Skyfall: Scene-By-Scene

Skyfall: Scene-by-Scene

To engage the viewer,Skyfallbegins in media res. Bond is in the midst of a mission and his colleagues have been injured. “Ronson’s down,” he says. “He needs a medical evac.” The tinny voice of M (Judy Dench) can be heard through Bond’s earpiece. “Where is it?” she asks. “Is it there?” This line of dialogue contributes to audience engagement by encouraging the audience to speculate about what Bond is attempting to obtain. “We deliberately don’t say what has happened here up until this point,” director Sam Mendes says in his commentary for the film. At this point in the narrative, the score by Thomas Newman contributes significantly to audience engagement. The high tempo bass notes and percussion contributes to a sense of action and excitement as Bond tends to the injured Ronson. Narratives always begin with a disruption to the normal state of affairs.Skyfallis no exception. As Gareth Mallory explains towards the beginning of the film: “Three months ago, you lost the computer drive containing the identity of almost every NATO agent embedded in terrorist organizations across the globe.” The files were stolen by a disgruntled ex-spy called Silva (Javier Bardem) who seeks revenge after M abandoned him when he was captured by a foreign power. The stolen files are the first step in a confrontation between Silva and the British secret service. This complication forms the basis for the entire narrative, setting off a chain of cause and effect which creates conflict between Bond and Silva.

The opening shot of the film is composed to mimic the gun barrel logo that appears at the start of James Bond films. Bond’s steps into a hallway, backlit by warm, golden light. Moving further down the hallway, his piercing eyes highlighted by a shaft of warm light. This combination of shadow and warm light helps to establish Bond as the film’s protagonist while the composition of the shot mimics the traditional opening of a James Bond film. “What you see here now is, of course, another version of the gun barrel logo,” Mendes says in his commentary.

Towards the end of the opening sequence, director Mendes uses a number of production elements – including editing and sound – to create suspense and engage the audience. Mendes cuts back and forth between Bond and Patrice, who are struggling with each other on top of the train and Eve who is pursuing them. Cutting away from the struggle contributes significantly to audience engagement by prolonging the drama. The dramatic music continues to increase in intensity as Eve emerges from the ruined car with a rifle, crouching to take a shot. Mendes cuts to a point of view shot through the rifle’s sights. There are a series of close ups as he cuts back and forth between the sights, the look of concentration on her face and Bond. “I may have a shot,” Eve says. There is a mid shot of M, the camera dollying in the speakerphone. Mendes cuts rapidly between mid shot of Bond, the sights and a close up of Eve. “It’s not clean,” she says. The music continues to rise in intensity and the pace of editing becomes faster until M finally says, “Take the bloody shot.” There is a sharp crack as the rifle discharges and Bond falls from the roof of the train. Throughout much of this scene, Mendes uses loud non-diegetic music and fast paced editing to create a sense of action and excitement. When Bond is hit by the bullet, the music stops and there is silence, save for the ragged sound of Eve breathing and the desolate sound of wind. To draw out the suspense over Bond’s fate, Mendes cuts to a shot of M and then Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) as they wait for a response. Finally, he cuts to a shot of the speakerphone, the silence continuing for a moment before Eve says, “Agent down.”

M turns abruptly and walks to the window. The camera dollies in slowly on her back as raindrops fall. Mendes cuts to a closeup of M staring at the bleak weather, the corners of her mouth turned down slightly to convey the weight of her decision. The sound of rain transitions to the roar of the river as Bond plunges over a waterfall and disappears beneath the surface.

Mirroring the style of previous films in the franchise, the opening credit sequence ofSkyfallis highly stylised.

“InSkyfall, Kleinman’s sixth outing with the franchise, the viewer is completely immersed within the mind of Bond as he sinks to the bottom of a riverbed after being shot by friendly fire during the film’s climactic cold opening,” writes Ben Radatz. “Set in the depths and ruins of his own private thoughts and memories, the sequence is a combination of many analogies: his past and current emotional state, his uncertain future, his many indistinguishable misdeeds and duties flashing before his eyes. It is the first Bond sequence, and the first Bond film, to dig into 007’s psychological past, both using his childhood home as an emotional safehouse and a prison, giving his character greater depth and a vulnerability more in step with creator Ian Fleming’s incarnation of the gallant, yet flawed, superspy.” In the narrative, the audience is encouraged to identify with Bond, the film’s protagonist. The opening credit sequence takes the audience on a journey through the character’s mind.”

After the opening credit sequence, Mendes fades into an establishing shot of MI6 at night. He cuts to a shot of M sitting at her desk, the sound of thunder and rain contributing to a sense of melancholy. The camera dollies in on M who is sitting at her desk, typing. She raises one hand and brushes it against her face in a gesture of sadness. Mendes cuts to a close up of the laptop screen which has the word ‘Obituary’ next to a black and white photograph of Bond.

