A theme of SKYFALL is “working in the shadows” and being Bond being “from the shadows.”
And what is the 1st shot of the film?
SKYFALL – From The Shadows (SPOILERS)
Category: 007
Bond, James Bond
SKYFALL – Cain and Abel
SKYFALL SPOILERS ABOUND
For SKYFALL viewers’s eyes only.
While surfing the web on this all-nighter, transistioning me from a closing shift to an opening one at AMC, someone on reddit, I came across a post where a fellow geek believe M and Silva to be James Bond’s biological parents. Which spurred me on to finally write another one of my ideas about the film…
If anything, Bond and Silva are metaphorical brothers.
Trust me, I’ve seen the film 5 and 1/2 times.
Silva is the older brother who couldn’t understand mother’s “call” aka his punishment for playing it too loose with the Chinese. Bond is the similarly disobedient younger son, though when he step outside “mother’s” wishes it is always for the good of Queen, Country, and MI6.
007 is put through a similar trial as his “older brother” – one that tests his faith in MI6 and M – yet he comes out the other-side as loyal as ever.
M trusts Bond due to this loyalty. She can have him shot, leave him in North Korea to be tortured, let him disappear and disobey orders, send him into the field when he is not at his peak… all because Bond will do ANYTHING to complete the mission. He’s the “son” who always returns.
Silva’s trials warped him, just as the arsenic tablet burned his insides. He was not the agent M thought him to be.
“At least I did something right,” M says this (or something similar) before she dies. Silva may (or may not) have ever been her favorite (she won’t admit it… aside the subtext of the final line), but now Bond has grown from an orphan into the best agent (“Orphans always make the best recruits.”). Her best “son.”
Silva obviously thinks of her as “mother,” he says it one way or another, many times. A mother who needs to be punished for betraying her “favorite” son, only to find a new favorite in Bond (after all Silva makes a point when 007 is tied to the chair, that it is about the three of them, not just he and M).
They are brother “rats” as mother “made” them.
Silva simply has fun playing with his younger brother while chasing his main prize. He even offers his “brother” a chance to join him, make his own missions. But Bond becomes less fun and more than just a silly annoyance when he stops Silva one too many times.
Bonds thoughts as M as surrogate mother are always hinted at, but made real when Bond mourns her passing. Very unlike this colder, new age 007. Even Vesper didn’t get that much grief.
SKYFALL is about two bothers, competing to save/murder their not-so-beloved mother.
A Better Class Of Criminal: Part I
Have you noticed a trend in your favorite blockbusters of late (well… “of late” meaning “the past 5 years or so…”)?
Are your villains more interesting? Do the actors portraying them have past Oscar nominations and/or can they overcome the action-movie stigma to achieve at least pipe-dreams of one? Are these bad guys crazier than normal? You know, more unique with a funny voice or passion for mayhem?
If you answered yes to any of those absurd questions, perhaps you, like me, feel that the past decade has produced some of the most memorable and unique villains in the history of cinema. (No, not just memorable because they’re recent, memorable because they’re so good it feels like they have some real staying power.)
2012 alone has been particularly giving, including last weekend’s SKYFALL, anchored by villain Javier Bardem. I’d like to take this time in “movie villain history” to recall past favorite villains of mine and compare them to the current crop that catch audience’s eyes for their originality (like Bane… that is some really bizarre shit).
Patterns will quickly emerge, suggesting that these modern villains we love to love for their originality, actually share quite a bit in common with one another. It’s less that each breaks the mold, more that each fits the current mold; a mold that itself has evolved from what came before. Even the mold is not original, it has simply built on our past, perfecting the traits of a great villains past rather than inventing them.
My personal favorite antagonists from decades past range from those widely-considered classics to a few lesser appreciated gems (especially recently)*:
*I am a lover of film, but I am also only 24 years old, so I apologize if my naturally limited knowledge of films before the 70s cause me to leave out an obvious villain for this list. Likewise, I am writing this all in one night (instead of sleeping); I’m confident that later today I will be like “oh fuck, I can’t believe I forgot ___________!”
*Also, to set up some sort of limits as to what qualifies as a villain/antagonist/bad guy, I’ve decided to draw the line at live-action man. No sharks a la JAWS, dinosaurs a la JURASSIC PARK, no machines a la 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and no animated baddies like Gollum. After all, though many (including myself) would argue three of the four preceding examples are incredibly emotive/iconic in their execution, are they really the same as an actor doin’ their thang’?
*Finally, to simplify shit even further, I eliminated any characters who may be imaginary, a la FIGHT CLUB.
TOP CLASSIC BADDIES
1964 – Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) – Really set the mold for the classic Bond villain better than DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE had established before. Besides keeping a light and witty rapport with the hero, Goldfinger seems to take great pleasure in his own eccentricities, something we will see time and time again in the Bond universe and elsewhere.
