and tough as nails. She doesn't hesitate to smack Bond back into place and yet also has his back physically. And, again, no sex, even with that straight razor scene and the verbal banter. So fucking glad that these Bond films have ladies of all kinds that are allowed to actually be characters rather than objects. Yes, there are still the traditional Bond Girls (Solange, Strawberry Fields, Severine -- huh, that's a lot of 'S's). But at least the treatment of ladies is getting better than what it was.
Craig's Bond is easily the most pragmatic and committed, willing to do just about everything to finish his mission and stop the baddie. He comes across as a war-weary soldier, not simply a slick comic book spy. And I love how physical he is, whereas past Bonds were very smooth and sophisticated. Craig's Bond feels like a real man because he doesn't hesitate to use his hands and is never over-reliant on flashy gadgetry. The reboot films strip away almost all of the cheesiness -- the ridiculous names, the Inspector Gadget quality of the Q Branch, the silly vehicles and overly zany villain plots -- and ground the series in reality again, which makes everything feel more solid and actually raises the stakes. There's more tension when Bond is a man doing a job rather than a superhero with a Batman-ish utility belt to save him in the nick of time. And making the fight sequences more brutal (for instance: that bathroom fight-to-the-death sequence that opens Casino Royale) was a really wise choice that makes the action more gripping. I'm so glad the Bond crew took notes from the Bourne series.
And the baddies! CAN I RAVE ABOUT THE BADDIES FOR A BIT? So Greene of Quantum of Solace was a pretty classic and bland Bond baddie, I'll grant you that. But Le Chiffre and especially Silva totally make up for that. Le Chiffre's motivations are purely selfish and personal. He doesn't have grandiose plans to take over the world or hold a country hostage with stolen nuclear weapons. THANK GOD FOR THAT. He's small scale, and that's okay, because the movie itself is so very contained and personal. Casino Royale is all about how Bond became Bond, how his first mission and first love shaped him. And having Le Chiffre, who oozes quiet menace but isn't histrionic about his malevolence, be his first real foil is great. Then there's Silva, who I am more than a little in love with. His motivation is pure vendetta and his methods are terrifyingly possible and serious in this world of unexpected terrorism and deep-cover intelligence operatives. He's got a mother fixation with M, terrible abandonment issues, an ego the size of Gibraltar -- he is, in fact, Bond's warped reflection. Psychotic without crossing the line into ridiculous, physically and mentally imposing, deliciously askew and unhinged. Bardem's performance is just a miracle, omfg. SO MANY LAYERS. SO MANY NUANCES. EVERY LITTLE CHOICE IS PERFECT.
Throwing a Sassy Grenade 101 with Silva.
The writing in the reboots has actually been knocking my socks off. Bond gets to have a few prerequisite snappy one-liners and some verbal banter, but his dialogue never sinks to the hammy levels of Moore or Brosnan. Other than Strawberry Fields (whose first name is never actually revealed in-film, if I remember correctly) there aren't any laughably kooky names. And the entire plot and character arc in Skyfall is staggeringly good. Bond and M as allegories for the Cold War mindset and defensive policies, the continual harping about age and diminishing returns and old sins, the passing of torches and the mingling of old with the new, the fact that innovation and new blood will always need the support of experience and practice in the field... Just thinking about how the last half of Skyfall became Scottish gothic full of backstory and personal stakes makes me wibble with joy.
And then there's the technical aspects of everything. The impossibly gorgeous locales, the cinematography choices, the lighting, the costuming, the effects, the stunts, the action choreography, the music, the editing. It's all lightyears ahead of the Bond films of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Never has Bond been more beautifully crafted, more detailed or layered. There are so many things to delight in over Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall.
My final verdict: I pray that they maintain the current trends and pacing of the Bond franchise. I pray that Craig sticks around for several more films. I pray that the writing remains sharp and exciting. And while I do believe that Casino Royale will always hold the foremost place in my heart (for obvious VESPER LYND/EVA GREEN reasons), Skyfall was a bloody brilliant film and totally deserves more awards that it has been nominated for. It was emotional, it was thrilling, it was beautiful, it was moving. And it made me think more than any other Bond film ever has -- quite an achievement after fifty years of derring-do. And to finally address you original question, Amanda: it is a fucking catastrophe that the reboot films are so summarily written off by awards committees and snubbed by pretentious film snobs. Obviously they refuse to see the obvious, because these films are g8 in a multitude of ways.