2. MS4: Text, Industry, Audience (Film)
CASE STUDY TEXT: SKYFALL (2012)
James Bond 007 is a fictional character created in 1953 by
writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short
story collections. The character has also been used in the longest
running and most financially successful English language
film franchise to date, starting in 1962 with Dr. No.
There have been 23 films in the series to date, the most recent of
which, Skyfall was released on October 26th in the UK and November
9th in the United States. The release date was timed to conincide with
the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise.
In 1962, the first adaptation Dr. No was made, which featured
Sean Connery as 007. Connery starred in six more films after his initial portrayal.
George Lazenby replaced Connery (for one film) before the latter's last film, after
which the part was played by Roger Moore (for seven films), Timothy Dalton (for
two films), Pierce Brosnan (for four films) and Daniel Craig (two films to 2008).
The film series has grossed over $4 billion (£2 billion) worldwide, making it
the highest grossing film series ever. James Bond has long been a household name
and remains a huge influence within the genre.
Background details on Skyfall
Director: Sam Mendes
Producers: Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli
Budget: $200 million (approximately £120 million)
Production company: EON Productions
Distributors: Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer & Columbia Pictures
CAST:
Skyfall is the 23rd film in the James Bond series, produced by EON Productions and
distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment through its Columbia Pictures
division. It features Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond, and Javier
Bardem as Raoul Silva, the film's antagonist. The film was directed by Sam Mendes
and written by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. As a stand-alone
adventure, it doesn't directly continue the story arc of Casino Royale or Quantum of
Solace but does occur within the same continuity. As of 14th November 2012, barely
3 weeks after it was released, Skyfall became the highest grossing Bond film of all
time, surpassing Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. It has gone on to be one of
the highest grossing films of all time, earning over $1 billion.
In the film, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6
comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how
personal the cost.
2
4. SKYFALL – opening scenes analysis
The opening sequence sees Bond in Istanbul, chasing a stolen computer disk that
contains the secret identities of embedded Nato agents. After a hair-raising chase
across marketplaces, rooftops and a thundering train, the disk is lost, and for a
moment so is 007.
Described as “electrifying” by Xan Brooks in The Guardian, “uproarious” by Peter
Bradshaw in The Guardian and “blistering” by Neil Smith in Total Film magazine,
the opening sequence is certainly attention-grabbing.
Watch this pre-credit opening sequence (0-12’) and make detailed notes on the
following areas:
§ How effective is this opening in grabbing the audience’s attention and
interest? How is this achieved?
§ How does it conform to audience expectations of the ‘Bond’ franchise?
§ What narrative themes are raised/hinted at?
Ensure you refer to specific visual, audio and technical codes as evidence.
4
5. The credit sequence:
Bond credit sequences are iconic and world-renowned.
Firstly, watch the first 10 minutes of a documentary about Bond opening credit
sequences.
Jot down significant ideas below:
Now watch the credit sequence for Skyfall (Chapter 4).
Make notes below on its style, purpose and appeal.
How does it both conform to, and differ from, previous Bond credit sequences (based
on what you have seen in the documentary). What sorts of themes and messages in
the film does it underline or hint at?
5
6. Additional Notes:
The credit sequence was designed by veteran BAFTA-nominated director, Danny
Kleinman, who has designed all but one of the Bond credit sequences since
Goldeneye (1995). For this film, he created a moody, inky death dream style
sequence powered by Adele’s “Skyfall” theme tune.
"At the beginning of the film there’s always an amazing action sequence, and this
time it ends with Bond being shot. So one of the things I wanted to do was perhaps
suggest what might be flashing through Bond’s mind as he thinks he might be dying,"
Kleinman explained.
The key guiding motif for Kleinman's Skyfall title sequence? Death. "It’s a sequence
that starts with Bond underwater and thinking that he’s dying," Kleinman said. "I took
that on as being almost like going into the underworld, feelings of mortality and
feelings of, perhaps, regret and nostalgia."
In Skyfall's opening sequence Bond drifts through a watery dreamscape of daggers
and guns, encountering faceless, shadowy foes who threaten to overtake him. "One of
the lines in the movie is about the intelligence service working in the shadows,"
Kleinman said, "and I found that really interesting — the idea of being in the shadows
and how shadows suggest different things but can also be intimidating."
"It’s quite a macabre and dark sequence, because I think the film is about Bond
coming to terms with things that have happened in the past and with [Judi Dench's
M], it’s a very emotional story — more so than most Bond films. My intention is to
set up an atmosphere that gives you little clues, little hints, but is not too specific." He
paused. "It’s better than watching a bunch of names against black, anyway."
(http://movieline.com/2012/11/15/skyfall-james-bond-title-seque
6
7. SKYFALL – key scenes
ANALYSIS OF KEY SCENES:
The Shanghai skyscraper scene (Ch11; up to 48.45)
This scene is one of the key ‘set-pieces’ of the film.
Consider how it generates audience appeal through the following devices:
§ Its style (technical, visual and audio codes)
§ Audience knowledge and positioning
§ Fulfilment of audience expectations
§ Bond’s persona
§ Narrative devices (enigma codes, etc)
7
8. The climactic action sequence (Ch 28 to 2.09.18)
In what ways is this scene typical of action films and the Bond franchise? Consider
style (technical and visual codes), character representations, and narrative.
Closing sequence (Ch 31)
What kinds of narrative resolution does this scene offer the audience?
How is Bond represented and which key narrative themes in the film are reinforced?
How does the director want the audience to feel at the close of the film?
8
9. REPRESENTATIONS IN THE FILM
Representations of Bond and masculinity
If we wish to examine masculinity through film over the past 50 years, there is arguably no
better case study than James Bond. After 23 films, Bond’s brand of masculinity has
repeatedly changed to match the changing times.
In the 1960's Bond films, Sean Connery brought to James Bond an image of the charismatic
macho man; a hairy-chested, hard drinking, smoking representation of the ‘man's man’ of the
time. Sean Connery's Bond carried with him a great deal of the chauvinistic menace of
Fleming's Bond from the original novels, and there was certainly the element of sexual
conquest in the films.
(Watch the trailer for Goldfinger as a reminder of this representation)
In Casino Royale, Bond comes ‘full circle’, with Daniel Craig portraying James Bond on his
first mission as a 00-agent in the first of these films, and then continuing narrative strands
from this in Quantum of Solace. Some would argue that the Bond in these films and in Skyfall
is rough, violent, and in many ways, far closer to Fleming's Bond from the original novels
than any other portrayal in the series. But at the same time, he is distinctly different in his
representation, reflecting some social changes. Some critics have argued that Bond in Skyfall
is more of a Christopher Nolan-esque ‘Dark Knight’ style character, complete with flaws,
references to lost parents, etc.
Complete the table below, using textual evidence from the film for each point you make:
‘Traditional’ masculine qualities displayed
Changes in Bond’s representation
Now read and highlight Appendix A, an article on Bond and sex in the booklet. How
far does this concur with your own findings regarding this aspect of Bond’s
masculinity?
