34 replies to this topic

[GBaxter]

What are your 3 favorite scenes from Casino Royale and please say why, for each scene named ?

Edited by GBaxter, 30 March 2007 - 02:44 PM.

[VisualStatic]

Not in any particular order.
1. PTS - Just love the noir feel. Plus I love the quote, "Yes, considerably." Its so Bond.

2. Torture scene. Again, its the dialog, Craig's lines are so Bond I felt.

3. M coming out of the committee meeting. See sig below, I loved that dialog.

These just happen to be the ones that stand out, among others, but if I had to pick 3.

[Santa]

The shower scene - it felt real.
Vesper's look at Bond as she goes under - it said everything in just one look.
Bond and Vesper on the train - it had a good, old fashioned feel to it, and showed good chemistry between DC and Eva.

[erniecureo]

The scene in the casino just before 007 grabs the knife to go after Le Chiffre...don't really know why, I just dig it.

The stairwell fight, including strangling the guy. Very tough, very old-school Bond. Showed that it's not all pistols and silencers at twenty paces--killing is often hard, dirty work.


Finally, CR did something I've missed lately, which I really like--the sweeping, dramatic establishing shots when the locales shifted. The train at night introducing us to Montenegro (and the Casino exterior), the aerial shot of Loket (the little village where they have lunch), the seaplane landing in the Bahamas, the shots of Lake Como...I love them all. They are a crucial part of what defines a Bond movie for me.

[Mr_Wint]

Finally, CR did something I've missed lately, which I really like--the sweeping, dramatic establishing shots when the locales shifted. The train at night introducing us to Montenegro (and the Casino exterior), the aerial shot of Loket (the little village where they have lunch), the seaplane landing in the Bahamas, the shots of Lake Como...I love them all. They are a crucial part of what defines a Bond movie for me.

So true! They really take some time to show the locations and I like that. We haven't seen this amount of sweeping shots since... TLD? This is also something that works extremely well with the typical Barry-strings.

[00Twelve]

Gotta pick 3? Sigh. Alright, no particular order.

1. The shower scene - I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so touching, so melancholy, so (forgive the generality) "human" in a Bond film before. David Arnold's "Vesper" is by far the best melancholy romantic theme he's ever written for a Bond film, if only that (He's better at the minor keys than the major, it seems!). The whole scene is just fantastic. It's a benchmark for the series in terms of its realism.

2. The "dirty martini" sequence. This kind of immediate danger and the glamourless solutions Bond attempts in order to stay alive just scream "IAN FLEMING!!" to me. I'm so pleasantly shocked that the writers and director included the scene in the bathroom, so well photographed. The need for a defibrilator was by far the best and most practical (Uh, yeah?) "gadget" use I may have ever seen.

3. The torture scene. Thank you, EON, for finally bringing a literary torture scene to film that actually makes us wince and squirm. Suffering that kind of pain and still never breaking is what defined Bond on the page for me, and finally we see it. Dan handled the "itch" bit flawlessly, which I didn't even know was coming. Brilliant. I've never felt the "fall out laughing" and "gritting teeth at the pain" feelings together before. Now let's see Tee Hee break his finger next time! Just kidding. But no, really, let's see the finger get broken.

[stamper]

1. The airport scene, because the payoff (which wasn't in the script I saw) is great, pure fleming, and the smile on Bond's face priceless

2. The poison scene, when Bond forces himself to vomit, and almost dies. I think Vesper is a bit too fast to understand the thing and help, but it's still an astonishing, very well shot scene.

3. The "name is bond, james bond" final scene. I ejaculated in my pants, and I'm not gay.

[ChronoBreak]

1) The Madagascar footchase. Thrilling, unique, adrenaline-pumping, and amusing all at once. These are the kinds of action sequences that I hope they continue shooting for during Craig's era.

2) The PTS. Every single element is simply glorious. IMO, the most memorable entrance for any James Bond actor.

3) Bond and Vesper's entrance to Casino Royale. After the amusing back-and-forth over their codenames in the car, Bond's complete disregard for the plan when he introduces himself at the desk are great to see. "You'll sign for that. You represent the treasury." Love it.

[plankattack]

3. The "name is bond, james bond" final scene. I ejaculated in my pants, and I'm not gay.

I'm with you here (not in that sense, of course ) The whole film is about getting to that moment.

The train is terrific, well-written and well-acted. For all those that ask about Bonding-up Craig etc - don't tell me that that 5 or 6 minutes isn't the Bond we all know and love. I could picture anyone of the other 5 sitting in that scene and being just as good as DC, so don't tell me that anyone needs to be Bonded up.

