3 replies to this topic

[Leon]

I always felt the plot in Quantum of Solace was pretty bad, but this article offers further food for thought:


"The decision to set this movie in Bolivia was puzzling, because based on my knowledge of the geopolitical influence of Latin American countries, I posit the following: Bolivia doesn't matter. In fact, none of the scenes in the movie were even shot in Bolivia (shot in Chile instead). But what makes this plot industrial-strength stupid is that it's based on a true story. Only they forgot to tell you that. What's it called when you borrow a story without giving credit? Oh yeah, theft. But to be fair, they did change the story by making it duller:

In 1999, Bechtel corporation signed a contract with the president of Bolivia to privatize the water supply in the 3rd-largest city, and shortly thereafter tripled the water rates (source - new window). Yeah, that's right, they tripled the rates in real life... so when the bad guy in James Bond threatens to double the rates, it's like the producers are challenging you to give less of a ****. They took a non-interesting real-life story and somehow made it less interesting than real life." - Maddox

http://www.thebestpa...ntum_of_phallus (Caution: strong language and adult humour)


Maddox may be crude and overbearing with his internet-posted opinions, but he's often pretty correct in my view, and this is no different - he hits the nail on the head. When will we see a good Bond film plot?

[Hitmonk]

Bolivia doesn't matter...except that Bechtel saw it differently - now which side of the fence are we actually sitting on here?

Similarly, most of the Bond movies have borrowed something or other from contemporary news stories (beginning with the stolen painting which pops up in Dr No), so QoS is no different in this respect. Not quite sure how it can be considered "theft" when it’s something already in the public domain.

[pgram]

Bolivia doesn't matter...except that Bechtel saw it differently - now which side of the fence are we actually sitting on here?

Similarly, most of the Bond movies have borrowed something or other from contemporary news stories (beginning with the stolen painting which pops up in Dr No), so QoS is no different in this respect. Not quite sure how it can be considered "theft" when it’s something already in the public domain.

No, it's not the same. Like I said in my review of the film, Maddox is right, it is the first case where we have a real story in a Bond film, not a story inspired by a real situation.

Still, this article has been brought to our attention at this forum in the past, some months ago. Don't remember exactly the thread.

[ACE]

Hmmm, I thought the plot was clever. It is a mixture of the diversion of water as used in Chinatown and the corporate monopoly of a vital resource as seen in the movie, Total Recall.

I like the reference to corporate oligarchies and their involvement in shaping or helping to shape government policy.

QoS however, IMO, does fail to spell out the consequence. Bolivia is just the first of many Latin American territories Quantum will topple in a "domino effect" (nice play on that political term). Control of a utility is effectively disproportionate control on a government. Now, the film does not spell this out point by point but it does mention and imply it. I wish it could have really underlined it but then that might have been too much on the nose.

Bond plots are always inspired by real-life events. However, no-one is suggesting that Bechtel artificially created a drought. That seems to be the heinous aspect of Quantum's dealings, not a mere price rise. That is the clever part of the story and where Maddox displays his "industrial-strength stupid[ity]". Perhaps Maddox should pay a little more attention to the facts of the movie he is supposedly reviewing in order to get his facts right. Maddox is ill-informed tosh, IMO!