9
10. Representations of female characters
The archetypal female role in Bond films is that of the ‘Bond girl’. Bond Girls are often
victims rescued by Bond, fellow agents or allies, villainesses or members of an enemy
organization, most typically the villain's accomplice, assistant or mistress.
In the more recent Bond films, Bond’s boss M, the Head of the Secret Service organization
MI6, switched from a male to a female role (played by Judi Dench since 1995’s Goldeneye).
Like Bond’s representation, the role and characteristics of the female characters have
undergone changes throughout the film series, reflecting societal changes and contexts.
Consider key scenes from the film to help provide you with examples, and then using these, a
create a spider diagram summary of each of the 3 key female characters in the film, focusing
on positive and negative elements of their representation, and how they compare to previous
films in the Bond series.
M
10
11. Eve
Moneypenny
Severine
Now read the article from The Guardian online (Oct 2012) which discusses the Bond
franschise and sexism. How far do you agree that female characters in Skyfall
represent a progression in female representation?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/the-womens-blog-with-janemartinson/2012/oct/30/skyfall-less-sexist-bond-film
11
12. Representations of Britishness and MI6
How is Britain and Britishness represented in the film?
How is MI6 as a British institution represented? How might this be read, particularly
by a British audience?
Look again at the following key scenes for ideas and build up a detailed summary of
the representations of Britishness within these and elsewhere in the film:
•
•
•
MI6 in “new digs” after it is destroyed (Ch 7: 26.36 – 28.44)
Bond hunts Mr Silver/ M at the hearing (Ch 22 up to 1.36.43)
Scotland and ‘Skyfall’ (Ch 25 up to 1.46)
12
13. SKYFALL AND GENRE
Can ‘Bond’ be classed as a genre in its own right?
Thomas Schatz (in ‘Hollywood Genres’, 1981) describes genre as “the product of
audience and studio interaction...[impressing] itself upon the culture until it becomes
a familiar, meaningful system that can be named as such”.
Bond films are clearly an amalgamation of the detective, suspense/thriller, action, and
spy genres. But as the series has progressed, it could be argued that the Bond
franchise has developed into a genre of its own, with a recognizable set of codes and
conventions, including structural components such as plot, character, setting,
thematics, style, and so on, that Schatz defines as the key ‘ingredients’ of any genre.
Below, list the key codes and conventions (recurring features) of the ‘Bond genre’
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
§
13
14. Schatz noted that genres do not stand still, but evolve over time.
Like every other film genre, the Bond genre is “both a static and a dynamic
system”.
On the one hand, it is a familiar formula of interrelated narrative and cinematic
components (like those you have outlined above), but at the same time, as the series
evolves, it examines new attitudes, technological advancements and other societal
changes (e.g. the changing roles of femininity and masculinity).
Can you think of any of these ‘dynamic’ genre components in Skyfall?
14
15. APPLYING THEORIES TO SKYFALL CASE STUDY
Recap:
We have already discussed the film in the light of Schatz’ theory of genre.
Schatz defined genre as ““the product of audience and studio interaction...[impressing] itself
upon the culture until it becomes a familiar, meaningful system that can be named as such”.
He argues that genres include a repertoire of recurring elements such as plot, character,
setting, themes, style, and also that genres are both “static” and dynamic” (i.e. some elements
always remain the same, whilst others change as society changes).
With this in mind, you could use this theory to raise the debate as to whether Bond can be
classed as a genre in its own right (as it does seem to fit Schatz’ description of genre), or
whether it is simply a film series which relies on a repeated formula.
It is also possible to apply active audience theories to Bond, in a similar way to those
applied to Slumdog Millionaire.
E.g:
§ Uses & Gratifications – the film provides escapism in the form of high action, the
male fantasy that Bond himself represents, the exotic/foreign locations, etc
§ Reception Theory – it could be argued that Bond may well be read differently by
Western and non-Western audiences (e.g. through the way it promotes western
values, as sees a British agent as the all-conquering hero
Applying theories and concepts to the content of the film:
HEGEMONY
Antonio Gramsci used the term hegemony to denote the predominance of one social class
over others. This represents not only political and economic control, but also the ability of
the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are
subordinated by it accept it as 'common sense' and 'natural'. The ideas of the ruling class come
to be seen as the norm; they are seen as universal ideologies, perceived to benefit everyone
whilst only really benefiting the ruling class/dominant groups.
Write a paragraph below outlining why Quantum Of Solace (and other Bond films)
could be said to be hegemonic.
15
16. CULTURAL IMPERIALISM
Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting, distinguishing, or artificially
injecting the culture of one society into another. It is usually the case that the culture
responsible for this belongs to a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and
the latter belongs to a smaller, less important one. A metaphor of colonialism is
employed: the cultural products of the first world "invade" the third-world and
"conquer" local culture. In other words, the culture (e.g. Films) and therefore
ideologies of the most powerful nations ‘invade’ the less powerful nations. Cultural
Imperialism Theory states that Western nations dominate the media around the world
which in return has a powerful effect on Third World or other less powerful cultures
by imposing on them Western views and therefore destroying their native cultures.
Western and American cultural superiority is frequently exhibited through films and
television programmes.
These celebrate consumerism and suggest that such a way of life is for everyone.
Indeed, through television and films, 'progress' in the narrative is always told in
terms of Western values where technology is usually supreme, Western
rationalism is triumphant and the Western hero (e.g. in James Bond films) always
wins against non-Westerners who are clumsy and cruel.
According to Smith & Lavington, half the world’s population is said to have seen at
least one Bond film, and in many ways the series represents the start of commercial
globalization.
Write a list of around 5 reasons why Skyfall (and the Bond franchise in general)
could be said to employ cultural imperialism.
16
17. SKYFALL (2012) - production
Budget: Estimated between $150m and $200m (around £120m)
EON Productions produced Skyfall. The film EON is a film production company
known for producing the James Bond film series. The company is based in London's
Piccadilly and also operates from Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom.
EON was started by film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961.
Although Albert R. (‘Cubby’) Broccoli died in 1996, EON Productions is still owned
by the Broccoli family, specifically Albert R. Broccoli's daughter, Barbara Broccoli,
and his step-son, Michael G. Wilson, who are the current producers of the James
Bond films.
The 23rd installment of Bond nearly didn’t happen after the studio MGM nearly
collapsed in 2010 and production company EON nearly pulled the plug on the
franchise, releasing a statement: "Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the
future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended
development of Bond 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume."
When the studio emerged from bankruptcy at the very end of 2010, however,
everything changed. Its new owners brought in former Spyglass chiefs Gary Barber
and Roger Birnbaum as co-chairmen (Birnbaum has since departed) and, more
importantly, they obtained a $500 million revolving credit line through JP Morgan
and Deutsche Bank. The film was then distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures and
proved to be a financial success story.
