From Dr No to Quantum of Solace, via numerous interpretations from Sean Connery, George Lazenby (albeit very briefly), Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, of course, current incumbent Daniel Craig, James Bond (aka 007) has been lighting up the screen for 50 years. With 23 films, under the guidance of Eon Productions, to date, it looks like he’ll be around for a good while longer thanks to the buzz surrounding Bond’s latest venture Skyfall.
Breathtaking action, sneering villains, elaborate plots, beautiful women, exotic locations, fast cars, a memorable theme have all come together
The filmmakers behind Skyfall, which opened on Friday, were of course very aware of the anniversary of the super spy, and have gone out of their way to ensure that this latest entry in what is the longest-running franchise in film history had all the ingredients that makes Bond, well, Bond.
Breathtaking action, sneering villains, elaborate plots, beautiful women, exotic locations, fast cars, a memorable theme (courtesy of super-songstress Adele) have all come together for the film, headlined for the third time by Craig, and helmed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes. Mendes was invited to direct by the film’s star himself.
“I knew that Sam would put all of his movie-making knowledge behind it,” says Craig.
The choice of director of course came with the support of producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who have taken over the reins of Eon Productions, producers of the Bond films since 1962’s Dr No, from their father Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli.
They too feel the weight of the 50th anniversary, Wilson explaining that “the pressure is on to make the best Bond ever. We have an extraordinary cast, an incredibly talented creative team and an emotionally charged script”.
Apart from international intrigue, Skyfall’s plot also includes a close and personal look at the relationship between Bond and his boss, M (Judi Dench). Broccoli says: “We wanted to really mine the relationship between Bond and M because it is the most significant relationship he has in his life.”
Dench, who returns for the seventh time as the equally iconic head of MI6, says: “Bond and M are two people who work well together. She’s obviously very fond of him, and she’s often accused of being preferential towards him – but she can also be ruthless about him.”
Dench adds that her relationship with Craig has developed strongly ever since they worked together for the first time on Casino Royale, and this is reflected in the latest movie.
As Skyfall’s story unfolds, the relationship between the two MI6 stalwarts is shaken to the core as the agency comes under attack by the villain Silva played by charismatic Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who says he was immediately drawn to the script and could not turn down an opportunity like this.
Mendes stresses it is important that a Bond villain strikes a certain balance: “The performance has to be real enough but also have flamboyance,” he says.
“For Silva, Javier allowed himself to be playful and mischievous, but he never lost the danger, the mystery, the strangeness, the otherness.”
Of course, no Bond film would be complete without Bond girls, here represented by Naomie Harris’s Eve, an MI6 field agent, and the sultry Severine, played by Bérénice Marlohe.
Eve is a brilliant agent described by Harris as very independent, intelligent, witty, fun and courageous. Marlohe, on the other hand says that “if I could have invented a Bond girl, it would be Severine... she’s voluptuous, sexy, a woman and not a girl, a mystery”.
Rounding off the incredible cast are Ralph Fiennes a government official with oversight of MI6, Ben Whishaw as the latest Q, and veteran actor Albert Finney as Kincade, a character from Bond’s mysterious past.
Naturally, a key component of all Bond films has been the thrilling, at times over-the-top, action sequences, and Mendes promises that in this department, Skyfall doesn’t disappoint with stunt coordinator Gary Powell, second unit director Alexander Witt and Chris Corbould, special effects supervisor, formulating interesting and exciting sequences that propel the story forward.
The director is also at pains to point out that “if you’re not engaged with the characters the action is meaningless, however good it is. You have to put the characters in a credible and believable situation and then show how they survive. That’s the challenge”.
And judging by the reception so far for Skyfall, Mendes and team have lived up to the challenge, providing a fitting way of celebrating Bond’s 50th anniversary on the big screen, and promising yet more to come in the next half-century.
Skyfall will be reviewed this week.