Miseen scene contributes significantly to character development when Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond recovering from his wound. At the beginning of this scene, there is a shot of Bond laying on a bed with a beautiful woman draped over him. The room is filled with natural, predawn light which gives the shot a morose and desolate feel. The stone wall behind the bed is cold and grey. This sense of melancholy is reinforced by the cool blue of Bond’s clothing. He stares into the distance and sips from a beer bottle emotionlessly, ignoring the woman beside him. As he removes the bottle from his mouth, his hand drops apathetically to his side. “You can tell from this one shot and the shots that follow that he’s still struggling,” says Mendes the commentary. “You see his wounds, you see his state of mind and even though he’s dropped out in this beautiful, rather desolate location on the coastline of Turkey, he’s kind of a solitary and lonely figure.”

Mendes cuts to another shot of Bond later that day. Although the light in this scene is comparatively warmer, it only serves to accentuate Bond’s grizzled appearance. His chin is covered with stubble and his face is gaunt. He scowls and grimaces, chewing a couple of painkillers. Filmed at twilight, the next shot has been colour graded to give it an overall blue tint which again expresses how despondent Bond feels. After the scene in the bar, Mendes cuts to another shot of Bond in the early hours of the next morning: hunched over the bar, head resting on his forearms and a morose expression on his face. The miseen scene in this shot conveys a sense of unhappiness. The shot is dominated by blue tones: his suit jacket and shirt, the glimpse of water and land beyond the ramshackle bar. The use of lighting also reinforces this as Mendes cuts to a wider shot of Bond reaching for a bottle of alcohol. The key light in this shot comes from the overcast sky, reflecting off the water and into the bar. Bond and the entire interior is backlit, creating a sense of gloom and reinforcing how far the character has fallen. There is a close up of Bond as he hears the voice of a news reporter saying, “Early reports from the scene indicate at least six dead, many more injured, with victims being evacuated to local hospitals within minutes of the explosion.”

After the devastating terrorist attack on MI6, Mendes cuts to a shot of M paying her respects to the dead agents. There is a shot of several coffins draped with British flags, the camera slowly moves down and tilts up to reveal the caskets stretching into the distance and M standing at the end of the room. This camera movement accentuates the number of coffins and emphasises the burden that M feels. Moments later, Mendes cuts to a close up of her grim expression. “I’m going to find whoever did this,” she says.

When Bond confronts Q at her house, Mendes uses handheld camera movement to convey the tension between these characters. While they’re talking, the camera moves restlessly which subtly helps to establish their strained relationship. “The scene between M and Bond in M’s house is a handheld scene that’s very static because I just wanted it to be uncomfortable,” says Mendes in his commentary for the film. “I just didn’t want it to settle. It felt too set.”

M:Where the hell have you been?
Bond:Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty.
M:Why didn’t you call?
Bond:You didn’t get the postcard? You should try it some time. Get away from it all. It really lends perspective.
M:Ran out of drink where you were, did they?
Bond:What was it you said? “Take the bloody shot.”
M:I made a judgment call.
Bond:You should have trusted me to finish the job.
M:It was the possibility of losing you or the certainty of losing all those other agents. I made the only decision I could and you know it.
Bond: I think you lost your nerve.
M:What do you expect, a bloody apology? You know the rules of the game. You’ve been playing it long enough. We both have.
Bond:Maybe too long.
M:Speak for yourself.
Bond:Ronson didn’t make it, did he?
M:No.
Bond:So this is it. We’re both played out.
M:Well, if you believe that, why did you come back?
Bond:Good question.
M:Because we’re under attack. And you know we need you.
Bond:Well, I’m here.
M:You’ll have to be debriefed and declared fit for active service. You can only return to duty when you’ve passed the tests, so take them seriously. And a shower might be in order.
Bond:I’ll go home and change.
M:Oh, we’ve sold your flat, put your things into storage. Standard procedure on the death of an unmarried employee with no next of kin. You should have called.
Bond:I’ll find a hotel.
M:Well, you’re bloody well not sleeping here.

Shortly after Bond’s return to London, Mendes uses a combination of music and editing to structure time, compressing the tests that Bond has to undergo into a few seconds of screen time. The sequence begins with a shot of a heart rate monitor, the camera dollies left to reveal Bond on a treadmill. “We’ve attempted to trace the computer message,” says Tanner, “but it was it was sent by an asymmetrical security algorithm, which bounced the signal all over the globe through over a thousand different servers. And now that they’ve accessed M’s codes, it’s only a matter of time before they’re able to decrypt the list.” The conversation continues when Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond doing sit-ups, then to him doing chin ups. The use dialogue and music give the montage a sense of continuity, helping to compress the long process of performing these tests into less than a minute of screen time. “You know, we can always do this later,” Tanner says as the montage ends.