Pinewood Studios, which doubles up for Shanghai in the film and is where the
Golden Dragon Casino interior scenes were shot, is a major British film studio in
Buckinghamshire. The studios were created in 1934, with their creator drawing his
inspiration from the latest Hollywood movie studios.
In 2001, Pinewood Studios merged with Shepperton Studios, the other leading British
film production location, and in 2005, Pinewood Shepperton acquired Teddington
Studios. Collectively the company has 41 stages, including ten digital television
studios, gardens & woodland for outdoor shooting, one of Europe’s largest exterior
water tanks, and a new dedicated underwater stage.
The studios have acted as the base for the long-running James Bond and Carry On
film series.
The film was also on location in Istanbul, Turkey and the crew gained rare access to
aerial shots filmed on location in China, courtesy of the Chinese government. An
unnamed island off Macau doubled up as Hashima island, off the coast of Japan,
where the Bond villain Silva is based.
17
18. Watch the short DVD extra on locations, Licence to Travel. Make some notes below
on the locations:
Shanghai
Turkey
London
Director: Sam Mendes
Born in England on August 1, 1965, Sam Mendes is a stage
director and an Academy Award-winning film director. In
1992, Mendes was appointed artistic director of London's
Donmar Warehouse, attracting some of the world's finest
actors to appear in Assassins, The Glass Menagerie and
Habeas Corpus. Mendes's most acclaimed directorial work
includes his dark 1998 production of Cabaret; his debut film,
American Beauty (1999), which earned him the 2000
Academy Award for best director; 2005's Jarhead;
Revolutionary Road (2008) and his 2012 James Bond film,
Skyfall. He's garnered fame for producing several other cinematic works, including
The Kite Runner (2007), and the 2010 documentary Out of the Ashes.
The late 1990s marked a big career move for Mendes, who, by this time, had become
well-known among colleagues and revered for his stage work. Mendes went on to
direct and produce many successful movies over the next several years. Skyfall, the
23rd film of the James Bond franchise was Mendes's first run at a large-scale action
feature. Released in early November 2012, the film immediately garnered critical and
commercial acclaim, earning an estimated $90 million in its opening weekend.
www.biography.com
18
19. SKYFALL – DISTRIBUTION & EXHIBITION
The marketing campaign:
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment & MGM
Estimated marketing budget: $75 million (£49.5 million)
£28 million donated by Heineken to the film’s budget
Marketing of Skyfall was perhaps easier than Quantum of Solace, because this is the
3rd in the franchise featuring Craig as James Bond, but in a tough economic climate,
the producers had a lot of product placement and investment from various sponsors,
which enabled the film to be made.
Teaser Poster:
19
21. The teaser trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24mTIE4D9JM
What enigmas are thrown up in the trailer?
How does the trailer keep the links to traditional Bond and also give the audiences
something new?
21
22. Watch the short BBC clip on the importance of the teaser and jot down key points:
This year the James Bond film series is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the
release of Skyfall, the 23rd official Bond movie.
It's been four years since the last 007 film Quantum of Solace, and today the first
teaser trailer for Skyfall has been released.
Entertainment Correspondent Lizo Mzimba looks at the importance of the teaser, and
what role Skyfall is likely to play in the franchise's golden anniversary.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18141630
The theatrical trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgr2syY_OU4 is an
expansion of the teaser.
How far does the trailer appear to sell a traditional Bond movie?
How is Bond as a character represented?
What are the key selling points for the audience?
22
23. The official website (www.007.com):
Additional notes on what is offered and who it would appeal to:
23
24. Bond Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Skyfall)
Look at this website and make notes below on how/why Facebook
is an effective marketing technique for films such as Skyfall. Think
about the importance of viral marketing techniques and brand
reinforcement:
24
25. Other media and publicity:
§ Adele’s Skyfall soundtrack song, which won an Oscar at the 2013
ceremony in February.
Partners and cross-promotions:
The Bond films are well known for their high levels of product placement.
Eon Productions earns huge amounts of money from the deals, and
companies will compete vigorously to win the rights to be a partner
in the film. Some attempts are made to weave the products into the
narrative, although more cynical commentators feel that these attempts are
very obvious and actually detract from the film’s narrative.
Products featured in Skyfall:
Cars: Landrover, Audi, Beetle, Range Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin
Landrover Defender and Audi were seen in a car chase scene: Eve drove
Landrover, while the bad guys tried to escape in Audi. During the chase a few
VW Beetles fell from the train.
Range Rover was used to transport Bond to MI6’s new location and M and
Bond used Jaguar XJ.
Sony: Bond (or was it Q?) used Sony Vaio laptop (first seen in Casino Royale)
and Sony Xperia T mobile phone.
Macallan whisky: Macallan whisky was probably the most “in your face”
placement. It occurred during the first meeting between Bond and Silva. The
main villain offered James a drink, a 50-year old Macallan, because it’s his
favorite drink.
Additionally, we saw M and Bond drinking Macallan on two different
occasions.
Heineken: The much hyped Heineken appeared in two scenes: Bond was
lying in bed with a girl and we could see a bottle of Heineken in his hand. The
other appearance was in a big office: Tanner, one of MI6 employees was
sipping beer from Heineken bottle.
Omega: Bond wears a Seamaster watch.
Tom Ford: Bond wears the designer’s suits.
Walther PPK: Walther PPK pistol is a longtime Bond companion.
Abridged from this link, where you can see screen stills of products:
http://brandsandfilms.com/2012/11/product-placement-in-pictures-skyfall/
Other tie-ins not directly linked to the film:
007 Legends game
Bollinger champagne
Coke Zero
James Bond 007 fragrance, featured in GQ magazine
VisitBritain advertising campaign. Trailers linking Bond to key British
locations were shown in cinemas in key countries.
O.P.I. nail lacquer with a special Skyfall colour collection.
DK books – offered holidays, linked up with gifts from Swaroviski cufflinks.
25
26. The Skyfall's the limit on James Bond marketing
The Guardian, Film Blog, October 21, 2012
From Heineken to
the Olympics, the
producers of the
23rd Bond movie
have exploited every
possible brand
connection
When Skyfall, the
23rd entry in the
James Bond series,
finally hits UK
screens on Friday,
the British public
will be divided into
two factions: those
planning to see it,
and those assuming
it had been out
months ago. Even by
the unsubtle
standards of studio tentpoles, the marketing push for Skyfall has been a longhaul assault, stretching far beyond the standard (if especially ubiquitous) busside billboards, and trailers that have been on rotation since the spring.
Though not a man averse to material pleasures, Bond himself might balk at
the amount of promotional tie-ins being attached to his name this time
around. The new film raises the bar for onscreen product placement, from
007's Tom Ford-tailored suits to Q's Sony Vaio hardware, as well as
offscreen alliances ranging from Coke Zero to perfume retailers. (Yes,
if you've always wanted to smell like Bond – presumably not after an intense
chase sequence – the option is yours.) His new tipple of choice, Heineken,
has proved an ongoing sticking point with fans, particularly after a big-budget
ad that actually roped Daniel Craig into the action.