The parkour chase is terrific, imaginative and terrifically edited - watch the look on DC's face as he nearly catches Mollaka's foot as he's jumping from girder to suspended pipes. Or as DC turns his face running after him inside the hotel after kicking in the door. After the CGI excesses of DAD, it was nice to see real people (safety cables or no) jumping about at great heights. Classic Bond stuntwork.

[Professor Dent]

Here are mine in chronological order:

• The Madagascar footchase because of the great stunts & minimal CGI. In a way, this could have been a suitable PTS if we didn't need to see Bond get his double-o status.
• The scene where Bond take Solange for a quick spin in the Aston Martin after he wins it in the poker game. When he pulls up back in front of the same hotel, it cracked me up in the theater & still does when I see it.
• The train scene where Bond & Vesper meet. It had the feel of an older Bond movie plus it had some really good back & forth dialog between the characters. Bond's look at the end of the scene after Vesper walks away is priceless.

[Bond fan since March 2000]

Hmm, this is hard so I'll do my best!

1.Construction Site Chase:One of the 5 greatest chases in any Bond film. Just thrilling & with so much energy, it's up there with the ski jump in TSWLM & the tanker chase in LTK & the PTS of Goldenye. Just great stuff.

2.The torture scene:This is 3rd place out of my top 3 & was hard to decide, but I love the acting by Craig who really does feel like he's in pain & it had me with at least one hand over my balls for the rest of the film the 1st trime I watched. I also loved the dialogue which added great humor to an otherwise dark scene.

3.The ending:Just perfect way to end. One of the best utterances of that classic line with one of the best versions of the Bond theme ever. Quite possibly my favorite ending.

[bill007]

(Well done, GBaxter. Great thread. )

1> The beginning: Black & White PTS. What an introduction to Daniel Craig as Bond. And the look on his face just after he says "Yes. Considerably." then gets up to leave. I can almost read his mind...."Right. That's done. Next."

2> The middle: The Montenegro train scene. The sweeping scene, the music, the setting, the dialog, the attire. This told me: OK. We've had action in Madagascar. We've had action scene in Miami. Now, let's settle in for a good story.

3> The end: Mr. White is snared. "The Name is Bond. James Bond." (And your is mine.) Absolutely beyond description.

[Publius]

1. Pre-titles sequence. Some of the most powerful moments in any Bond film ever, from the brutal reality of it all to Craig's handling both the raw grit and morbid humor with equal ease. Craig makes Bond a badass again.

2. Madagascar. One of the most thrilling chase sequences in action movie history. I love the contrast between Mollaka's effortless grace and Bond's messy force, but how Bond makes up the difference by thinking outside the box. That and legit stunts replacing CGI, with great atmosphere to support it (the snake/mongoose fight, running through the jungle as plants whip our view, the aerial shots of the crane). Oh, and the return of a physical Bond.

3. "Bond, James Bond" + the Bond theme. The only two sacred cows I even give a damn about, and not only are they used well for the first time in what seems like ages, but quite possibly the best uses ever. Definitely the strongest close to a Bond movie, bar none. Craig makes Bond damn cool once more.


Interesting to note that I prefer the P&W original stuff to what's based on the novel, even as much as I love the latter. Hope that says something about Bond 22.

[Shadow Syndicate]

Here are mine in chronological order:

• The train scene where Bond & Vesper meet. It had the feel of an older Bond movie plus it had some really good back & forth dialog between the characters. Bond's look at the end of the scene after Vesper walks away is priceless.

I agree. But i really wanted him to say 'bitch' afterwards as he does after meeting Domino in Literary TB.

[tdalton]

1. The train scene where Bond and Vesper first meet: great dialogue, and the interaction between Craig and Green is great, and the whole scene just has the feel of a classic Bond film.

2. The scene where Bond and Vesper check into the hotel: this, to me, was the scene in which Craig really took off with the character for me, as he wrapped up everything that I was looking for in the character all in this one scene. Even though he was arrogant through most of the film, this is where I thought that the arrogance was especially well done, with him getting rid of his cover within seconds of arriving at the hotel, and then continuing to show that arrogance in his conversation with Vesper before she got on the elevator alone

3. The torture scene: this is just simply one of the best scenes in the entire series. Craig shows such great acting ability hear as he is able to make the audience both feel horrified as well as laugh. Brilliant.

[Flash1087]

I hate to pick three, but...

