PTS Questions

superado

I don't think there's a Bond movie that hasn't confused me in some form with the plot and that includes SF. After Bond is shot in the PTS, how does he survive, exactly? I know some of the "truth" is somehow featured in the title sequence, but in it we see an unconscious Bond sinking in the depths only to be rescued by a water nymph. Also, when he returns and M asks, "Where the hell have you been?" ...did she know with certainty that Bond did not die? Thank you in advance, all.

Mr Beech

superado wrote:

I don't think there's a Bond movie that hasn't confused me in some form with the plot and that includes SF. After Bond is shot in the PTS, how does he survive, exactly? I know some of the "truth" is somehow featured in the title sequence, but in it we see an unconscious Bond sinking in the depths only to be rescued by a water nymph. Also, when he returns and M asks, "Where the hell have you been?" ...did she know with certainty that Bond did not die? Thank you in advance, all.

I assume since they never recovered a body and it wasn't a confirmed kill, she was being rational with the thought that he may be alive despite the procedures of MI6. And since they just recently got to selling off his stuff, it wasn't as if they were ever sure that he died, they just had timing procedures that meant Bond was still a current case for them.

As for surviving, there isn't a clear view of the wound or a consensus on the shooting point and how damaging it was. Potentially, however, he went unconscious briefly as he entered the river and woke up to swim to safety. The length of time in the transition to the title sequence seemed a bit stylized with how far he sank, leading me to assume he ended up near the banks or a swimmer soon after he entered the water, but before he could be reached by MI6.

HowardB

Suspension of disbelief and good old movie magic. He probably wouldn't have survived the fall much less with a couple of nasty wounds.

Mr Beech

HowardB wrote:

Suspension of disbelief and good old movie magic. He probably wouldn't have survived the fall much less with a couple of nasty wounds.

That's important, too. It was a high bridge and a tough landing for someone with two wounds.

Asp9mm

You can clearly see where Eve's bullet creased his shoulder up to the neck when he pops his pill and looks in the mirror. It's quite a long scar.

Charmed & Dangerous

superado wrote:

I don't think there's a Bond movie that hasn't confused me in some form with the plot and that includes SF. After Bond is shot in the PTS, how does he survive, exactly? I know some of the "truth" is somehow featured in the title sequence, but in it we see an unconscious Bond sinking in the depths only to be rescued by a water nymph. Also, when he returns and M asks, "Where the hell have you been?" ...did she know with certainty that Bond did not die? Thank you in advance, all.

The water nymph is just part of the title sequence so isn't meant to be taken literally - I'm sure you knew that already. 8-) I think it alludes to Bond's death.

And when M sees Bond alive, her first reaction would be to ask where he'd been - he's standing in front of her so she can see he didn't die, therefore she would naturally ask where he'd disappeared to... She must have guessed too that if his body wasn't recovered, there was always a chance he was still alive.

Napoleon Plural

This reminds me of a brilliant post on imdb where someone complains about how SF requires you not to be spoonfed and how you have to use your imagination. He said, great, next time I'll avoid paying 15 bucks and instead just imagine I'm watching the best Bond movie ever! )

superado

Napoleon Plural wrote:

This reminds me of a brilliant post on imdb where someone complains about how SF requires you not to be spoonfed and how you have to use your imagination. He said, great, next time I'll avoid paying 15 bucks and instead just imagine I'm watching the best Bond movie ever! )

Brilliant, shifting the burden over to the viewers when they spot plotholes or ambiguities.

Hoagie

superado wrote:

I don't think there's a Bond movie that hasn't confused me in some form with the plot and that includes SF. After Bond is shot in the PTS, how does he survive, exactly? I know some of the "truth" is somehow featured in the title sequence, but in it we see an unconscious Bond sinking in the depths only to be rescued by a water nymph. Also, when he returns and M asks, "Where the hell have you been?" ...did she know with certainty that Bond did not die? Thank you in advance, all.

He's James 'ruddy' Bond! That's how he survived! The same man that can flip a car 360 degrees over a broken bridge, the same man who can pull a wheelie in an Artic, (I won't mention being able to fly a space shuttle...Oh I just did), the same man that can jump off a cliff on one ski and open up a union Jack parachute!

He's James Bond.

Napoleon Plural

Yeah, stop his heart at will then start it up again.

He's a right David Blaine...

Hoagie

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Yeah, stop his heart at will then start it up again.

He's a right David Blaine...

Yeah and that! I forgot about that! )

superado

Thanks again everyone for all your input. So I didn't really miss anything but yet I still managed to miss something , which is, the logical leap of that whole episode that wasn't explicit but implied. I can also assume that the bed buddy Bond's with at his beach hut is the girl who rescued him, being the water nymph in the title sequence? Believe it or not, guys, when I saw SF at the theater, because of M's "where the hell have you been?" statement I actually thought Bond getting shot by Eve was all an elaborate set-up like YOLT, to give Bond some anonymity to go deeper in that case involving the Mission Impossible NOC list Nonetheless, I think they should have added a little bit more material to fairly explain for those gaps.

DISCLAIMER: I do not think it was Craig's fault, nor any of my acquaintences and family members think that.

Blackleiter

If it makes you feel any better, I thought the same thing!

superado wrote:

Believe it or not, guys, when I saw SF at the theater, because of M's "where the hell have you been?" statement I actually thought Bond getting shot by Eve was all an elaborate set-up like YOLT, to give Bond some anonymity to go deeper in that case involving the Mission Impossible NOC list

CmdrAtticus

Mr Beech wrote:

HowardB wrote:

Suspension of disbelief and good old movie magic. He probably wouldn't have survived the fall much less with a couple of nasty wounds.

That's important, too. It was a high bridge and a tough landing for someone with two wounds.

Spot on. He would have turned to jelly on impact (real people do from that height) and even if he had not, he would have drowned. Of course they got around that by slipping into the great opening credits. By the time they are over and the rest of the scenes with M in London go by and the attack on MI6 HQ, the writers conveniently push the audience's awareness of Bond's improbable survival further away, then still further when Mallory says to M several months had passed since the incident. What still bothers me is why would Silva wait that long to carry out his revenge and how could Bond get back in shape in such a short time in order to go after Silva? I know, I know - Bond doesn't pass any of his tests. Still, I found it a little of a stretch to think he could rebound that quickly after months of abusing his body and brain. As others would say - it's a movie, it IS Bond, and that artistic license covers a lot of holes.