Skyfall

Skyfall

Background and Context
1. one of the most commercially successful franchises ever.
2. mostly based on Ian Fleming novels.
3. 23rd film in franchise - longest running franchise ever ('Skyfall' marks Bond's 50th anniversary).
4. one of the most critically acclaimed films ever.
5. followed Quantum of Solace
Production
1. Director - Sam Mendes
2. Writers - Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan
3. Producer - Barbara Broccoli
4. Filming Locations - London, Shanghai, Pinewood Studios, Scottish Highlands, Japan, Instanbul, Turkey, Mi6 HQ.
5. Budget - $200,000,000
6. Production = at standstill for over a year because MGM (has 50% stake in Eon) had financial troubles and bankruptcy.
7. Production Co. - Eon Productions + Danjaq
8. Columbia Pictures (Conglomerate - Sony)
Marketing and Promotion
1. Adele theme song (albums no.1 globally), v. popular + current, song + series first hit in charts for years, won many awards.
2. Several companies involved in promotion
  1. Omega Watches
  2. Heineken - use of synergy
  3. VW Beetle - product placement
  4. Coke Zero - guerrilla marketing
3. Olympic Skydive with the Queen
Global Implications
1. filmed in lots of countries (China, Japan, Turkey, England etc.)
2. Earned $1.1 billion worldwide
Distribution
1. Sony Pictures spent $100m on promotion
2. Heineken paid over £28m to have their drink featured
3. Brand association = vast. Tom Ford Suits, Sony Vaio Laptops and VW Beetles
4. First Bond film to be screened in IMAX theatres
The 'Bond Genre'
1. How does it satisfy audience expectations?
  1. cards/casinos
  2. Aston Martin
  3. Chase/fight scenes
  4. villain
  5. Bond girl
  6. suits
  7. Q and gadgets
  8. the music
  9. M
2. How does it re-invent the 'Bond Genre'?
  1. weak Bond
  2. Young Q
  3. New HQ
  4. first 6-packed Bond
  5. M dies
  6. Bond's past
Narrative
1. Todorov's Theory
  1. Conventional narrative
    1. straight into action
    2. linear narrative
    3. closed end
    4. starts to follow Todorov after Mi6 explosion
  2. Unconventional narrative
    1. doesn't start with equilibrium
    2. M dies
    3. Bond dies in first 5 mins
    4. insight into Bond's past
2. Propps theory
  1. Hero = Bond
  2. Villain = Silva
  3. Donor = Q
  4. Prize = Moneypenny/Severine
  5. Helper = M
  6. False hero = Mallory
  7. this makes the structure quite conventional
3. Strauss - Binary Opposites
  1. narrative can only develop if there are suitable opposites (to create conflict)
  2. Good vs Evil
    1. Bond vs Silva
      1. Mi6 vs Terrorism
        Britain vs World
4. Summary
  1. Skyfall = predominantly conventional narrative
  2. simple narrative arc
  3. audience must be positioned to experience adventure alongside Bond, so no disruption of the linear structure would work.
  4. deals with narrative strands previously unexplored (Bond's past, M dies)
  5. Closed ending but paves way for more films
  6. The Final Scene
    1. emotional with M's death (new to Bond film)
    2. Bond literally "stabs him in the back" - unheroic way to kill someone
      1. not heroic ending we would expect from a bond film
    3. patriotic ending - very British (flags, London iconography, bulldog)
    4. positions audience to expect a new film
Representation
1. criticised for the lack of ethnic groups
2. Bond girl had always been a key component for the genre. Skyfall has been criticised for its negative representation of women
  1. 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".
  2. Moneypenny = 'incompetent fool', can't shoot, can't drive, ends up becoming a secretary
  3. Severine = introduced to Bond @ Chinese casino, beautiful, scared, wants protection from Bond, shot because she's 'not involved' lack of self worth.
Audience
1. action scenes = mass audience appeal
2. global + mainstream audience
  1. olympic opening ceremony attracts this
3. narrative - info on Bond's past which other films ignore
4. appeals to Sam Mendes fans (his first action movie)
5. Daniel Craig = first '6 packed Bond' - appeals to women
6. 50th anniversary
Audience Positioning
1. ending positions the audience to expect another film
2. positioned to experience the adventure along side Bond
  1. No sub-plots
3. positioned to oppose Silva + see him as the ultimate enemy
Audience Response
1. some audiences could resist the film's ethnocentric positioning + see Skyfall as a relic of supporting British imperialism (key people in power = white)
2. "racist" repeatedly used to describe Skyfall
3. representation of women = almost disposable. All fall helpless to Bond's charm = sense of women being powerless + present to please male gaze
  1. Laura Mulvey
  2. Moneypenny = lack of ability in the field
  3. M's demise
4. Silva's resemblance to Julian Assange could be read in an oppositional way
  1. positioned to view people who put secret info online as cyber-criminals/terrorists
  2. audience could view it as blatant propaganda which supports the government's view against criminals

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