However, with the Dutch beer having stumped up over £28m for the
privilege of seeing Bond sip from a green bottle in an early scene –
coolly covering almost a third of the film's estimated £93.7m
($150m) production budget in the process – the producers are
willing to endure that indignity. Craig himself has been a diplomatic
spokesman on the issue, acknowledging that their reliance on brand
associations is "unfortunate," before countering: "This movie costs a lot of
money to make [and] nearly as much again to promote, so we go where we
can."
That quote is about as close as we're going to get to learning the film's actual
marketing budget, given Sony Pictures International's customary
reluctance to divulge such details. It would be a grey area in any case,
since it's more difficult than usual to tell where this film's marketing begins
and ends – particularly in this year of the Bond films' golden anniversary,
when any number of external forces are collaborating to sanctify the franchise
26
27. as a great British institution. 007 practically received a knighthood in
his amiably goofy skit with the Queen in July's Olympic opening
ceremony – a stunt that may not have had Skyfall's enigmatic name
anywhere on it, but pointedly raised awareness of the agent's return to a
global audience of a billion.
Indeed, while few of Bond's brands of choice – the venerable Aston Martin
notwithstanding – are British, much of the marketing has worked towards
underlining his UK heritage. Most prominent in this regard is a joint
campaign with VisitBritain, which will be using the film to hawk British
tourism to international audiences through viral and print advertising, as well
as its first ever cinema ad, all united under the slogan "Bond is Great …
Britain."
That's hardly an incidental affiliation for a film that, unusually for latter-day
007 entries, was largely shot on home soil in the wake of budget cuts at
MGM, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010: climactic scenes may take place in
London and the Highlands, but keen-eyed Londoners will also notice the
capital doubling for Shanghai elsewhere. It may not look it, but the high-gloss,
name-heavy Skyfall came in significantly cheaper than 2008's £125m
Quantum of Solace.
The budget may be lower this time around, but the stakes are arguably higher.
With a UK gross of almost £51m and a global total of around £369m,
Quantum of Solace fell short of the numbers attained by the series' first Craigled outing, Casino Royale, in 2006. It was far from a flop, but it
disappointingly failed to build on its predecessor's gutsy brand reinvention –
except, that is, in China, where it significantly outpaced the previous film.
Industry journalist Ian Sandwell, who recently studied the film's release
strategy for trade magazine Screen International, describes the film's
Shanghai-set sequences as the film's "ace in the pack": given the vast Chinese
market's sympathy toward blockbusters with local involvement, the decision
to locate a major stretch of Skyfall's action there is no accident.
With Skyfall looking to right the ship and exceed Casino Royale's global gross,
the marketing materials haven't taken many chances, with posters chiefly
highlighting the 007 brand and not bothering to name its starrier-thanusual cast or its unusually A-list director Sam Mendes, the first Oscar-winner
to helm a Bond film. Sandwell believes this focus on fundamentals is the right
approach: "This could be a reaction to the perception of the Craig era to date,
where perhaps the grittiness might have attracted the Bourne fans, yet
alienated the Bond diehards. Skyfall's marketing has primarily been
aimed at reassuring the traditional audience that they haven't been
forgotten."
So far, Skyfall is tracking well enough to suggest that the approach has paid
off, buoyed by one factor the marketing men couldn't control: the
overwhelmingly positive reviews that greeted its first screening nearly two
weeks ago, which had some excitable journalists even predicting Oscar glory.
The Guardian's box office expert, Charles Gant, tweeted a prediction that the
film will top Casino Royale to become the highest-grossing Bond film at the
UK box office. That appears to be the expectation in the US too: the
number-crunchers at BoxOffice.com are forecasting a Stateside
gross of $216m. As it turns out, the lyrics of Adele's theme song (another
marketing coup, as the series' first chart hit in years) aren't strictly accurate:
the film's standing tall, all right, but the sky isn't falling.
27
28. Further information on product placement can be found at the following link
to the Independent newspaper’s blog at:
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/08/product-placement-in-skyfall-isnothing-to-james-bond-films/
Exhibition
In the UK, the film opened in 587 cinema screens on October 27th,
taking £20,180,369 on its opening weekend. To date (February 2013) it
has taken £200.5 million in the UK and £725 million across the world
($1.1 billion).
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK on February 18,
2013. It topped DVD sales charts in both the UK and North America in
its first week of release.
28
29. SKYFALL
–
Critics
&
Audience
responses
Audience
responses
to
Skyfall
have
been
mostly
positive,
with
the
reviews
listed
on
Rotten
Tomatoes
(289)
giving
the
film
over
8
out
of
10:
Read
and
annotate
a
selection
of
critics’
responses
below:
Skyfall
–
review,
The
Guardian,
4
stars,
Peter
Bradshaw
Judi
Dench
takes
centre
stage,
and
007
faces
a
terrifying
blond-‐off
with
Javier
Bardem,
in
a
supremely
enjoyable
50th-‐
anniversary
outing
This
is
the
seventh
time
Judi
Dench
has
played
the
enigmatic
spy-‐
chief
M.
But
it
is
only
in
this
storming
new
Bond
movie
that
her
M
has
really
been
all
that
she
could
be.
Under
the
stylish
direction
of
Sam
Mendes,
Dench's
M
is
quite
simply
the
Bond
girl
to
end
all
Bond
girls.
Watching
this,
I
thought:
of
course.
How
could
I
have
missed
it?
The
real
tension
isn't
with
Moneypenny,
but
with
the
boss
herself.
Now
M
is
an
imperious,
subtly
oedipal
intelligence-‐matriarch
with
the
double-‐O
boys
under
her
thumb.
She's
treating
them
mean.
She's
keeping
them
keen.
And
she
is
rewarded
with
passionate
loyalty,
varying
with
smouldering
resentment.
It's
a
combination
with
its
own
unspoken
eroticism,
and
it
has
also
created
the
conditions
for
one
of
the
most
memorable
Bond
villains
in
recent
times.
M
demands
more
and
more
from
her
agents,
with
less
and
less
concern
for
their
safety.
At
one
stage,
007
actually
appears
in
M's
apartment,
late
at
night,
after
a
difficult
stretch
in
the
field.
Following
a
curt
exchange,
weary
and
somewhat
hurt,
Bond
says
he
will
find
a
hotel.
"Well,
you're
not
staying
here,"
is
M's
superbly
timed
and
exquisitely
hurtful
reply.
The
50th
anniversary
of
the
big-‐screen
Bond
was
the
right
time
to
pull
off
something
big.
Skyfall
is
a
hugely
enjoyable
action
spectacular,
but
more
grounded
and
cogent
than
the
previous
and
disappointing
outing,
Quantum
of
Solace.
