Mr White: How Camp was his speech

A7ce

Proper Pantomime stylee with all that laughing, smiling, wheezing.

Or was he confident in the den of 6 cos he had a man on standby.

Agent Wade

"I'll get you next time, Gadget! NEXT TIME!!!"

Loeffelholz

I thought it was effective because it was so different than the Mr. White we'd seen in CR. Regardless of whether he's putting up a front to bluff M and Bond---or if he's genuinely amused by MI6's cluelessness---I found it chilling.

Camp is having an Indian fakir telling someone Bond has just thrown onto his bed of (obviously) rubber nails: "Get off my bed!"

Hardyboy

Camp is Wint and Kidd (and Blofeld in drag). I thought White's laughter showed all the contempt he has for British Intelligence--as well as his confidence that he's about to get out of that scrape.

Gassy Man

Not camp because there was nothing intentionally exaggerated for comic effect, but tonally it seemed wrong. White never cracked a smile in Casino Royale, and with those wide set eyes and a slit for a mouth seemed frighteningly cold and reptilian. Yet, he laughed and wheezed like somebody's grandpa. The tone would have been better if he had simply conjured up the faintest of smiles and said almost matter-of-factly that MI:6 and others had no idea of Quantum's existence -- more like Dr. No, in other words. He was eminently more effective in the opera scene.

superado

Gassy Man wrote:

Not camp because there was nothing intentionally exaggerated for comic effect, but tonally it seemed wrong. White never cracked a smile in Casino Royale, and with those wide set eyes and a slit for a mouth seemed frighteningly cold and reptilian. Yet, he laughed and wheezed like somebody's grandpa. The tone would have been better if he had simply conjured up the faintest of smiles and said almost matter-of-factly that MI:6 and others had no idea of Quantum's existence -- more like Dr. No, in other words. He was eminently more effective in the opera scene.

Ditto, Mr. White was more like the drunk uncle the corner pub asked you to pick up and not the sinister operator we saw in CR.

schaduwoog

I thought his speech was very effective. Only regret of this scene is that it is too short. I thought this was a very cool scene because Bond and M are so 'little' compared to the 'big' Mr White.

sharpshooter

I didn't find Mr. White's speech camp at all. I enjoyed it very much. Chilling and exuding supreme confidence under pressure. That laugh is unsettling too.

A7ce

Gassy Man wrote:

Yet, he laughed and wheezed like somebody's grandpa. .

LOL


Just as someone else pointed out White was back to his usual tight lipped self in the Opera scene - much like he was in CR - but in the interrogation scene he seemed to lose it - alomost pantomime like - short of saying ' we have a man here - he's behind you'.

HowardB

We should not forget Mr. White was shot in the leg and in the trunk (boot) of the Aston Martin during the chase...that all might cause a little wheezing, etc. I thought the scene was well done. No problem with White's dialog, I liked his arrogance and superior attitude which were tempered or masked by his "friendly old uncle delivery". Some very evil men have had engaging personalities, it helps them gain influence and power. The change from quiet to more vocal are just more dimensions to an interesting, potentially complex charactor who hopefully will return with a larger role.

Bella_doc

Gassy Man wrote:

Not camp because there was nothing intentionally exaggerated for comic effect, but tonally it seemed wrong. White never cracked a smile in Casino Royale, and with those wide set eyes and a slit for a mouth seemed frighteningly cold and reptilian. Yet, he laughed and wheezed like somebody's grandpa. The tone would have been better if he had simply conjured up the faintest of smiles and said almost matter-of-factly that MI:6 and others had no idea of Quantum's existence -- more like Dr. No, in other words. He was eminently more effective in the opera scene.

So true. One would think getting shot in the knee would make him even less talkative than usual. That's why his laugh seemed so jarring, in addition to going on for a bit too long. Unless he planned to get kidnapped and escape by hobbling away, Mitchell being there was just luck.

youknowmyname

I don't think it was camp...not at all. In fact, the end caught me so off guard, I definitely did not see that coming! It was great stuff and a good kick off to a high pace action Bond film.

Asp9mm

Nothing camp about that at all. In the midst of his pain and disorientation following his leg being shot and DBS ride, I found it quite effectively sinister. Far too confident for a lacky Bond villain of past. I sincerely hope he returns.

superado

Just watched the opening scenes of CR with Mr. White in it. I suppose his old flatulent uncle demeanor in QoS contradicts the ruthless "old" enforcer type he seemed like in CR, kind of like the white haired villain in "Bullet" and also how I envision an older literary Bond would be like.

c_a_r_t_e_r_3_5

Regardless of whether the tone works within the scene, it was a fantastic piece of acting by Jesper Christensen.

Colonel Shatner

Mr. White gloating and chuckling was not unlike Bond chuckling when he got beaten in the balls by Le Chiffre. I liked it. And he was in a unusually cheery mood because the Quantum plant was with him to bail him out.

Mister Biswas

Hello. I am in Japan, where the movie does not open until January. But, I have a question about Mr. White and his character.

Ever since the end of CR, I always envisioned the film series to go the route of SMERSH/SPECTRE. And I suppose that the series is indeed going along this path with QUANTUM.

As SPECTRE had its Blofeld, I anticipated that the Craig films would slowly peel away at the layers until finally revealing the "New No. 1 Baddie". I remember the old theories about Al Pacino or some big timer filling in those shoes.
But, hearing about Mr. White and his role, my feeling is that it is MR WHITE who is becoming the new BLOFELD in a way. He is the villain who is the "face" of this new phantom organization. He is the one who seems to know more than most people. He has a hand at some of the higherup decision making (or at least he seems to).

But again, this is all conjecture, especially since I haven't seen QoS. For those tho have, what do you think?

Mister Biswas

Hello. I am in Japan, where the movie does not open until January. But, I have a question about Mr. White and his character.

Ever since the end of CR, I always envisioned the film series to go the route of SMERSH/SPECTRE. And I suppose that the series is indeed going along this path with QUANTUM.

As SPECTRE had its Blofeld, I anticipated that the Craig films would slowly peel away at the layers until finally revealing the "New No. 1 Baddie". I remember the old theories about Al Pacino or some big timer filling in those shoes.
But, hearing about Mr. White and his role, my feeling is that it is MR WHITE who is becoming the new BLOFELD in a way. He is the villain who is the "face" of this new phantom organization. He is the one who seems to know more than most people. He has a hand at some of the higherup decision making (or at least he seems to).

But again, this is all conjecture, especially since I haven't seen QoS. That being said, is Mr. White on his way to becoming Craig's Blofeld?

Gassy Man

It's an interesting theory, Mr. Biswas, and it did occur to me at some point that his role as an underling might be a feint -- you haven't seen the film yet, but his behavior at the opera may suggest he is more in control than the rest of the Quantum organization's people. While hiding in plain sight is a nifty way to avoid being targetted, I almost want someone more mysterious and threatening. I like the idea of Quantum being something of a foul and poisonous onion that just keeps getting worse the closer to the center everyone in the world gets -- that means that the next character and the actor playing him or her will need to be exactly the sort to make us believe there is a monster at the heart of the organization. That is something that I think Fleming would especially be proud of were he to see the films of his often macabre and grotesque fantasies.