Edmund Stoiber, former Prime Minister of Bavaria, world reknown re-inventor of Bavarians in lederhosen and laptop!
Edmund 'The Guillotine' Stoiber, personal political henchman of Franz Josef Strauß!
E-d-m-u-n-d-S-t-o-i-b-e-r!
Ok, so you haven't ever heard of this guy. Granted, he's what Bond would call 'a big fish in a small pond'. But this is really a pretty strange piece of curio. Stoiber is considered optionally a stuffy old man or a kind of wet blanket, suspected of drinking mineral water (probably non-sparkling) out of the obligatory beer-stein whenever Bavarian politics called for indigenous, down-to-earth pics of its protagonists. Until this morning I'd have said he's about as likley a Bond fan as the Pope. Well now, perhaps the Pope is too? For Stoiber undoubtedly is more into Bond than the everage cinema-goer. And evidently quite at ease with the films general direction and the series' changes.
But read his thoughts on 'Quantum Of Solace' for yourself and make up your own minds.
The Spy He Loves (Stoiber that is)
In March 2008 Edmund Stoiber, former Prime Minister of Bavaria, gave an interview to Süddeutsche Zeitung concerning his life after he gave up his post. In this, he admitted to being a Bond fan. So the Magazin of the Süddeutsche Zeitung invited Stoiber and his wife to see ’Quantum Of Solace’. This is Stoiber’s review:
Bond. James Bond. Although this key scene is missing in the new 007 flick: The legend lives on.
Director Marc Forster didn’t just direct the most expensive Bond film, but also the most successful one of all time. Fans and critics are aglow. The box office figures of ’Quantum Of Solace’ break all previous records. And really the Bond producers succeeded in delivering an extraordinary work. Devoid of any nostalgia, they transported the British Super-Agent into the 21st century. Bond has changed. The hero has become human and vulnerable. For the first time, he has a past, the murder of his love Vesper, which left him quite traumatised. The heartbreaker has suffered a broken heart himself. Where there was little time for emotion in the past and an inclination to ironic self-mockery predominated, the new Bond is almost passionate underneath his cold armour. Not the famous sarcasm, but grief, anger and love make up the new driving forces that let Bond, in the end, naturally, survive all his adventures.
But, all re-invention of the world’s most famous action-hero, with a brilliant Daniel Craig, aside, it’s less Bond that has changed, but the world he comes to rescue for. The East-West-confrontation, that has seemingly made all dangers clearly defined and assessable, manageable, is a thing of the past. In contrast to today’s challenges, many of Cold War’s uncertainties looked nearly reliable and calculable. In those days Bond still did have time: for beautiful women, for the barkeeper and the perfect recipe for the odd Martini. For flirtatious banter with Miss Moneypenny. Or for the detailed briefing on the use of the several gadgets and weapons. Good old days. Now, everything has changed.
The globalized world turns faster. The enemy isn’t reliable any more; not even the friend. Bond doesn’t have time and opportunity any more to indulge in the lush life of elegance. Even the villains have changed. No longer do states or individual megalomaniacs threaten the world; it’s an international network of smart terrorists that does so this time. And still, or perhaps better, therefore this Bond is more politic than ever. This starts with the financial crisis that leaves it’s mark when criminals demand their funds in Euro, not in Dollars. And keeps up to the topic of our environmental resources when water, most precious property of the future, is used as a key element.
But most of all -whether justifiably or not- the current image of the USA is denounced pitilessly. The USA are depicted as morally questionable, relentlessly pursuing their fight for oil without regard for former friends and even allies with the villain. CIA cooperates with a corrupt Bolivian general and Bond adversary Green, to secure it’s command over South America’s last oil reserves. Bond not fighting the Russians but the USA - until yesterday completely incredible! And is it coincidence that , of all men, it’s a black CIA agent that saves and recaptures the American’s moral integrity? Hardly. Bond is one step ahead in depicting one of world’s changes: With Barack Obama being elected President Of The United States Of America, the common anti-Americanism is bound to vanish. Even before Obama’s inauguration, this element is going to change the world’s politic affairs drastically. This positive start comes with enormous chances, but also with risks and challenges, especially for us Europeans. Because the world’s last remaining Superpower America, with its actions and the critics these provoked, used to be far more comfortable for its partners than many would like to admit.
The end is conciliating. Even Bond-traditionalists discover the odd treasured detail, such as the classic presentation of the main titles song. Tradition and progress, the recipe for success even in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 007 uncovers the truth and -against all expectations- renounces from his deadly revenge. His love hasn’t betrayed him. Bond’s black CIA friend gets promoted, the world trusts into a new America.
So at the end is: A Quantum Of Solace.
The original German version of this review can be found here at Suddeutsche Zeitung Magazin's webcontent.