It is this pleasure in action I am trying to drive home today, this aspect that is essential for an interesting antagonist today.
1977, 1980, 1983 – Darth Vader, uhhhh I’m not even gonna say what movie he’s from cause I’m insulted – Obvious choice. No one is more ruthless than him. None more iconic. He’ll death grip the shit out of his own men. And look great doing it. The guy to imitate when it comes to getting results from your henchmen.
And even back in his day we were using tricks like interesting voices and masks (again, see Bane) to give villains identity in a world full of ’em.
1981 – Dr. Rene Belloq (Paul Freeman), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – Rene Belloq is my favorite type of villain, the doppelganger; that is, a baddie who is very similar to our hero/nearly the mirror opposite. Belloq and Indiana Jones are both archaeologists, peers in their field, but they differ in methods. As Belloq tells Jones, “I am but a shadowy reflection of you, it would take only a nudge to make you like me.”
1982 – Khan (Ricardo Montalban), STAR TREK II: WRATH OF KHAN – It never hurts to make it personal, not for the audience at least.
Not JAWS 3 or TAKEN-I-want-my-daughter personal. More like the villain feels as though the protagonist has personally wronged them, personal. So, rather than the good guy going on a rampage limited by what makes him a good guy, you have a sadistic madman who don’t give a shit ’bout no’body out to settle a score, and no one will stand in his way. When this happens, there are no Innocent and the world (and/or the universe) burns.
So is the case with Kahn who seeks revenge on Kirk for marooning him on a baron planet, and so will be the case with one of the top villains of 2012.
1987 – Joshua (Gary Busey) with an assist by Endo, LETHAL WEAPON – Joshua is perfect parts crazy and loyal as proved by the classic flame-to-arm scene. Besides, it’s hard to forget that crazy cop on crazy mercenary beat-down with Riggs (Mel Gibson). Joshua would also be considered a doppelganger for Riggs (noticing some patterns here?).
And as far as Endo goes, one need only quote Mr. Joshua, “Endo here has forgotten more about dispensing pain than you and I will ever know.”
Live or die by that reputation, Endo.
Live or die.
1988 – Hans Gruber, DIE HARD – Fine, I admit that so far, very few of my choice are controversial or unknown. Don’t worry, that comes later, like in the 90s where nostalgia clouds my judgement.
Characters popular in the 80s are in-proportionality represented on this list because it’s a personal favorite time period in cinema. Like today, villains were quirky and took great joy in their “work.” Gruber didn’t just have a killer, well thought-out master-plan; he also had fun! (Sound familiar?)
1989 – The Joker (Jack Nicholson), BATMAN – Really, who has more fun killing people than the Joker? The Joker is supposed to be having the time of his life, even when things don’t go according to plan. Jack doesn’t disappoint, though his version still pales in comparison to that of Mark Hamill. Goddamn it though if the man doesn’t commit.
1989 – The South African Consulate’s Minister of Affairs and his Henchmen, LETHAL WEAPON 2 – “Diplomatic Immunity,” really says it all, don’t it?
(Answer: “Yes, it don’t. It really don’t.”)
A little advice, don’t kill the hot South African chick Riggs is fucking AND THEN tell him you murdered his wife. That is, unless you want your house pulled down a mountain.
That shit’s just super personal, and Riggs goes the appropriate amount of ape shit, like 007 post-Vesper.
NOSTALGIA SETS IN: VILLAINS FROM MY FORMATIVE YEARS
1995 – Alec Trevelyan aka 006 aka Janus (Sean Bean), GOLDENEYE – There’s a reason 006 was/possibly is still my favorite Bond villain. Again, everything’s super-personal (he’s Bond’s old friend, plus Bond scarred him by “setting the timers for 3 instead of 6.” He knows MI6 and is another perfect example of a doppelganger (perhaps the most perfect as Bean was nearly hired as Bond). All the correct chips are in play, driven home by all the witty banter between “006” and 007, up until the end.
millennium006 shares quite a few similarities with the still to be discussed Silva from SKYFALL, and is certainty a precursor for the new villain. His past drives him a different direction than “For Queen and Country” Bond, feeling a similar need for revenge to that of Javier Bardem’s character.
1995 – John Doe (don’t wanna spoil the surprise), SEVEN – He’s certainly one of the most quirky/sadistic killers on film. And he knows how to deliver an unbelievable third act, important for any villain worth his salt (if that is even a saying).
Returning our attention to 006, while he’s always great, but it’s the combo of an incredibly strong introduction action scene and the finale showdown that cement his role in 007 history. Likewise, with an ending like that of SEVEN, I doubt we’ll forget this serial killer soon.