It
finds
the
right
position
on
the
spectrum
between
extravagance
and
realism:
what
I
think
of
as
the
imaginary
line
running
from
Bond's
invisible
car
in
Die
Another
Day
and
Peter
Guillam's
Citroën
DS
in
Tinker
Tailor
Soldier
Spy.
We
kickstart
the
movie
with
an
uproarious
chase
scene
in
Istanbul
featuring
007
and
Bond's
glamorous
colleague
Eve,
played
by
Naomie
Harris.
As
well
as
revving
up
the
film,
this
pre-‐credit
sequence,
with
its
29
30. cataclysmic
finale,
showcases
a
great
new
Bond
theme
song
from
Adele,
Basseying
those
vocals
mightily,
and
conveying
the
camp
combination
of
Bond's
machismo
and
strange
and
preposterous
vulnerability.
Daniel
Craig's
Bond
(above)
looks
older,
more
careworn,
slightly
more
jug-‐eared.
This
is
a
Bond
who
has
something
to
prove,
and
who
could
be
damaged
goods,
physically
and
even
mentally.
Even
at
his
lowest,
however,
he
is
still
capable
of
pulling
off
a
very
scary
drinking
trick
involving
a
scorpion.
But
now
he
must
face
one
of
his
tastiest
adversaries
ever
–
the
chilling
Silva,
played
by
Javier
Bardem.
Silva
makes
his
first
entrance
from
far
away,
a
virtual
dot
on
the
horizon,
giving
a
sinuous
speech
about
what
happens
when
rats
fight
each
other.
Gradually,
his
unsettling
face
comes
into
focus
–
quite
a
visual
coup
from
Mendes
and
his
cinematographer,
Roger
Deakins.
Silva
is
intensely
blond,
in
both
his
hair
and
eyebrows,
a
Nordic-‐baddie
effect
that
is
weirdly
complemented
or
counteracted
by
his
Spanish
accent.
He
has
a
very
funny,
sinister
habit
of
wincing
and
tsk-‐ing
with
an
aesthete's
disdain,
when
007
insists
on
foiling
his
plans.
Various
pundits
have
compared
Bardem's
appearance
in
Skyfall
to
Julian
Assange
and
Jimmy
Savile.
For
me,
he
looks
like
a
malign
James
Hunt,
or
a
psychopathic,
shorter-‐haired
version
of
bluesman
Johnny
Winter.
But
the
point
is
that
Bond
has
the
same
hair
colour.
This
is
a
blond-‐on-‐blond
faceoff,
and
both
Craig's
007
and
Bardem's
villain
look
like
the
21st-‐century
descendants
of
Robert
Shaw's
peroxide
Spectre
baddie
Grant
in
From
Russia
with
Love.
Silva
is
cut
from
the
same
cloth
as
007
in
many
ways,
and
they
have
an
emotional
backstory
with
M.
Yet
despite
the
apparently
new
hi-‐tech
dimension
promised
by
Silva's
evil
skills
in
cyber-‐terrorism
and
computer
hacking,
this
is
not
a
futuristic
Bond.
More
like
back
to
basics,
and
I'm
not
sure
Mendes
is
particularly
inspired
by
Christopher
Nolan's
Dark
Knight
movies.
The
scene
in
which
007
steps
suavely
into
the
shower
with
delectable
Sévérine
(Bérénice
Marlohe)
could
have
happened
at
any
time
in
the
last
half-‐century.
As
with
all
Bond
movies,
you
will
need
a
sense
of
humour
to
go
with
the
flow,
and
the
flow
does
not
involve
a
plot
in
the
boringly
normal
sense
of
the
word:
more
the
impressionistic
effect
of
scenes
and
moments
and
performances
–
and
an
entertaining
one
comes
from
Ben
Whishaw
as
the
gadgetmeister,
Q.
In
recent
years,
Bond
fans
have
had
to
tolerate
some
appalling
product
placements:
fortunately,
Bond's
one
appearance
with
a
certain
type
of
lager
here
is
with
his
hand
firmly
over
the
logo.
The
biggest
commercial
branding
is,
I
suspect,
for
a
country,
China:
there
are
massive
setpieces
in
Shanghai
and
Macau,
and
as
with
the
recent
sci-‐fi
thriller
Looper,
a
shrewd
financial
consideration
may
have
been
involved.
But
what
a
rush!
From
the
opening
in
Istanbul
to
the
final
siege
shootout
in
the
Scottish
Highlands,
this
film
is
a
supremely
enjoyable
and
even
sentimental
spectacle,
giving
us
an
attractively
human
(though
never
humane)
Bond.
Despite
the
title,
he
is
a
hero
who
just
keeps
on
defying
gravity.
30
31.
The
Sun:
The
coolest
James
Bond
film
yet
Skyfall:
First
review
IT’S
20
mins
into
Skyfall
and
James
Bond
is
floating
lifeless
in
the
water
having
been
shot
by
a
sniper.
Well,
that’s
not
much
good,
is
it?
Our
hero
bumped
off
just
a
week
after
celebrating
half
a
decade
of
making
movies.
Perhaps
the
film
should
be
called
shortfall.
Ah,
but
wait
a
minute,
didn’t
old
007
die
in
You
Only
Live
Twice
and
From
Russia
With
Love
before
revealing
he’d
cheated
death?
My
advice
is
to
stick
around
and
see
if
Bond
does
the
same
trick
again,
because
this
is
probably
the
coolest
007
movie
yet.
British
director
Sam
Mendes
knows
what
has
made
Britain
great
since
the
first
Bond
film
came
out
in
1962
and
that
is
being
cool.
This
film
is
stylish,
witty
and
a
class
above
the
competition.
It’s
also
irreverent
about
its
past.
Daniel
Craig
again
proves
himself
to
be
a
great
Bond.
When
he
takes
on
burly
henchman
you
really
believe
he
has
both
the
brains
and
brawn
to
win.
And
that
he
has
the
energy
to
get
through
all
the
explosions,
chases
and
brutal
punches
which
will
leave
audiences
breathless.
Joining
Craig
in
Skyfall
is
the
most
impressive
set
of
actors
and
actresses
ever
assembled
in
one
Bond
film.
National
treasure
Dame
Judi
Dench
puts
in
her
best
performance
as
MI6
boss
M,
whose
past
comes
back
to
haunt
her.
The
brilliant
Ralph
Fiennes
appears
as
the
meddling
Mallory,
a
man
who
regulates
our
secret
service.
Oscar
winner
Javier
Bardem
is
wonderfully
camp
as
baddie
Raoul
Silva
and
again
has
a
very
scary
haircut.
The
underrated
Naomie
Harris
holds
her
own
as
Bond’s
secret
agent
sidekick
Eve,
adding
charm
and
looking
dangerous.
