a swan song would imply that he really was too old to be doing this anymore. The point was that he wasn't and that he still has relevance in this time. As you can see at the last scene, in Mallory's office, a new painting (of the broken down war ship) is now a new batallion ready for battle. So he proves he is just getting started.
Top all that off with the theme of the movie, which was not getting older, but 'Resurrection'. the first half is a re-do of You Only Live Twice, where he fakes his death and goes to Japan (Asia is land of the rising sun - metaphor).
it is a lot like those john wayne westerns, like true grit, where the girl tells him he is too old and then he jumps on the horse, jumps over the fence and rides off into the sunset
aniel Craig's sixth or seventh film, it would have been a wonderful swan song. As it stands, though, it felt forced to me.
See my earlier post. Age was the major issue, to which the others served -- the implication being that he was too past it to do the work anymore. If it had not been, and if instead it was the idea that Bond's skill set was simply obsolete in the modern day world of spying, there would have been no need to train younger agents like Moneypenny to do the same work that Bond was doing. They would all have been cyber agents like Q.
The writing in Skyfall is, as I wrote, muddy and trying to force too many elements together while just glossing over most of them. But the issue of age was dominant. The point -- as in True Grit, where the last line is "Well, come see a fat old man some time." -- is that in spite of his age, he can still do the work. In other words, he is the exception and not the rule.
Only my opinion, but CR and QOS were the same story told over two films, so
Bond was evolving into an experienced agent. In SF Bond was shown as an
Experienced agent, due to his injuries he was underperforming, but as soon as
He removed the bullet fragments, he was back to his old self.
In SF, I think DC played Bond, as the other actors. He was suave and funny with
a few great one-liners, walked with a swagger and seemed to be having fun.
So I think Craig's Bond is fully formed, of course he'll have new experiences and
Adventures. Which I'm certain will show Bond as human, less superman, dealing
With his Demons., as although he's fully formed, it doesn't mean he can't learn
anything.
I agree, TP. Craig's Bond is far from "emotionless" and "one-dimensional". I believe that by the end of SF we see a Bond who is confident, committed to his job as a Double 0, and ready to tackle his next mission. I don't think that will necessarily change just because we will get further insight into Bond and his background in Spectre.
I dunno, BL. Suave and funny is more like Cary Grant or Sean Connery in the earlier Bonds. Craig's Bond is far more one-dimensional in this regard, mostly because the writing doesn't require much more than his sustained brooding. Casino Royale, however, does a better job than the two that follow. I've shown clips in class, and some students in Psychology as well as Early Childhood Development, for instance, say his Bond shows markers for autism, something I've posted about before, because he seems to be lacking in the full range of emotions and facial expressions. But like I said, this is a modern aesthetic that we see again and again in heroes. We believe this to be more intense, and therefore, more realistic, when in fact, someone like this in real life might be scary.
I want to point out that I'm not picking on Craig. As I've said many times, he is the best Bond to come along since Connery. But I don't think the writing (and to some degree, directing) serves him well. He could offer more, and Bond should be more.
no offense that is just dumb that he shows signs of autism - because he lacks emotion? How do you think someone in real life with a licence to kill would express himself? To quote Casino Royale, "I wouldn't be very good at my job if i did feel bad about killing people"
the theme is resurrection. That is most clearly evident by the Tennyson poem Ulysses, shaving, new battleship painting in Ms room, the Chinese New Year, the title sequence of rising from the grave, bond saying his favorite hobby is resurrection, some times the old ways are better, going back in time where we'll have the advantage, sending the series back to its classic roots while at the same time sending it into new territory, the Bond franchise's death and MGM's bankruptcy after the 2008 writer's strike, and their resurrection in 2012. 2012 was the year of the dragon, and the restart of their 12 year zodiac cycle. Their were dragons all over the place, in the credits, in Macau at the Chinese New Year, + komodo dragons.
autism, something I've posted about before, because he seems to be lacking in the full range of emotions and facial expressions. But like I said, this is a modern aesthetic that we see again and again in heroes. We believe this to be more intense, and therefore, more realistic, when in fact, someone like this in real life might be scary.