As they leave the room, Bond collapses exhausted, backlit by harsh fluorescent lights and the decrepit walls of MI6’s new base of operations. This use of miseen scene contributes to the sense that his near-fatal injury has left him exhausted and out of shape. In his commentary for the film, Mendes reflects on his use of montage to convey important exposition to the audience: “We have this training sequence which I sort of shot and designed, along with Roger Deakins, to be almost a montage. As if it’s one continuous speech by Tanner in which he’s delivering the information, there’s quite a lot of information here: who they think or who they’re guessing is attacking MI6.”

The character of Bond is developed further in the next scene. This scene begins with a mid-shot of Bond pulling out a revolver and firing rounds into a paper target. Mendes cuts in to a close up of the target showing a bulletholeseveral inches to the left of its head. He cuts back to Bond who looks frustrated, massaging the wound in his shoulder with one hand. There is a pull focus to the examiner who stands to one side, watching impassively. Mendes cuts to a full shot of Bond who prepares himself for the next attempt. Cutting in to a close up of his face, Mendes pulls focus to the revolver which shakes noticeably. This combination of editing, acting and camera techniques all contribute to the sense that Bond has yet to recover from his injury. When he misses the next shot, Mendes cuts to a close up emphasising his frustration. The camera tracks Bond as he advances quickly towards the target, arm outstretched, firing rounds. Mendes cuts to a wider shot which shows the target riddled with bullets.

In the scene when Bond is questioned by the psychologist, Mendes uses harsh fluorescent lighting to make the scene more tense. “As Stanley Kubrick proved in Doctor Strangelove with good overhead lighting you can hold the master shot for much longer and then bring a kind of tension to the frame,” he says in the commentary for the film. In this scene, Bond’s dialogue helps to establish the character for the audience.

Psychologist:I’d like to start with some simple word associations. Just tell me the first word that pops into your head. For example, I might say “Day” and you might say…
Bond:Wasted.
Psychologist:All right. Gun.
Bond:Shot.
Psychologist:Agent.
Bond:Provocateur.
Psychologist:Woman.
Bond:Provocatrix.
Psychologist:Heart.
Bond:Target.
Psychologist:Bird.
Bond:Sky.
Psychologist:M.
Bond:Bitch.
Psychologist:Sunlight.
Bond:Swim.
Psychologist:Moonlight.
Bond:Dance.
Psychologist:Murder.
Bond:Employment.
Psychologist:Country.
Bond:England.
Psychologist:Skyfall. Skyfall.
Bond:Done.

In the subsequent scene, miseen scene and sound are used to convey the sense that Bond has hit rockbottom. Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond backlit by harsh fluorescent light in a dismal washroom. He removes his shirt, grunting with pain and grimacing. Mendes cuts to a close up as Bond as he removes a pen knife and pierces the wound, a trickle of blood running down his chest. The camera dollies in on his expression of intense pain before Mendes cuts to a shot of his hands washing the bloody shrapnel. He pokes the shrapnel gingerly with one finger. Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond who emerges from the darkness, handing a ziplock bag of bullet fragments to someone before saying, “Get these analysed. For her eyes only.” This scene is important in the chain of cause and effect, propelling the narrative forward as Bond resolves to rebuild himself and track down who stole the secret files.

When Tanner receives word about the origin of the shrapnel, M instructs Bond to track down a mercenary Patrice in Shanghai. “Find out who he works for and who has the list,” M says. “Then terminate him, for Ronson.” The first act of the narrative ends and Bond is propelled headlong into the pursuit of the terrorists who stole the files and destroyed MI6. “I didn’t know Bond passed the tests,” Tanner says as Bond leaves the room. “He didn’t,” replies M.

In the subsequent scene, Bond meets with Q to receive his equipment for the mission.

Q:Always makes me feel a little melancholy. A grand old warship being ignominiously hauled away for scrap. The inevitability of time, don’t you think? What do you see?
Bond:A bloody big ship. Excuse me.
Q:007…I’m your new Quartermaster.
Bond:You must be joking.
Q:Why, because I’m not wearing a lab coat? Because you still have spots. My complexion is hardly relevant.
Bond:Well, your competence is.
Q:Age is no guarantee of efficiency.
Bond:And youth is no guarantee of innovation.
Q:I’ll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field.
Bond:Oh, so why do you need me?
Q:Every now and then a trigger has to be pulled.
Bond:Or not pulled. It’s hard to know which in your pajamas. Q.
Q:007. Ticket to Shanghai. Documentation and passport.
Bond:Thank you.
Q:And this. Walther PPK/S 9mm short. There’s a micro-dermal sensor in the grip. It’s been coded to your palm print so only you can fire it. Less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement.
Bond:And this?
Q:Standard issue radio transmitter. Activate it and it broadcasts your location. Distress signal. And that’s it.
Bond:A gun…and a radio. Not exactly Christmas, is it?
Q:Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don’t really go in for that anymore. Good luck out there in the field. And please return the equipment in one piece.