Spectre

“Spectre (is) a particular treat for 007 nerds and a businesslike blast for everyone else” (Variety, November 2015)

SPECTRE was the criminal organization that served as the primary antagonist in the 60s Bond films (and three of the Fleming books), and was headed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who became James Bond’s archenemy.  Despite several casting changes (in the Eon films four different Blofelds faced off with three different Bonds) Blofeld still had the greatest impact.  Blofeld’s offscreen performances in from Russia With Love and Thunderball (in which viewers did not see his face) were the most terrifying.  Of his onscreen performances I thought Telly Savalas (in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) was the best.

After the title was announced in December 2014, I expected the return of Blofeld since the Eon producers recently recovered the rights to the character and Spectre after several decades (I am not sure they ever really lost them but Kevin McClory sure seemed to think they were his-an upcoming post will discuss this).  The question was would Blofeld be played by Christoph Waltz, who was named as part of the cast?  Either way I was hugely excited to see Daniel Craig’s Bond face off against Bond’s greatest enemy.

The second trailer, released in July 2015, promoted the upcoming battle by using the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service theme in the second half, which was the most personal Bond vs. Blofeld film.  Some clever viewers edited the trailer to include shots of other Bond actors replacing Craig.

Skyfall’s team of director Sam Mendes, production Designer Dennis Gassner, second unit director Alexander Witt , writers John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and composer Thomas Newman all return though cinematographer Roger Deakins, was replaced by Hoyte Van Hoytema, who has worked on a lot of Christopher Nolan films.

From here I will summarize my impressions of the film.  As always, expect spoilers from this and other Bond films.

Spectre is Daniel Craig’s fourth turn as James Bond and by far the biggest in scope, following a precedent established by the other actors.  Thunderball was Connery’s biggest (up to that point-You Only Live Twice was even bigger), Moonraker was Moore’s and Die Another Day was Brosnan’s.  Spectre is lighter than Craig’s other films overall but also tries to tell a personal story on a grand scale in some of the world’s greatest cities.  

The gun barrel opens the film for the first time in one of Craig’s films.  The music started during the Sony and MGM logos and the white button did not open into the shot of the film but rather went to black.

The words “The dead are alive” appear on screen at the beginning of the film.  Apart from the theme of the parade I wonder if it also references Blofeld, who had been thought dead, and also to a smaller degree, Judi Dench’s M who has a "resurrection"..

The pretitle sequence in Mexico City is a lot of fun.  The opening shot is magnificently staged starting from above, down to the parade, then follows Bond and the girl into a hotel, up an elevator, into their room, out of the window (a separate window from the one Bond exits), all the way to the building where Sciarra is.  In You Only Live Twice there was also an impressive tracking shot during the Kobe dock scene but this is far more ambitious (even though I did spot where two cuts were made-when the couple enters the hotel and then when the camera pans to Bond leaving the room).  If I had any concerns about Deakins’ absence they were dispelled here.   

Mendes gives Bond a moment to savor the view of the city after the fight ends and the accompanying score before as the introduction to the title song started.  

The titles abundantly use the Spectre octopus insignia, and Bond appears as a male model.  While Craig has appeared in the titles of all of his films it usually involves him shooting his gun, but this is much more erotic.  The visuals often match the lyrics (ie when Silva appears as in mirror that breaks the line “a million shards of glass” is heard).  There are moments of foreshadowing (with shots of the Spectre board with the shadowed face of the head) and an overhead shot of Bond entering Mi6 in the climax.  All of the past visions could be construed as nightmares that Bond has (Vesper at the moment she drowns, Le Chiffre during the torture, Silva without his dentures).

Before seeing the film I thought the song was nice but unusually romantic for a Bond tune sung by a male vocalist-presumably singing in Bond’s voice (though Sam Smith’s falsetto in the chorus seems a bit at odds with Craig’s portrayal).  However given how the film ends it is very fitting (“For you I’d have to give it all”).  The title of course also relates to the actual writing on the wall in the Mi6 building at the climax which includes James Bond’s name (and was also a line in Goldeneye).   Connie Talbot and Jackie Evancho have created covers of the song that I like even more.

Bond’s defiant tone with M in the office scene is curious.  Bond could get away with that type of behavior with the previous M due their close relationship but he has yet to build up that kind of credibility with Mallory.