By bringing up the possibility that Craig could have made SF his last film, I wasn't suggesting that it was supposed to be that for a fact. It's clear that the whole film was about him defying everyone who questioned his age and abilities and his relevance in our modern techno time and coming back (resurrecting) his character through banishing the angst from his childhood - even physically ( destruction of SF).
I only brought it up the idea of SF being the last act because if he had not already contracted for more films he could have the way it was written.
According to a Rolling Stone interview, it sounded as though he only wanted to do a few films, but the producers kept talking him into keeping him on. He was really thinking about this when they were making SF and was keeping his options upon depending on the success of the film. It sounded like the producers do have some type of open contract with him in that he may have agreed to do this film and perhaps Bond 25, but if he really want to he could quit after SPECTRE.
Personally, I believe he's contemplating this not only because of his age now but also because the stunt work is starting to catch up with him. Now that he will have four of these under his belt and had numerous injuries making them, I would be surprised if he does no 25. He's very physical and enjoys doing action sequences, but no matter who the actor is after a certain age it starts to wear and they have to weight up the pros and cons of continuing to take the chance of getting a permanent joint injury or worse against pursuing non physical demanding roles. Also, now that he's married, I'm certain he takes his wife's opinion a great deal into consideration on the subject.
no offense that is just dumb that he shows signs of autism - because he lacks emotion? How do you think someone in real life with a licence to kill would express himself? To quote Casino Royale, "I wouldn't be very good at my job if i did feel bad about killing people"
the theme is resurrection. That is most clearly evident by the Tennyson poem Ulysses, shaving, new battleship painting in Ms room, the Chinese New Year, the title sequence of rising from the grave, bond saying his favorite hobby is resurrection, some times the old ways are better, going back in time where we'll have the advantage, sending the series back to its classic roots while at the same time sending it into new territory, the Bond franchise's death and MGM's bankruptcy after the 2008 writer's strike, and their resurrection in 2012. 2012 was the year of the dragon, and the restart of their 12 year zodiac cycle. Their were dragons all over the place, in the credits, in Macau at the Chinese New Year, + komodo dragons.
autism, something I've posted about before, because he seems to be lacking in the full range of emotions and facial expressions. But like I said, this is a modern aesthetic that we see again and again in heroes. We believe this to be more intense, and therefore, more realistic, when in fact, someone like this in real life might be scary.
It is odd, though, to have students in different classes and coming from different disciplines come to the same conclusion about the way Craig plays Bond. It makes sense for Bond to be cold when killing but not in nearly every other aspect of his life -- certainly, that's not the way Connery and others have played him. How could he maintain his cover in everyday life if he creeped people out with his mostly one-note demeanor?
Tennyson's poem is about an old Ulysses who seeks one more adventure and not simply one who is spent or obsolete. The opening lines set this up:
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
and runs throughout the poem:
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil
The ship imagery is lifted with the museum scene and others, of course. The last bit, which the film uses, is not about resurrection -- it's about steeling oneself against the ravages of time and venturing out once more, weaker and aged, perhaps, but with the same resolute determination to succeed as in youth:
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
The writers may want to bring up "resurrection" as the theme by having Bond say the line, but they spend as much or more time on his age as the issue. He shaves, yes, but it removes the gray from his face, not in resurrection but in denial of his age. M literally tells Bond, "You don't need to be an operative to see the obvious. It's a young man's game. Look, you've been seriously injured, there's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame will be in not admitting it until it's too late."
But this is what I mean about Skyfall's writing being muddy. All of this is not to say that resurrection does not show up in the film, but it serves the issue of "age," not the other way around.