While
the
all
too
briefly
appearing
Berenice
Marlohe
has
all
the
attributes
of
a
classic
Bond
girl
—
Severine
is
a
mysterious
character,
but
when
you
look
at
Berenice
there
is
no
mystery
as
to
why
she
was
cast.
Bond
traditionalists
will
be
disappointed
with
the
return
of
the
gadget
master
Q,
while
Ben
Whishaw
is
funny
he
doesn’t
give
Bond
much
to
play
with.
As
he
says
“What
were
you
expecting,
an
exploding
pen?
We
don’t
do
that
these
days.”
But
what
they
still
do
is
a
fabulous
derelict
baddie
lair
and
top
plot
turns
and
stunning
action.
Like
a
certain
beer,
which
I
won’t
identify
because
its
an
expensive
piece
of
product
placement
to
have
James
drinking
it
in
Skyfall,
Bond
refreshes
the
parts
other
spy
movies
can’t
reach.
31
32.
Review:
Bond
is
better
than
ever
in
`Skyfall’
By CHRISTY LEMIRE
To
borrow
a
line
from
Depeche
Mode,
death
is
everywhere
in
"Skyfall."
James
Bond's
mortality
has
never
been
in
such
prominent
focus,
but
the
demise
of
the
entire
British
spy
game
as
we
know
it
seems
imminent,
as
well.
Still,
this
23rd
entry
in
the
enduring
James
Bond
franchise
is
no
downer.
Far
from
it:
simultaneously
thrilling
and
meaty,
this
is
easily
one
of
the
best
entries
ever
in
the
50-‐year,
23-‐film
series,
led
once
again
by
an
actor
who's
the
best
Bond
yet
in
Daniel
Craig.
So
many
of
the
elements
you
want
to
see
in
a
Bond
film
exist
here:
the
car,
the
tuxedo,
the
martini,
the
exotic
locations
filled
with
gorgeous
women.
Adele's
smoky,
smoldering
theme
song
over
the
titles
harkens
to
the
classic
007
tales
of
the
1960s,
even
as
the
film's
central
threat
of
cyberterrorism,
perpetrated
by
an
elusive
figure
who's
seemingly
everywhere
and
can't
be
pinned
down,
couldn't
be
more
relevant.
And
yet
"Skyfall"
seems
like
it
could
stand
on
its
own
perhaps
more
than
most
Bond
movies.
In
the
hands
of
director
Sam
Mendes,
it
almost
feels
like
a
reinvention;
he
has
said
making
"Skyfall"
left
him
"knackered,"
but
audiences
will
leave
feeling
invigorated.
And
with
Mendes
collaborating
once
again
with
the
great
cinematographer
Roger
Deakins,
it's
definitely
the
most
gorgeous.
Deakins,
who
also
shot
Mendes'
"Jarhead"
and
"Revolutionary
Road,"
provides
a
varied
array
of
looks,
all
of
them
dazzling.
The
MI6
headquarters,
which
must
be
moved
to
a
hidden
underground
location
following
a
vicious
attack,
have
a
crisp
and
stylish
industrial-‐loft
chic
about
them.
The
rugged
hills
of
Scotland,
where
the
final
battle
occurs
at
Bond's
ancestral
home,
are
both
wondrous
and
imposing;
by
this
point
in
the
film,
"Skyfall"
extends
beyond
the
familiar
confines
of
a
spy
thriller
and
becomes
a
flat-‐out
Western.
It's
a
bold
move.
But
the
most
beautiful
sequence
of
all
plays
out
in
an
empty
office
space
in
a
Shanghai
skyscraper:
a
mesmerizing
mix
of
cool
glass
surfaces,
delicate
projected
images
and
bold
color,
reminiscent
of
the
lush
hues
in
Mendes'
"Road
to
Perdition."
Within
this
precise
setting,
Mendes
knows
well
enough
to
let
the
hand-‐to-‐hand
combat
between
Bond
and
a
sniper
unfold
without
the
kind
of
needless
edits
that
unfortunately
have
become
so
popular
in
action
films
these
days.
Bond
being
Bond,
he
can
still
get
himself
out
of
any
dangerous
situation;
the
opening
chase,
which
begins
in
Istanbul's
Grand
Bazaar
and
ends
in
impossibly
daring
fashion
on
top
of
a
hurtling
train,
is
a
marvel
of
timing
and
choreography.
Conversely,
he
can
also
talk
himself
into
situation,
as
he
does
when
he
seduces
the
beautiful
and
dangerous
Severine
(Berenice
Marlohe)
after
meeting
her
in
a
Macau
casino.
32
33. But
Bond's
vulnerability
_
dare
we
say,
his
weakness
at
times
_
makes
him
a
much
more
complicated
and
captivating
figure.
He's
not
always
totally
smooth
and
slick.
The
work
is
taking
a
physical
and
psychological
toll.
Muscular
and
sexy
as
Craig
is,
he
looks
beat-‐up
and
worn-‐out
here,
which
adds
what
feels
like
an
unprecedented
sense
of
depth
to
a
character
we
thought
we'd
known
so
well
for
so
long.
Three
films
into
the
series
and
Craig
owns
this
iconic
role
by
now,
with
his
stoic
cool
and
willingness
to
explore
a
dark
side.
This
time,
James
Bond
must
try
and
protect
his
no-‐nonsense
boss,
M,
from
what
feels
like
a
very
personal
attack,
even
as
it
seems
that
she
may
not
necessarily
be
protecting
him
in
return.
The
always
whip-‐smart
and
dignified
Judi
Dench
gets
to
explore
her
character's
hidden
fears
in
the
script
from
Neal
Purvis
&
Robert
Wade
and
John
Logan,
which
adds
some
unexpected
and
welcome
layers
to
her
performance,
as
well.
Ralph
Fiennes,
as
M's
new
superior,
questions
her
ability
to
lead
this
aging
behemoth
of
an
agency
in
an
increasingly
unstable
environment;
at
the
same
time,
Ben
Whishaw
provides
some
welcome,
subtle
humor
as
young
gadget
guru
Q,
whose
modern-‐day
specialty
is
computer
hacking.
And
then
there
is
Javier
Bardem,
who
pretty
much
steals
this
entire
movie
away
from
these
esteemed
and
formidable
actors.
He
is,
totally
unsurprisingly,
tremendous
as
the
villainous
Silva,
the
former
MI6
agent
getting
his
revenge
against
this
staid,
old-‐fashioned
organization
in
high-‐
tech,
ultra-‐efficient
ways
that
make
him
seem
unstoppable.
Like
so
many
Bond
bad
guys,
he
wants
world
domination
through
orchestrated
chaos.
But
he
approaches
the
role
with
a
mix
of
effeminate
flamboyance
and
cold-‐
blooded
menace.
He's
hilarious
and
terrifying
_
and
that's
just
in
the
beautifully
shot
monologue
in
which
he
introduces
himself
with
touches
of
The
Joker
in
"The
Dark
Knight"
and
Bardem's
own
Anton
Chigurh
in
"No
Country
for
Old
Men."