I enjoyed the visit to Bond’s flat for the first time since Live and Let Die.  It is sparsely decorated indicating he is either never there or has no life.

Monica Bellucci, who was a candidate to play Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies, is a welcome presence and to some degree her character, Lucia, represents the collateral damage of an assassin’s life.  Many articles have commented on Bellucci’s age (50 during shooting) but though Bond (played by a man who turned 47 during shooting) has a brief liaison with her his primary love interest is about 30.  

Bellucci appears in a both theatrical and cinematically staged sequence when she walks through her home to her expected death without looking at her would-be killers, but listening to presumably her favorite song while enjoying a final drink.  

Some viewers have complained about Lucia’s small role (she only appears in four scenes) but it seems about the same length as the other secondary love interests in Craig’s films (Solange, Fields, and Severine).  If someone less famous had played Lucia I doubt anyone would have mentioned it and Lucia survives which none of her counterparts did.

The Spectre boardroom meeting was a bit like the Double 0 room in Thunderball’s.  Blofeld’s shadowed appearance is an effective nod to his offscreen appearances from before.  Like in You Only Live Twice Blofeld’s face is only clear to the audience once Bond sees it.  However, the fact that Bond just walks into the meeting is a little clunky.  I like the detail that as the guard is thrown onto the table Blofeld has already left, not permitting the audience to show him surprised.

The car chase is elegantly staged, especially the final moments alongside the river.  It is curious that Bond, trying to escape from Mr. Hinx, picked that moment to call Moneypenny.  It is also good to see Moneypenny having her own romantic life.  However the call does dilute some of the suspense from the scene.

I appreciate that Bond’s meeting with Mr. White is drawn out a bit.  We see this man who was always a step ahead of everyone else in Casino and Quantum, at the end of his criminal life, alone, disheveled, weakened (he needs both hands to cock the Walther) but partially redeemed by his desire to protect his daughter.  Bond’s agreement with him gives emphasizes the grey area in which the series now lives.  Bond gives Mr. White the honor of taking his own life, as he did Major Dexter Smythe in the short story “Octopussy”, the man who had killed Hans Oberhauser.

When Bond meets Madeleine he unusually reveals some personal information about himself.  He also is able to “read” her, a talent shown in all of the Craig films.

Q’s surprise appearance in the field is welcome and Bond’s interactions with him are among the funniest.  I appreciate the film gave us a Q lab scene.

M also had a nice subplot fighting against C (Andrew Scott) to maintain the Double 0 section.  I like the dynamic of the older man vs the younger one representing the two different ideologies, though this is undercut a bit by C’s unsurprising reveal as a pawn of Spectre.  In all of their scenes M looks C straight in the eye (the old way, man against man) and speaks directly whereas C’s body language is shifty and he looks down and around a lot.  Fiennes gets one of the film’s great lines in his final face off with C. 

Moneypenny has a few good scenes but is surprisingly silent during the climactic sequence in London.  Perhaps anything she was given to do was cut to keep the narrative flowing.

The cold looking set of the clinic in the Austrian Alps, recalls Piz Gloria in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  

The plane to car chase in the snow is original.  Bond’s salute to the bad guys is cheeky fun.  Afterwards he tells Madeline that she is in “shock”, showing that all this has a personal cost.

The scene in which Bond drinks the beer (obligatory since Heineken promotes the Bond films) is very Fleming like. In the books Bond often forces himself to stay awake at night to watch out for threats.

Bond’s pause upon seeing the tape “Vesper Lynd Interrogation” is appropriate.  Bond put Vesper’s death behind him in Quantum of Solace so he does not get emotional but understandably does not want to discuss it.  I was curious as to what was on it but knew it would be better for Bond not to watch it.  If David Arnold had done the score he might have scored a little of the Vesper theme in that part.

Lea Seydoux portrays a well-drawn character in Dr. Madeleine Swan, perhaps inspired by the blond character in Vertigo with the same name played by Kim Novak.  She has her own career and makes her own strong choices throughout the film but despite being able to defend herself chooses to reject violence.  Madeleine’s entrance in the dinner scene on the train recalls Vesper’s in the casino when Bond cannot stop staring at her.  When Madeleine says that he should not stare Bond’s response could have come straight from Fleming’s typewriter.