Compare this to, say, Batman Begins, where the theme was fear and was played out much more cleanly -- there are three speeches about fear, one from Ra's Al Ghul, one from Falcone, and one -- the best -- from Thomas Wayne, who while dying, says, "Don't be afraid." A villain is the Scarecrow, Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma leads to fears throughout his adult years and the birth of Batman, an alter ego meant to embody fear, and so on. The writing is tight, and the theme is pretty pure. Not so much in Skyfall.
By bringing up the possibility that Craig could have made SF his last film, I wasn't suggesting that it was supposed to be that for a fact. It's clear that the whole film was about him defying everyone who questioned his age and abilities and his relevance in our modern techno time and coming back (resurrecting) his character through banishing the angst from his childhood - even physically ( destruction of SF).
I only brought it up the idea of SF being the last act because if he had not already contracted for more films he could have the way it was written.
According to a Rolling Stone interview, it sounded as though he only wanted to do a few films, but the producers kept talking him into keeping him on. He was really thinking about this when they were making SF and was keeping his options upon depending on the success of the film. It sounded like the producers do have some type of open contract with him in that he may have agreed to do this film and perhaps Bond 25, but if he really want to he could quit after SPECTRE.
Personally, I believe he's contemplating this not only because of his age now but also because the stunt work is starting to catch up with him. Now that he will have four of these under his belt and had numerous injuries making them, I would be surprised if he does no 25. He's very physical and enjoys doing action sequences, but no matter who the actor is after a certain age it starts to wear and they have to weight up the pros and cons of continuing to take the chance of getting a permanent joint injury or worse against pursuing non physical demanding roles. Also, now that he's married, I'm certain he takes his wife's opinion a great deal into consideration on the subject.
He could also be holding out for more money. He would be silly right now to give up Bond -- I don't think anything else in his career will ever come close to his success here.
Only my opinion, but CR and QOS were the same story told over two films, so
Bond was evolving into an experienced agent. In SF Bond was shown as an
Experienced agent, due to his injuries he was underperforming, but as soon as
He removed the bullet fragments, he was back to his old self.
In SF, I think DC played Bond, as the other actors. He was suave and funny with
a few great one-liners, walked with a swagger and seemed to be having fun.
So I think Craig's Bond is fully formed, of course he'll have new experiences and
Adventures. Which I'm certain will show Bond as human, less superman, dealing
With his Demons., as although he's fully formed, it doesn't mean he can't learn
anything.
I agree, TP. Craig's Bond is far from "emotionless" and "one-dimensional". I believe that by the end of SF we see a Bond who is confident, committed to his job as a Double 0, and ready to tackle his next mission. I don't think that will necessarily change just because we will get further insight into Bond and his background in Spectre.
I dunno, BL. Suave and funny is more like Cary Grant or Sean Connery in the earlier Bonds. Craig's Bond is far more one-dimensional in this regard, mostly because the writing doesn't require much more than his sustained brooding. Casino Royale, however, does a better job than the two that follow. I've shown clips in class, and some students in Psychology as well as Early Childhood Development, for instance, say his Bond shows markers for autism, something I've posted about before, because he seems to be lacking in the full range of emotions and facial expressions. But like I said, this is a modern aesthetic that we see again and again in heroes. We believe this to be more intense, and therefore, more realistic, when in fact, someone like this in real life might be scary.
I want to point out that I'm not picking on Craig. As I've said many times, he is the best Bond to come along since Connery. But I don't think the writing (and to some degree, directing) serves him well. He could offer more, and Bond should be more.
Your points are thoughful and well-articulated, as usual Gassy, and I never feel that you are picking on Craig (or any other Bond actor for that matter). And while I agree that the writers can do a better job of bringing out other aspects of Craig's Bond, I just don't see him as being quite as expressively limited as you and some others do (and certainly not to the point where I have wondered if his Bond is autistic!) As I have stated several times, I don't think any Bond actor has as effectively balanced the cold-hearted killer with the suave, witty gentleman spy the way Connery has. I believe you and I agree on that. But I give Craig points for being able to demonstrate a certain amount of wit and charm, while maintaining the persona of the government-paid assassin, in subtle little ways that I think work well for him. Perhaps those traits will be on display even more in Spectre.