1997 – Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio), MEN IN BLACK – Really, unlike anything else I’ve ever seen, D’Onofrio’s performance of a space roach in an “Edgar” suit still astounds. Certainly one of the most “out there” threats. Again, fun work with the acting and voice make for fun times at cinemas.
1998 – Don Rafeal Montero (Stuart Wilson) & Captain Love (Matt Letscher), THE MASK OF ZORRO – Double the doppelgangers, double the fun!
With old Zorro facing his old arch-nemesis (who just happened to accidentally murder his wife then intentionally -d’uh – steal his daughter) and new Zorro facing his brother’s killer, after years of training and dreams of revenge. Really, Nick Doll’s wet-dream.
From the director of the aforementioned GOLDENEYE and CASINO ROYALE, Martin Campbell, I like to think of MASK OF ZORRO as the movie Campbell made simple because he couldn’t, at that juncture, make a 007 movie. ZORRO follows all the rules of 007 from the detective work, to the “Bond” girl, to a madman with a country changing plot, Don Rafeal Montero, his lead henchman, Captain Love, and an epic, explosive finale.
2002 – Norman Osbourne (Willem Dafoe) aka The Green Goblin, SPIDER-MAN – “Work was murder”
Now, there’s an actor who chewed the scenery in the best way possible. Whether realistic or not, Dafoe’s approach to the over-the-top Green Goblin set the standard for modern comic book movie villains like those of the AVENGERS and DARK KNIGHT.
Limited by an expressionless mask, Dafoe does a lot with a little. His conversation with “the Goblin” is thing of super hero movie legend, making it ok for mechanical arms, black goo, sand, and lizards to talk to mad scientists in SPIDER-MAN sequels for years to come.
Talking to yourself is a unique place to go with your villain, and comics like Spider-Man nearly demand it. What is most important and fun about the character though is, again, the extreme joy felt by “Gobby” whilst terrorizing Spider-Man and New York. This really laid the groundwork for silver screen villains like Loki.
If they were to cast Norman Osbourne in the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 tomorrow, I’d insist it remain Willem Dafoe. He embodied a comic character perfectly even before RDJ ever became Tony Stark.
We’ll continue this analysis of the modern blockbuster villain as derived from his aforementioned history next time on BREAKING GEEK in “A Better Class Of Criminal: Part II” including the final era of movie villains, “Adult” Life: Nearly Modern To Today… And Beyond!
Find out what Bane, Joker, and Silva all have in common!
Find out which villainous strategy is hot, hot hot! (clue: Joker, Bane, Loki, and Silva all recommend it!)
All this and more! On BREAKING GEEK!
Breaking SKYFALL (SPOILERS) Part I
Thoughts on SKYFALL after first viewing…
SPOILERS AHEAD, BUDDY!
Even Switching Actors, Bond is Getting Too Old For This Shit
I know it’s been touched on before in other Bond films, but never has 007’s age been as discussed so often as in SKYFALL.
Bond is not in his 90s as he should technically be (ignoring the partial reboot), as the late thirties/early forties character celebrates his 50th anniversary this year. Yet the fact he is an aging star on MI6’s roster is still a concern to M’s boss, Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes). Mind you, Mallory seems set on punishing M after she loset the “knock list” (at least that’s what it is called in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE); a list of every NATO undercover operative in the field.
The truth we find, is that 007 has indeed “lost a step,” allowed back into the field despite the fact he failed all his examinations; physical and mental. Perhaps his age, but more likely the physical/emotional wound he carries as a result of M’s call that got him shot (including his drinking problem), Bond is off his game and he is sent into the field by M for one simple reason… he is James-Fucking-Bond.
It’s the same reason a single government authority character always, often secretly, unleashes an agent that “doesn’t always respect authority and play by the rules” to get the job done: think Jack Bauer, Ethan Hunt, John McClain, Murtaugh and Riggs, etc. He may be unstable or even off his game, but he’s still the only man for the job.
Bond is M’s favorite, her prized stallion who has prevented World War III numerous times, as we’ve watched over the decades.
Honestly, who can blame her? Like I said, 007’s saved the world at least 22 times even before SKYFALL fades in.
But, what’s in it for Bond? The man is loyal to Queen and country (what you’d call a “modern day boy scout” here in the US), but how can all MI6 agents remain as valiant, especially those who feel abandoned by M?
They can’t all be 007 – The Villain
Silva (Javier Bardem) combines aspects seemingly inspired by the terror and meticulous planning of the Joker, the excitement, faith, and overall joy of Loki during his own unfurling plot, the relationship/doppelganger-status of 006; all this while wielding some classic Bond villain eccentricities (one of which is rather progressive in its blatancy, yet not new to the franchise). Bardem is, simply, my 2nd favorite Bond villain behind my long favorite, 006.
