Skyfall

Skyfall

1. Background and Context

   • one of the most commercially successful franchises ever.
   • mostly based on Ian Fleming novels.
   • 23rd film in franchise - longest running franchise ever ('Skyfall' marks Bond's 50th anniversary).
   • one of the most critically acclaimed films ever.
   • followed Quantum of Solace

2. Production

   • Director - Sam Mendes
   • Writers - Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan
   • Producer - Barbara Broccoli
   • Filming Locations - London, Shanghai, Pinewood Studios, Scottish Highlands, Japan, Instanbul, Turkey, Mi6 HQ.
   • Budget - $200,000,000
   • Production = at standstill for over a year because MGM (has 50% stake in Eon) had financial troubles and bankruptcy.
   • Production Co. - Eon Productions + Danjaq
   • Columbia Pictures (Conglomerate - Sony)

3. Marketing and Promotion

   • Adele theme song (albums no.1 globally), v. popular + current, song + series first hit in charts for years, won many awards.
   • Several companies involved in promotion
     • Omega Watches
     • Heineken - use of synergy
     • VW Beetle - product placement
     • Coke Zero - guerrilla marketing
   • Olympic Skydive with the Queen

4. Global Implications

   • filmed in lots of countries (China, Japan, Turkey, England etc.)
   • Earned $1.1 billion worldwide

5. Distribution

   • Sony Pictures spent $100m on promotion
   • Heineken paid over £28m to have their drink featured
   • Brand association = vast. Tom Ford Suits, Sony Vaio Laptops and VW Beetles
   • First Bond film to be screened in IMAX theatres

6. The 'Bond Genre'

   • How does it satisfy audience expectations?
     • cards/casinos
     • Aston Martin
     • Chase/fight scenes
     • villain
     • Bond girl
     • suits
     • Q and gadgets
     • the music
     • M
   • How does it re-invent the 'Bond Genre'?
     • weak Bond
     • Young Q
     • New HQ
     • first 6-packed Bond
     • M dies
     • Bond's past

7. Narrative

   • Todorov's Theory
     • Conventional narrative
       • straight into action
       • linear narrative
       • closed end
       • starts to follow Todorov after Mi6 explosion
     • Unconventional narrative
       • doesn't start with equilibrium
       • M dies
       • Bond dies in first 5 mins
       • insight into Bond's past
   • Propps theory
     • Hero = Bond
     • Villain = Silva
     • Donor = Q
     • Prize = Moneypenny/Severine
     • Helper = M
     • False hero = Mallory
     • this makes the structure quite conventional
   • Strauss - Binary Opposites
     • narrative can only develop if there are suitable opposites (to create conflict)
     • Good vs Evil
       • Bond vs Silva
         • Mi6 vs Terrorism
           • Britain vs World
   • Summary
     • Skyfall = predominantly conventional narrative
     • simple narrative arc
     • audience must be positioned to experience adventure alongside Bond, so no disruption of the linear structure would work.
     • deals with narrative strands previously unexplored (Bond's past, M dies)
     • Closed ending but paves way for more films
     • The Final Scene
       • emotional with M's death (new to Bond film)
       • Bond literally "stabs him in the back" - unheroic way to kill someone
         • not heroic ending we would expect from a bond film
       • patriotic ending - very British (flags, London iconography, bulldog)
       • positions audience to expect a new film

8. Representation

   • criticised for the lack of ethnic groups
   • Bond girl had always been a key component for the genre. Skyfall has been criticised for its negative representation of women
     • M = incompetent leader (says to "take the bloody shot" and Bond gets hit), overly sentimental to Bond, killed at the end, blamed for Silva's return, asked to "step down".
     • Moneypenny = 'incompetent fool', can't shoot, can't drive, ends up becoming a secretary
     • Severine = introduced to Bond @ Chinese casino, beautiful, scared, wants protection from Bond, shot because she's 'not involved' lack of self worth.

9. Audience

   • action scenes = mass audience appeal
   • global + mainstream audience
     • olympic opening ceremony attracts this
   • narrative - info on Bond's past which other films ignore
   • appeals to Sam Mendes fans (his first action movie)
   • Daniel Craig = first '6 packed Bond' - appeals to women
   • 50th anniversary

10. Audience Positioning

    • ending positions the audience to expect another film
    • positioned to experience the adventure along side Bond
      • No sub-plots
    • positioned to oppose Silva + see him as the ultimate enemy

11. Audience Response

    • some audiences could resist the film's ethnocentric positioning + see Skyfall as a relic of supporting British imperialism (key people in power = white)
    • "racist" repeatedly used to describe Skyfall
    • representation of women = almost disposable. All fall helpless to Bond's charm = sense of women being powerless + present to please male gaze
      • Laura Mulvey
      • Moneypenny = lack of ability in the field
      • M's demise
    • Silva's resemblance to Julian Assange could be read in an oppositional way
      • positioned to view people who put secret info online as cyber-criminals/terrorists
      • audience could view it as blatant propaganda which supports the government's view against criminals