I don't think we're far apart on this at all, BL -- and I think Craig is up to the task if the writers give him more to do. Which is what I'd want. I realize some of this is his decision as an actor, too, as he knows his limitations. But it seems like he could easily pull off a little more sly and a little less cold if given the opportunity.
I have hopes that Spectre would be the film to let him do it. It might. But the trailer makes it look like more of the same. It feels like they had him on the right course in Casino Royale, where he was fleshed out reasonably well but still a "prototypical" Bond, but then he became more reductive with the two films that followed. Given that they seem more invested in arc-based storytelling than the previous Bond films, I'm curious as to what the arc is. Right now -- and I hate to keep using Star Trek comparisons -- but it feels rather like the whole Data thing, where after each episode where he supposedly became more humanized, they'd basically start all over again the next episode.
Have a feeling Spectre may be DC last Bond film. I wish he ended it with Skyfall which would have made it a much more fitting departure with the symbolism of the 50th anniversary and the crossover between the classic Bond and the modern take.
There has, as always, been mention of a number of potential replacements. Cumberbatch was mentioned but he is too well established and might even do harm to the Bond franchise because it will be just be another addition to one of his many roles people knew him for.
Personally I choose someone younger, dangerous, bit vulnerable but more complex, more suave and hit with today's ladies and would not surprise me if Cillian Murphy get the role.
Have a feeling Spectre may be DC last Bond film. I wish he ended it with Skyfall which would have made it a much more fitting departure with the symbolism of the 50th anniversary and the crossover between the classic Bond and the modern take.
There has, as always, been mention of a number of potential replacements. Cumberbatch was mentioned but he is too well established and might even do harm to the Bond franchise because it will be just be another addition to one of his many roles people knew him for.
Personally I choose someone younger, dangerous, bit vulnerable but more complex, more suave and hit with today's ladies and would not surprise me if Cillian Murphy get the role.
Nah, Cillain Murphy would make a villain that could match Q in his skills. I'm quite glad Craig is doing SPECTRE; four films is a nice number, and because all of them link together. So we'd have the Craig quadrilogy. -{
Have a feeling Spectre may be DC last Bond film. I wish he ended it with Skyfall which would have made it a much more fitting departure with the symbolism of the 50th anniversary and the crossover between the classic Bond and the modern take.
There has, as always, been mention of a number of potential replacements. Cumberbatch was mentioned but he is too well established and might even do harm to the Bond franchise because it will be just be another addition to one of his many roles people knew him for.
Personally I choose someone younger, dangerous, bit vulnerable but more complex, more suave and hit with today's ladies and would not surprise me if Cillian Murphy get the role.
Have a feeling Spectre may be DC last Bond film. I wish he ended it with Skyfall which would have made it a much more fitting departure with the symbolism of the 50th anniversary and the crossover between the classic Bond and the modern take.
There has, as always, been mention of a number of potential replacements. Cumberbatch was mentioned but he is too well established and might even do harm to the Bond franchise because it will be just be another addition to one of his many roles people knew him for.
Personally I choose someone younger, dangerous, bit vulnerable but more complex, more suave and hit with today's ladies and would not surprise me if Cillian Murphy get the role.
By bringing up the possibility that Craig could have made SF his last film, I wasn't suggesting that it was supposed to be that for a fact. It's clear that the whole film was about him defying everyone who questioned his age and abilities and his relevance in our modern techno time and coming back (resurrecting) his character through banishing the angst from his childhood - even physically ( destruction of SF).
I only brought it up the idea of SF being the last act because if he had not already contracted for more films he could have the way it was written.
According to a Rolling Stone interview, it sounded as though he only wanted to do a few films, but the producers kept talking him into keeping him on. He was really thinking about this when they were making SF and was keeping his options upon depending on the success of the film. It sounded like the producers do have some type of open contract with him in that he may have agreed to do this film and perhaps Bond 25, but if he really want to he could quit after SPECTRE.