Ultimately,
the
reports
of
James
Bond's
death
are
greatly
exaggerated.
Fifty
years
later,
nobody
does
it
better.
"Skyfall,"
a
Columbia
Pictures
release,
is
rated
PG-‐13
for
intense
violent
sequences
throughout,
some
sexuality,
language
and
smoking.
Running
time:
143
minutes.
Four
stars
out
of
four.
Skyfall
BY
ROGER
EBERT
/
November
7,
2012
In
this
50th
year
of
the
James
Bond
series,
with
the
dismal
"Quantum
of
Solace"
(2008)
still
in
our
minds,
"Skyfall"
triumphantly
reinvents
007
in
one
of
the
best
Bonds
ever.
This
is
a
full-‐blooded,
joyous,
intelligent
celebration
of
a
beloved
cultural
icon,
with
Daniel
Craig
taking
full
possession
of
a
role
he
earlier
played
well
in
"Casino
Royale,"
not
so
well
in
"Quantum"
-‐-‐
although
it
may
not
have
been
entirely
his
fault.
Or
is
it
just
that
he's
growing
on
me?
I
don't
know
what
I
expected.
I
don't
know
what
I
expected
in
Bond
No.
23,
but
certainly
not
an
experience
this
invigorating.
33
34. The
movie's
innovations
begin
in
its
first
shots,
which
abandon
the
familiar
stalking
silhouettes
in
the
iris
lens,
and
hit
the
ground
running.
Bond
and
another
agent
are
in
Istanbul,
chasing
a
man
who
has
stolen
a
crucial
hard
drive,
and
after
a
chase
through
city
streets
(involving
no
less
than
three
Fruit
Cart
Scenes),
007
is
running
on
top
of
a
train.
We
know
from
earlier
films
that
Bond
can
operate
almost
anything,
but
"Skyfall"
incredibly
has
him
commandeer
a
giant
Caterpillar
and
continue
the
chase
by
crushing
a
flatcar
filled
with
VW
Beetles.
It's
the
kind
of
absurd
stunt
we
expect
in
a
Bond
movie,
but
this
one
relies
on
something
unexpected:
a
dead-‐serious
M
(Judi
Dench),
following
the
action
from
MI6
in
London
and
making
a
fateful
decision.
After
an
enemy
agent
grabs
Bond
as
a
human
shield,
M's
other
agent,
Eve
(Naomie
Harris),
has
both
men
in
her
gun
sights.
The
stakes
are
very
high.
"Take
the
shot!"
M
commands.
Bond
seems
to
die,
although
since
this
happens
around
the
20-‐minute
mark,
we're
not
very
surprised
that
he
doesn't.
M
begins
to
compose
the
obituary
of
Commander
James
Bond,
and
she
might
as
well
also
be
writing
her
own.
Time
has
passed
her
by,
she's
older,
and
her
new
boss,
Mallory
(Ralph
Fiennes),
convenes
a
public
(!)
hearing
requiring
her
to
defend
her
tenure.
It's
time
for
a
generation
to
be
put
out
to
pasture.
Even
Q
and,
as
it
turns
out,
Miss
Moneypenny
are
practically
kids.
M
is
not
quite
ready
to
retire,
and
"Skyfall"
at
last
provides
a
role
worthy
of
Judi
Dench,
one
of
the
best
actors
of
her
generation.
She
is
all
but
the
co-‐
star
of
the
film,
with
a
lot
of
screen
time,
poignant
dialogue,
and
a
character
who
is
far
more
complex
and
sympathetic
than
we
expect
in
this
series.
The
film
is
guided
by
a
considerable
director
(Sam
Mendes),
written
by
the
heavyweights
Neal
Purvis,
Robert
Wade
and
John
Logan,
and
delivers
not
only
a
terrific
Bond
but
a
terrific
movie,
period.
If
you
haven't
seen
a
007
for
years,
this
is
the
time
to
jump
back
in.
There's
a
theory
that
you
can
grade
the
Bonds
on
the
quality
of
their
villains.
In
"Skyfall,"
this
is
a
cerebral
megalomanic
named
Silva,
played
by
Javier
Bardem,
whose
unpronounceable
Anton
Chigurh
in
"No
Country
for
Old
Men"
approached
the
high-‐water
mark
of
Hannibal
Lecter.
Here
he
plays
a
bleached
blond
computer
whiz
who
stole
the
drive
containing
the
guarded
identities
of
every
MI6
agent.
Are
we
supposed
to
think
of
Julian
Assange?
This
is
a
brand-‐new
Bond
with
love
and
respect
for
the
old
Bond.
This
is
dramatized
during
Bond's
visit
to
the
weathered
Scottish
mansion
inhabited
by
Kincade
(Albert
Finney),
which
has
secrets
to
divulge
and
continues
the
movie's
rewriting
of
the
character's
back
story.
During
the
early
Bonds,
did
we
ever
even
ask
ourselves
about
007's
origins
in
life?
"Skyfall"
even
produces
a
moment
designed
to
inspire
love
in
Bond
fans:
a
reappearance
of
the
Aston
Martin
DB5
from
"Goldfinger,"
which
remains
in
good
operating
condition.
34
35. Critics’
Just
as
Christopher
Nolan
gave
rebirth
to
the
Batman
movies
in
"The
Dark
responses
Knight,"
here
is
James
Bond
lifted
up,
dusted
off,
set
back
on
his
feet
and
ready
for
another
50
years.
And
am
I
completely
misguided
when
I
expect
to
see
Miss
Moneypenny
become
a
Bond
girl
in
the
next
film?
Below
create
a
spider-‐diagram
of
the
best
quotes
you
could
use
in
an
essay
about
audience
appeal
or
response
(from
the
critics):
35
37. Classification of Skyfall in the UK (from the BBFC)
SKYFALL is the latest film in the James Bond series, starring Daniel Craig as agent 007. This time Bond
is called into action to prevent the identities of secret agents around the world being made public. The
film is rated 12A for moderate action violence and one use of strong language.
The moderate action violence includes several fight scenes, shoot-outs and chases. There are rapid
exchanges of punches and other blows, without any focus on injury, and when characters are shot there
is little clear detail of blood or injury. In some scenes, there is sight of bloodied clothing and faces as a
result of violence, but there is no dwelling on either the injuries inflicted or the suffering of the victims. In
one scene, a man cuts into his own chest to extract fragments of a bullet and then washes his bloody
hands.
SKYFALL contains a single use of strong language, which is uttered when a character states they have
"f**ked up". The use is resigned rather than aggressive and is not directed at another person. There is
37
38. also some moderate and mild bad language, including uses of 'bitch', 'bloody', 'buggered', 'shit', 'hell',
'damned', 'Christ' and 'God'.
