Quantum of Solace

Here I go again writing about big-budget blockbusters. Well, too bad. I’m a movie nut, so forgive my indulgences. One thing all my dedicated readers (all ten of you) should know is I’m one of the biggest 007 fans alive. I’ve seen every Bond flick multiple times and have looked forward to every incarnation of the MI-6 super-spy since the days of Connery, Sean Connery.

Without question the best James Bond is the current James Bond — Daniel Craig. If you want to read my reasons why do a search on this blog for Casino Royale. It’s all there in black and white. He is the truest representation of Ian Fleming’s legendary literary character.

I just saw Quantum of Solace. First off, it’s not as good as Casino Royale, but that’s hardly an indictment. I happen to believe Casino Royale is easily the best Bond film ever produced. Better than From Russia with Love, Dr. No and For Your Eyes Only. So where does that place Quantum of Solace? Near the top in my book.

Rather than write a full review, I’m going to expound on three attributes that make the newest chapter in the Bond series worthwhile. First, it picks up literally after Casino Royale ended. Bond has kidnapped the mysterious Mr. White and taken him to M for questioning. Why is this important? Because unlike the twenty films prior to Craig’s involvement, an actual story thread is being weaved. Up until Casino Royale, Bond movies were stand alone features that whisked 007 to remote locales to foil some nefarious villain bent on world domination. Sure there was the S.P.E.C.T.R.E connection during Connery’s time but it didn’t represent an actual arc that bled from film to film.

What the current writers (Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade) are successfully attempting to do is retell the Bond tale from its beginnings. How did he get his start? What drove him to become who he became? This narrative technique humanizes 007. He’s no longer a quipping cartoon character, but rather a man who feels life’s emotions: joy, love, fear.

Quantum of Solace represents the second-act in the evolution of James Bond. In Casino Royale, we saw a reckless yet vulnerable figure whose blood-thirst was quelled by the love of a woman. In Quantum, we see a single-minded killing machine fueled by vengeance and the pain of loss and betrayal. Despite his brutal actions, he seems almost more vulnerable, perhaps because he has crossed the line between personal and professional. He allows his emotions to consume him which clouds his judgment and threatens his 007 status.

Secondly, the film does a precise job of connecting the dots between villains. There is the archetypal bad guy, but he shares the antagonist label with numerous others. Government advisers, wealthy philanthropists, Central American despots, the CIA and MI-6 itself all take turns dancing on the dark side. We live in a transnational world with numerous hands reaching into the same cookie jar, eager to get theirs. Quantum of Solace correctly postulates that it takes many, not one, to exploit a third-world nation of its natural resources just as Casino Royale correctly presumed it takes many to fund international terrorism. The globe is shrinking, borders are disappearing, governments are picking sides. One day they may be fighting for right, the next day for wrong. Whichever side offers the sweeter deal is the one they’ll choose.

Finally, there is Daniel Craig. I lied. I am going to heap more praise on the sixth actor to carry a license to kill. In Casino Royale M refers to Bond as a “blunt instrument.” It’s meant as an insult, but the words imply more of a complement. He is cold and vicious and he needs to be in order to survive. Killing shouldn’t bother him in the least. As he tells Vesper, “I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did.” Craig takes Bond’s bluntness to new heights in Quantum of Solace. He kills without remorse, guided by a steely glare. His eyes reveal indifference. After stabbing a “contact” in the neck, he holds the man down forcibly, waiting for the final breath to exit the man’s broken body. He seems frustrated that it takes so long for the man to die. This ruthless persona defines the 21st Century James Bond.

Craig exudes charm in his own way, but it’s the brutish kind, similar to that of Connery’s. This trait is befitting Bond who is first and foremost a man’s man. Pierce Brosnan and in particular Roger Moore were too proper for the role. Brosnan was suave and Moore humorous, but each failed to fully encapsulate Bond’s rogue nature and proclivity for inflicting violence. It is these qualities that make Craig such a strong 007. He operates in a world of secrets and lies, a world where trust is fleeting and treachery commonplace. To navigate and exist in this world James Bond must be willing to crawl in the dirt to achieve his objectives. At least he’ll look good doing it in his custom fit tuxedo.

Quantum of Solace continues the origin story of James Bond 007. But it is only the second act. What follows will almost certainly peel back another layer of the iconic MI-6 agent’s personality. I can’t wait to see what is underneath.