Personally, I believe he's contemplating this not only because of his age now but also because the stunt work is starting to catch up with him. Now that he will have four of these under his belt and had numerous injuries making them, I would be surprised if he does no 25. He's very physical and enjoys doing action sequences, but no matter who the actor is after a certain age it starts to wear and they have to weight up the pros and cons of continuing to take the chance of getting a permanent joint injury or worse against pursuing non physical demanding roles. Also, now that he's married, I'm certain he takes his wife's opinion a great deal into consideration on the subject.
He could also be holding out for more money. He would be silly right now to give up Bond -- I don't think anything else in his career will ever come close to his success here.
This is true, however, I'm certain he's probably done a great deal in padding his bank account by now (I don't know what his contract is but I would not be surprised if he doesn't get a percentage of the profits - even a low percentage would be a lot of money), so at this point he could leave and only take work he wants to do. Don't forget his wife works as well. I know she doesn't open films as an A List actress but she does work so there joint income would be pretty good at this point.
Craig will obviously never reach the success and notoriety he has achieved in these films after he leaves, nor do I think he will ever open a large film without a co-star who is at least as well known. He may indeed be holding out for more, but I would not bet on it, for he seems to be doing quite well at the moment.
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,924Chief of Staff
...however, I'm certain he's probably done a great deal in padding his bank account by now (I don't know what his contract is but I would not be surprised if he doesn't get a percentage of the profits - even a low percentage would be a lot of money), so at this point he could leave and only take work he wants to do...
DC is rumoured to be on £15m plus a percentage of the profits for SPECTRE...
Well, just that autism is one of if not the most mis-diagnosed disorders there is, including myself being mis-diagnosed with Asperger's. I would say the main difference is autistic people see communications and verbal expression as a foreign concept that they really just don't understand, and Bond at best just chooses not to express emotion not that he doesn't understand how. with me, the psychiatrist mis-diagnosed me thinking that i didn't understand certain social norms, communications, and expressions, when in reality i understood them, i just sucked at social skills and was extremely shy, so it was social anxiety. If he had even mild autism, i expect he would be a lot worse at picking up women, with all due respect to autistics
no offense that is just dumb that he shows signs of autism - because he lacks emotion? How do you think someone in real life with a licence to kill would express himself? To quote Casino Royale, "I wouldn't be very good at my job if i did feel bad about killing people"
the theme is resurrection. That is most clearly evident by the Tennyson poem Ulysses, shaving, new battleship painting in Ms room, the Chinese New Year, the title sequence of rising from the grave, bond saying his favorite hobby is resurrection, some times the old ways are better, going back in time where we'll have the advantage, sending the series back to its classic roots while at the same time sending it into new territory, the Bond franchise's death and MGM's bankruptcy after the 2008 writer's strike, and their resurrection in 2012. 2012 was the year of the dragon, and the restart of their 12 year zodiac cycle. Their were dragons all over the place, in the credits, in Macau at the Chinese New Year, + komodo dragons.
autism, something I've posted about before, because he seems to be lacking in the full range of emotions and facial expressions. But like I said, this is a modern aesthetic that we see again and again in heroes. We believe this to be more intense, and therefore, more realistic, when in fact, someone like this in real life might be scary.
It is odd, though, to have students in different classes and coming from different disciplines come to the same conclusion about the way Craig plays Bond. It makes sense for Bond to be cold when killing but not in nearly every other aspect of his life -- certainly, that's not the way Connery and others have played him. How could he maintain his cover in everyday life if he creeped people out with his mostly one-note demeanor?