There are some brief mild sex sequences. In one scene, a man and a woman kiss passionately as they
stand in a shower. However, there is no sight of nudity. The opening title sequence includes the usual
implied nudity, involving stylised silhouette figures of naked women.
Smoking occurs shown in one scene, as a woman smokes a cigarette whilst talking to a man in a club.
However, Bond himself does not smoke
SKYFALL includes a sequence in which a villain triggers an explosion underneath a London
Underground line, which causes a tube train to derail. The carriages of the train are empty and there is
no indication of any passengers. There is no sight of what happens to the driver.
No-one younger than 12 may see a '12A' film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult. No-one
younger than 12 may rent or buy a '12' rated video or DVD. Responsibility for allowing under-12s to view
lies with the accompanying or supervising adult.
Appendix A
For 50 years, James Bond's womanising has been central to the film character's
appeal. How does his sex life compare with an average man, and is it healthy?
His chat-up lines err towards the rubbish.
"That's quite a nice little nothing you're almost wearing. I approve."
"Detente can be beautiful."
"Well, as long as the collars and cuffs match."
38
39. A typical man deploying these bon mots while seeking female companionship might
worry about having his facial features, as well as his cocktail order, shaken, not stirred.
But not James Bond. For all his 1950s attitudes, wince-inducing "jokes" and
unapologetic sexism, agent 007 exists in a world where the usual laws of romantic gravity do
not apply.
Wherever he goes, the world's most famous secret agent only has to raise an eyebrow
to summon an endless array of glamorous, available women
with names like Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder and Xenia
Onatopp.
It's a pattern of behaviour that, to say the least, does
not tally with most of Bond's countrymen.
The Health Survey for England, published in 2011,
found that men reported a mean average of 9.3 female sexualAnti-feminist icon?
The Bond Girl:
partners in their lifetime.
The Bond Girl will always be, to some
degree, the archetype of an early 1960s
By contrast, Bond - vaguely placed in Ian Fleming's
ideal - a submissive object of affection.
novels somewhere in his late 30s, though he has been active
She was naive (Honey Ryder), misguided
on-screen since 1962's Dr No - can boast (and boast he
surely would) a somewhat higher figure.
(Pussy Galore), trapped (Domino) and
emotionally disturbed (Tracy di Vicenzo).
Measuring it is not an exact science. Bond was her saviour, offering
For all their
enlightenment via sexual conquest.
suggestiveness, Bond films are hardly explicit in their
depiction of sex. The most the viewer ever gets is usuallylate 60s and early 70s, she
Even by the
was hardly a role model. Any "strong"
female characters, such as Helga Brandt
A 2009 study of the film series by a (1969) are predatory, unattractive and a
team of
threat. It is best to eliminate them by
academics for the journal Sex Roles found he had enjoyed into water, the franchise
throwing them
instructs.
Bond waking up next to a woman.
"strong" sexual contact with 46 women and "mild"
encounters, such as kissing, with a further 52Then, inthe first 70s, enter Anya Amasova
during the late
(1977) and Dr Holly Goodhead (1979) - the
20 instalments in the Eon Productions Bond first modern conceptions of Bond Girl
series, up until
"equality". But even these post-feminist
characters remain Bond Girls, limited by a
1960s plot
Factor in the subsequent Casino Royale and formula.
2002's Die Another Day.
Quantum of Solace movies and the "strong" She has become more independent and
figure rises by at
least two. And it's reasonable to surmise thatplausible, but the Bond Girl is still there
in the
largely to participate - willingly or not - in
forthcoming Skyfall his behaviour continuesthe chase with our hero.
unabated.
It's an unreal world, in which a series oflong as it remains human nature to
As attractive
pursue romantic
women essentially revolve around and invariably succumb to interests, we will remain
the charms of the hero.
captivated by the Bond Girl.
By Robert A Caplen, author of the book
Of course, defenders of the series insist its entire Stirred: The feminism of
Shaken and
James Bond
basis is as a modern fantasy - and suspension of disbelief is
required during the sex scenes just as much as it is for the
fights, car chases, gadgets and super-villains.
39
40. Even under this generous reading, the huge and enduring popularity of the 007 sexual
mythology from the pre-feminist 1950s to the present day is striking.
"At his core he remains the same as he was when Ian Fleming started writing - he's
sexist, he's misogynist," says Christoph Lindner, professor of media and culture at the
University of Amsterdam and author of The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader.
"It's the same appeal as a series like Mad Men - it's a guilty pleasure. You can
immerse yourself in something you know is wrong."
Bond's producers themselves appear to have acknowledged this. In 1995's Goldeneye,
Pierce Brosnan's 007 debut, Judy Dench's M chides her agent as a "sexist, misogynist
dinosaur".
But just like the Austin Powers parodies, such knowingness recognises that Bond is
essentially a product of the early days of mass consumerism.
To Fleming's target audience, emerging from both post-war austerity and traditional
codes of morality, womanising was just another aspirational activity like driving fast cars and
sipping cocktails.
For Bond fans, this persists despite - or perhaps because of - the arrival of a post-Aids
environment in which the dangers of promiscuity are widely recognised.
The series tends not to dwell on its protagonist's use or otherwise of contraception.
Even after the HIV era dawned in the 1980s, there was nothing to indicate that their
promiscuous hero was engaging in safe sex.
Of course, that's something that's common across the whole of Hollywood. You
rarely see characters reaching for a condom in a mainstream film.
The defenders of the silver screen might point out that you also don't see characters
going to the toilet or remembering to lock their car door. It's one of the consequences of the
escapism of Hollywood.
Any suggestion that film producers have any level of social responsibility is a
controversial one.
But contemporaries of a real-life 007 would have cause to worry about the state of his
sexual health.
"The likelihood of James Bond having chlamydia is extremely high," says Dr Sarah
Jarvis, a general practitioner and regular guest on the BBC's The One Show. "If he came to
my clinic I would definitely advise him to have an STI test."
A concerned friend might worry about his mental condition, too.
While a string of temporary sexual encounters might appear glamorous on celluloid,
in contemporary reality this fear of commitment and resistance to emotional intimacy might
trigger worry in a normal social circle.
According to clinical psychologist Oliver James, Bond displays a classic triadic
personality based on the three pillars of psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism.
"People with that collection of traits do tend to be sexually promiscuous," says James.
40
41. Such characters can be charming and charismatic, James adds, attracting the
admiration of men as well as the affection of women.
Ultimately it is the conventions of the series rather than the character's emotional
shortcomings that keep him alone.
When Bond marries in 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service, his bride is
mercilessly gunned down.
And when 37 years later, in Daniel Craig's incarnation, he falls in love again, the
object of his affections betrays him and drowns.
"He can have something closer to an emotional relationship but the Bond format can't
allow that to endure," says Lindner.
What use, after all, would be a monogamous, committed, psychologically secure
007?
For 50 years, movie audiences have demanded their hero be a particular type of
sexually promiscuous loner. His name's Bond, James Bond.
41