The finale is set up when Madeleine starts to get Bond thinking about not being an assassin, for the first time since Casino Royale.  

As much as I like her, I do feel there too many direct references to Vesper, especially in the third act by Blofeld.  Madeleine is unfairly overshadowed a little bit by Vesper’s memory, which affects viewers’ ability to warm to her.

The fight with Mr. Hinx recalls past great inside train fight scenes with Red Grant (From Russia With Love) and Jaws (The Spy Who Loved Me-Bond even tries the same move that Moore’s Bond used on Jaws, unsuccessfully).  Craig’s Bond is, for the first time, physically overmatched, despite trying every trick he knows.  It is only with Madeleine’s help that Bond manages to dispatch the very threatening Mr. Hinx who more than earns his place as a classic henchman (kudos to Dave Bautista).  

The third act, in which Bond and Madeleine, go to the Spectre headquarters in Morroco was heavily rewritten and is the part of the film most criticized.  I feel the sequence is effective with fabulous visuals in the desert but it is unbelievable that Bond and Madeleine survive an attempt by Mr. Hinx to kill them and then wait at a train station in the desert (similar to Butch and Sundance’s arrival in Bolivia) and hand themselves over to Spectre.  From Mr. Hinx’ point of view I imagine he was going after Bond as a personal kill but a line or two might have clarified this.  Bond and Madeleine easily could have tried to get to the lair themselves and then been caught.  

I like the sight of Blofeld’s lair being in a crater as a nod to You Only Live Twice, in which Bond met Blofeld before.  The first part of the sequence is also reminiscent of Dr No, especially when Blofeld wants Bond to be impressed by the meteorite.  When Blofeld states that he once visited Madeleine’s father he may be referencing the opening sequence in Inglourious Basterds in which Waltz’ character interrogated Seydoux’ father.

The revelation that Spectre has been behind the entire Craig story is a bit of a retcon.  In You Only Live Twice Connery’s Bond met Blofeld after battling Spectre for a few films and I think Mendes and the producers are trying for the same effect here.  It is only partially successful as I expected the link with Quantum, which was involved in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, (though I would have liked to hear how Quantum was folded into Spectre) but not with Silva, the villain of Skyfall.  Silva appeared to be independent, though he may have gotten some of his financing from Spectre.  The connection does allow for Blofeld to take credit for taking Judi Dench’s M away from Bond and justifies her gloriously unexpected cameo from beyond the grave so I ultimately accepted Spectre’s involvement.  Bond and Blofeld to some degree created each other, linking the cuckoo theme suggested early in the film as the rat theme was in Skyfall.  

The moment the white Persian cat appears dispels any doubts that Oberhauser would reveal himself as Blofeld.  I like the dialogue that leads to it (Bond obliquely referencing giving the bird to “Franz” which draws Blofeld to tell Bond his new name) and Bond’s reaction to his name is delightful.

One of weaknesses of the film is that Blofeld is not in it enough.  Apart from the boardroom scene in Rome (and a quick glimpse at the funeral) Blofeld only appears in the third act.  Silva also did not appear in a great amount of Skyfall but had his first big face off with Bond and then M near the midpoint whereas Bond has his with Blofeld much later.  Silva was also far more creepy so a little of him went a long way.  

In both of Mendes’ films we never see the villains plotting.  The point of view is almost always that of Bond or one of the other Mi6 characters.  

The torture device is a little reminiscent of the book Colonel Sun in which Bond is tortured by having pins inserted in his ears.  I like the use of the watch to escape.  Madeleine’s claim to Bond that she loved him was unexpected but believable due to the intensity of the moment.  

I knew Blofeld would likely survive the explosion in Morocco but the question was would he survive the final credits.  Eon went to a lot of trouble and expense to secure the rights to Spectre and Blofeld and I suspected they would not want to kill him off in one film.

The escape from Blofeld’s headquarters, though exciting in the moment, is a bit convenient with Bond, right after being tortured, easily shooting several guards from a distance and blowing up the facility with one shot.  Admittedly the explosion is pretty impressive.

The climax in London brings the battle to Bond’s home turf, as in Skyfall.  I do have to question the logic of Spectre grabbing Bond to have Bond then free himself outside the Mi6 building (admittedly a cool moment in which Bond shoots two goons while blindfolded) to then enter the building where the “writing on the wall” guides Bond to Blofeld .  My guess is the Spectre henchmen planned to free Bond just inside the building.  