Tennyson's poem is about an old Ulysses who seeks one more adventure and not simply one who is spent or obsolete. The opening lines set this up:
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
and runs throughout the poem:
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil
The ship imagery is lifted with the museum scene and others, of course. The last bit, which the film uses, is not about resurrection -- it's about steeling oneself against the ravages of time and venturing out once more, weaker and aged, perhaps, but with the same resolute determination to succeed as in youth:
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
The writers may want to bring up "resurrection" as the theme by having Bond say the line, but they spend as much or more time on his age as the issue. He shaves, yes, but it removes the gray from his face, not in resurrection but in denial of his age. M literally tells Bond, "You don't need to be an operative to see the obvious. It's a young man's game. Look, you've been seriously injured, there's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame will be in not admitting it until it's too late."
But this is what I mean about Skyfall's writing being muddy. All of this is not to say that resurrection does not show up in the film, but it serves the issue of "age," not the other way around.
Compare this to, say, Batman Begins, where the theme was fear and was played out much more cleanly -- there are three speeches about fear, one from Ra's Al Ghul, one from Falcone, and one -- the best -- from Thomas Wayne, who while dying, says, "Don't be afraid." A villain is the Scarecrow, Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma leads to fears throughout his adult years and the birth of Batman, an alter ego meant to embody fear, and so on. The writing is tight, and the theme is pretty pure. Not so much in Skyfall.
You are dead on with the Batman begins theme of fear. but themes are more elaborated, its not just fear its, "Conquering fear" . The Skyfall & Tennyson theme isn't just age, its "Conquering age", which goes along with resurrection.
Comments
Lego Spectre Teaser Trailer 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75iHhi1JCG0
I like the photo. The older guy in the middle has a familiar looking helmet, but I can't just place it.
The writing in Skyfall is, as I wrote, muddy and trying to force too many elements together while just glossing over most of them. But the issue of age was dominant. The point -- as in True Grit, where the last line is "Well, come see a fat old man some time." -- is that in spite of his age, he can still do the work. In other words, he is the exception and not the rule.
I want to point out that I'm not picking on Craig. As I've said many times, he is the best Bond to come along since Connery. But I don't think the writing (and to some degree, directing) serves him well. He could offer more, and Bond should be more.
Enjoyed it, though Lego Bond looks like Tim Dalton with Brosnan's hair!
the theme is resurrection. That is most clearly evident by the Tennyson poem Ulysses, shaving, new battleship painting in Ms room, the Chinese New Year, the title sequence of rising from the grave, bond saying his favorite hobby is resurrection, some times the old ways are better, going back in time where we'll have the advantage, sending the series back to its classic roots while at the same time sending it into new territory, the Bond franchise's death and MGM's bankruptcy after the 2008 writer's strike, and their resurrection in 2012. 2012 was the year of the dragon, and the restart of their 12 year zodiac cycle. Their were dragons all over the place, in the credits, in Macau at the Chinese New Year, + komodo dragons.
I only brought it up the idea of SF being the last act because if he had not already contracted for more films he could have the way it was written.
According to a Rolling Stone interview, it sounded as though he only wanted to do a few films, but the producers kept talking him into keeping him on. He was really thinking about this when they were making SF and was keeping his options upon depending on the success of the film. It sounded like the producers do have some type of open contract with him in that he may have agreed to do this film and perhaps Bond 25, but if he really want to he could quit after SPECTRE.
Personally, I believe he's contemplating this not only because of his age now but also because the stunt work is starting to catch up with him. Now that he will have four of these under his belt and had numerous injuries making them, I would be surprised if he does no 25. He's very physical and enjoys doing action sequences, but no matter who the actor is after a certain age it starts to wear and they have to weight up the pros and cons of continuing to take the chance of getting a permanent joint injury or worse against pursuing non physical demanding roles. Also, now that he's married, I'm certain he takes his wife's opinion a great deal into consideration on the subject.
Tennyson's poem is about an old Ulysses who seeks one more adventure and not simply one who is spent or obsolete. The opening lines set this up:
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
and runs throughout the poem:
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil
The ship imagery is lifted with the museum scene and others, of course. The last bit, which the film uses, is not about resurrection -- it's about steeling oneself against the ravages of time and venturing out once more, weaker and aged, perhaps, but with the same resolute determination to succeed as in youth:
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
The writers may want to bring up "resurrection" as the theme by having Bond say the line, but they spend as much or more time on his age as the issue. He shaves, yes, but it removes the gray from his face, not in resurrection but in denial of his age. M literally tells Bond, "You don't need to be an operative to see the obvious. It's a young man's game. Look, you've been seriously injured, there's no shame in saying you've lost a step. The only shame will be in not admitting it until it's too late."