Silva’s way cooler, scarier, and more sadistic than a man with a Golden Gun (also with million dollar bullets), a glorified banker/terrorist who weeps blood, a homicidal media mogul, or a fat man with a gold fetish and an assistant named Pussy. Though it’s a 360 from NO COUNTRY’s Anton Chigurgh, Bardem’s SKYFALL antagonist is goddamn perfect and instantly classic.
Once Bond finally uses his detective skills (highlighted in D. Craig’s CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE) to track the mad man down, he finds him to be from M’s past; her favorite agent prior to 007. Agent Silva was reckless like Bond, too reckless, so he too ended up a casualty of espionage.
Captured (or traded even, I can’t remember), Silva suffered various tortures for M and MI6, even using his cyanide capsule to die rather than talk. Trouble is, his capsule malfunctioned, horribly scaring him instead of killing him. So, he has a brace that gives him Jaws-esque teeth and un-smushes his melted face. Hence, the eccentric villain trait a la scar, or crying-blood, or not feeling pain, yada, 
yada, yada. Combine that with the interesting choice of a scene between Bond and Silva where Silva nearly puts the moves on the fly superspy; making him blatantly homosexual unlike QUANTUMS’s more ambiguous, possibly gay Frenchman and henchman duo.
yada, yada. Combine that with the interesting choice of a scene between Bond and Silva where Silva nearly puts the moves on the fly superspy; making him blatantly homosexual unlike QUANTUMS’s more ambiguous, possibly gay Frenchman and henchman duo.Like 006, Silva is personal. He has simply set his sights on M, not 007. Personal is best. It… makes things… more personal……Just trust me on that! And see LETHAL WEAPON 1 & (even more so) 2, TAKEN, and the third act of CASINO ROYALE for proof how fun personal really is.Also like 006, he is the shadowy reflection of Bond, the super talented MI6 agent gone rogue.
Silva is scary yet a lot of fun, Joker style. Even more so, he takes great joy in his work, a trait he also shares with Loki; a trait that I love seeing in “super”-villains. The scene in which he is incarcerated reminded me very much of Loki in the Hulk’s cage in AVENGERS. The baddie is just having too much of a laugh for us to be comfortable.
Of course, it is easy to be cocky when everything is going exactly to your months-in-progress, perfectly thought out, intricate to account for the last detail plan, another fun villain trick shared with the Joker.
It doesn’t hurt that academy-award winner Javier Bardem is acting the shit out of the role, earning this Bond villain a place alongside one of my lifetime’s other top tier baddies, Javier’s Anton Chigurgh from NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.Really, it’s hard for me to think of a more perfect storm of villainy than this Joker, Loki, 006, Chigurgh cocktail of crazy, which is why he is an instant favorite, at least second (but possibly better than) to my personal fav Bond baddie, the much aforementioned 006, played by the delicious Sean Bean.
And besides (again folks, BIG SPOILERS), Silva gets some pretty damn nasty things done; things that alter the Bond universe as it has been for nearly two decades.
BATMAN BEGINS = Skyfall
So, what, after all this time, is Skyfall? To what does the title of Bond’s 23rd adventure refer?
Is is a master plot? A super satellite weapon? The name of a villain?
(AGAIN, FUCKIN’ SPOILERS PEOPLE)
Skyfall is Bond’s childhood home. Though not nearly as fancy, it’s essentially his Wayne Manor. His father’s house. He even has his own Alfred!In some ways, SKYFALL shares more in common with BATMAN BEGINS than the reboot CASINO ROYALE did. It’s really the first time we see any sign of Bond’s childhood or non-MI6 possesssions/holdings. We get a better idea of where this orphan has come from, while having to endure far less exposition than in the introduction of other special cinematic childhood orphans (like Harry Potter, or Peter Parker, or Bruce Wayne).Really, it is simply a taste a of Bond’s past we’ve never see before, besides several references to his being orphaned throughout the franchise, such as in GOLDENEYE where 006 mentions Bond’s parents died in a skiing accident.
SKYFALL is a fun title for Bond fans then, as it sounds like an odd name for a house, just as Bond author Ian Fleming himself resided in Goldeneye (the name of which was taken for the feature film).
Fitting that Ian Fleming, who has written himself into the character of Bond in his novels. Now the two have history or living in manors named after what sound like villainous plots and/or villains themselves.
I have a lot more to ponder and discuss from today’s SKYFALL, including fun winks the 50th Anniversary Film allows itself at earlier chapters as well as the universe changing events of the third act.
But, alas I’m off to see the film again now, so I’ll have to dissect it more following another viewing.
BREAKING GEEK Radio: The Podcast 