The moments in which Bond approaches Blofeld, while seeing pictures of Le Chiffre, Vesper, Silva and M (omitting Dominic Green from Quantum, an unmemorable villain from a less beloved film) is a little heavy handed but I went with it.  The fact that it is in the old Mi6 building which Silva attacked gives the scene some extra significance.  

Blofeld’s scar around his lost right eye is reminiscent of Donald Pleasance’s scar in You Only Live Twice, though in Spectre they are fresh wounds.  The dark cell adds to the effect.

I love that the Mi6 building is demolished instead of blown up.  We had a big explosion earlier with the Spectre headquarters and Bond films do not need a fireball is needed to generate excitement.  The idea of being in a collapsing building is scary enough.

Notably the last time Bond faced Blofeld (in the Eon series) was in For Your Eyes Only in which Roger Moore’s Bond and Blofeld also battled in a helicopter over London.

Bond letting Blofeld live did not surprise me since the authorities were there (and he initially took Silva into custody in Skyfall) but him throwing away the gun to choose a life with Madeleine was.  Effectively Bond decides that he has had enough of the killing and what it takes from him.  I like the way he walks off, stranding straight up holding her hand, much the way he held Vesper’s in Casino Royale.  Blofeld’s glare at them seems be a mix of defeat and hatred. 

The final scene of the film is a good send off as he drives off with Madeleine in the restored Aston Martin DB5.  Notably Madeleine has the same color hair that Tracy in the book On Her Majesty’s Secret Service which could hint toward their future.

Ultimately despite its few flaws Spectre is a fabulous Bond film.  Mendes cements himself as the best Bond director, necessitating a reworking of this list.  The scenes are allowed to play out and Craig again gives a great performance as Bond, smooth and less vulnerable, but still human and firmly driving the action.  One of Craig’s best moments is during his face off with Blofeld at Mi6 when Bond goes from confident to recognizing that Blofeld has Madeleine and suddenly becomes desperate to save her.  As in Casino Royale when faced with torture Bond dares the villain to proceed.  Bond’s final moments (entering Q branch standing right in the middle of the elevator looking as sharp as ever in the Tom Ford suit) and then sitting in the DB5 are impeccably staged. 

Many of the quips Craig has are written specifically for his type of delivery.  For example, only his Bond has the edge to sell a line like the one about the probiotic shake.  

The relationship with Madeleine is more mature as both of these characters have suffered but they become comfortable with each other.  Bond has a nice recurring gesture in stroking her face occasionally. Madeleine’s break up with Bond before the climax is handled well.  Bond’s response, direct, not overly emotional, is a nice beat.  Bond is too much of a gentleman to try to convince her otherwise and he has a job to do but in the car there is a shot of him looking a little shell shocked.  The moment helps set up Bond’s choice in the finale.  I believe that Bond’s decision to leave with Madeleine suggests not that he is necessarily in love but he feels something strong enough that he can try a different, and happier, type of life.

Waltz is an excellent choice as Blofeld.  The character is less frightening here than in some previous incarnations, but just as sadistic.  Bond’s reaction to seeing him and a line he gives to Q in the clinic indicates that he may well have been bullied by Franz when they were younger.  Waltz' arrogant delivery of the line "Goodbye James Bond" is arrogant and a little sociopathic, and recalls Donald Pleasance's "Goodbye Mr. Bond" line from You Only Live Twice. The cinematography by Hoyt Van Hoytema is also strong with the aforementioned opening shot even if as a whole it does not quite match Deakins’ creativity from Skyfall.  The second unit direction and production design by Alexandre Witt and Dennis Gassner are top notch.  Thomas Newman’s score is also good if perhaps a bit too reliant on some of his better Skyfall action themes (particularly the Grand Bazaar track during a couple of the action scenes and The Moors track during the climax).  I liked hearing M’s theme from Skyfall when Judi Dench appears.

In the Craig ouvre,  I still rank Casino Royale as the best and Quantum as the worst and place Spectre right below Skyfall.  The high points stand alongside the best of the Craig sequences in the other films.  I thank the producers for delivering the films of the last decade, recognizing the full dramatic potential of their leading character. ****