But this is what I mean about Skyfall's writing being muddy. All of this is not to say that resurrection does not show up in the film, but it serves the issue of "age," not the other way around.
Compare this to, say, Batman Begins, where the theme was fear and was played out much more cleanly -- there are three speeches about fear, one from Ra's Al Ghul, one from Falcone, and one -- the best -- from Thomas Wayne, who while dying, says, "Don't be afraid." A villain is the Scarecrow, Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma leads to fears throughout his adult years and the birth of Batman, an alter ego meant to embody fear, and so on. The writing is tight, and the theme is pretty pure. Not so much in Skyfall.
Your points are thoughful and well-articulated, as usual Gassy, and I never feel that you are picking on Craig (or any other Bond actor for that matter). And while I agree that the writers can do a better job of bringing out other aspects of Craig's Bond, I just don't see him as being quite as expressively limited as you and some others do (and certainly not to the point where I have wondered if his Bond is autistic!) As I have stated several times, I don't think any Bond actor has as effectively balanced the cold-hearted killer with the suave, witty gentleman spy the way Connery has. I believe you and I agree on that. But I give Craig points for being able to demonstrate a certain amount of wit and charm, while maintaining the persona of the government-paid assassin, in subtle little ways that I think work well for him. Perhaps those traits will be on display even more in Spectre.
I have hopes that Spectre would be the film to let him do it. It might. But the trailer makes it look like more of the same. It feels like they had him on the right course in Casino Royale, where he was fleshed out reasonably well but still a "prototypical" Bond, but then he became more reductive with the two films that followed. Given that they seem more invested in arc-based storytelling than the previous Bond films, I'm curious as to what the arc is. Right now -- and I hate to keep using Star Trek comparisons -- but it feels rather like the whole Data thing, where after each episode where he supposedly became more humanized, they'd basically start all over again the next episode.
There has, as always, been mention of a number of potential replacements. Cumberbatch was mentioned but he is too well established and might even do harm to the Bond franchise because it will be just be another addition to one of his many roles people knew him for.
Personally I choose someone younger, dangerous, bit vulnerable but more complex, more suave and hit with today's ladies and would not surprise me if Cillian Murphy get the role.
Nah, Cillain Murphy would make a villain that could match Q in his skills. I'm quite glad Craig is doing SPECTRE; four films is a nice number, and because all of them link together. So we'd have the Craig quadrilogy. -{
Don't fear, DC will be back for a fifth... -{
That's great news as far as I'm concerned. -{
This is true, however, I'm certain he's probably done a great deal in padding his bank account by now (I don't know what his contract is but I would not be surprised if he doesn't get a percentage of the profits - even a low percentage would be a lot of money), so at this point he could leave and only take work he wants to do. Don't forget his wife works as well. I know she doesn't open films as an A List actress but she does work so there joint income would be pretty good at this point.
Craig will obviously never reach the success and notoriety he has achieved in these films after he leaves, nor do I think he will ever open a large film without a co-star who is at least as well known. He may indeed be holding out for more, but I would not bet on it, for he seems to be doing quite well at the moment.
DC is rumoured to be on £15m plus a percentage of the profits for SPECTRE...
it has already been confirmed he is doing a 5th one (at least) and Mendez and Logan are back on too
You are dead on with the Batman begins theme of fear. but themes are more elaborated, its not just fear its, "Conquering fear" . The Skyfall & Tennyson theme isn't just age, its "Conquering age", which goes along with resurrection.
James Bond: Spectre - Remake/Parody GTA V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8484fIGZew
Is that a Fry and Laurie reference?