1. The PTS/Main Title Sequence: the bathroom fight is the most brutal thing I think I'd ever seen in a Bond movie, the assassination was brilliantly filmed and acted, and the Main Titles are probably the best the series has ever seen

2. Madagascar Chase: at once adrenalin-pumping (the New Holland crashing through the fence), heart-stopping (the utter silence as Bond jumps from one crane to another), and smartly humorous (Bond busting through the drywall like the Incredible Hulk)

3. Vesper's Death: the torture scene was a scant twenty minutes ago or so, and this is still the worst thing to happen to Bond since OHMSS. I really felt for him right then.

Edited by Flash1087, 31 March 2007 - 07:06 AM.

[Qwerty]

#1 - Entrance of Vesper Lynd. <<insert Xenia's orgasmic scream of pleasure here>> This is how you introduce a Bond girl into the film. My favourite scene of the film and it rivals my all time favourite scene in the series: Tracy rescuing Bond. The dialogue and the performances are outstanding. Love love love love it.

#2 - Bond vs. Mollaka. A brilliant chase with some very fancy footwork and a great music cue from David Arnold.

#3 - "I won't get worried until I start weeping blood." A small line, but I love Le Chiffre's ever so slight smile in response. Perfect interaction between the hero and the villain.

[bill007]

Here are mine in chronological order:

• The train scene where Bond & Vesper meet. It had the feel of an older Bond movie plus it had some really good back & forth dialog between the characters. Bond's look at the end of the scene after Vesper walks away is priceless.

I agree. But i really wanted him to say 'bitch' afterwards as he does after meeting Domino in Literary TB.

Yes, but he was certainly thinking, wasn't he.

[Dr. Noah]

I'll take the stairwell fight, the "Do I look like I give a damn?" and fake bluff.

Have we named every scene in the film yet?

[LadySylvia]

Three favorite CR sequences:

1. Stairwell Fight - one of the best fight sequences that I have ever seen.

2. Bond Meets Vesper on Train - their meeting seemed reminscent of a 30s or 40s romantic comedy

3. Bond Wins the Tournament - poker had never seemed so exciting

[Qwerty]

I'll take the stairwell fight, the "Do I look like I give a damn?" and fake bluff.

Have we named every scene in the film yet?

Probably will sooner or later.

[mrsbonds_ppk]

*Train Scene with James and Vesper- Great conversation and trains are romantic..

*Fight in the stairwell- Bond kills with his bare hands...Bond doesn't mess around... then after he cleans himself up looking in the mirror.

*Airport Chase/fight- the cynical look Bond gives at the end of this sequence is worth it all.

I must put these two as extras:

Shower scene- Yes I loved it. It wasn't soft. Bond can be sensitive.
Scene in the bathroom PTS- Kicking

[Bondfiend]

In no particular order...

1.) Train scene - Very elegant, nice score, and Vesper's abrupt entrance makes me laugh every time. Also, the dialogue between her and Bond is well-written and well-acted.

2.) The car-flip - The romance and danger of driving through a foreign country at break-neck speed at night and then the amazing crash really melts my butter.

3.) THE PTS - Very well cut and gritty as hell. I loved it.

[JLaidlaw]

For me it's all about how the music changes your perception of the film. David Arnold's score really works in these places:

1) The wonderful orchestral You Know My Name on those establishing shots of Prague... I mean Montenegro
2) Vesper's death, so tragic, I think we all fell for her a little, and I think Craig showed that Bond loved Vesper more than he loved Tracy- after all, in the books Vesper's the only woman Bond proposes to.
3) Bond... James Bond, simply because it managed to make a happy ending after such sadness.

The scenes are acted/filmed so well, they just feel so perfect.

And that's my 100th post. I feel a little excited about that.

[Trident]

Picking three? Pheeew, no go!

The whole of CR is extremely fine and outstanding. Practically all of the above mentioned scenes are so great that a lot of other movies (including from the Bond series itself) would have been grateful if they had just a single one of them, be that bathroom, PTS, parcour chase, stairwell fight, poisoning, car chase and so on.

One particular scene stands out for me though (at the moment that is):
Bond realizing he's defeated and deciding to take LeChiffre right there in the Casino with the steak knife. No chance in heaven or hell for him to get away from the the scene with all those security and bystanders, yet he's bound on pulling it through. That one is a real Bond moment IMHO.

[JADSTERSDAD]

Well....... as usual, I'll have to break the rules.

Three 'little' moments, and three 'big' ones.

First, the big.

The free-running. Outstanding. Great stunts, special effects, direction, acting, editing and music, all working in harmony so that none stand above the others. The greatest introduction to Daniel's Bond we could get.

Note - lots of people mentioning the PTS. It was good, and his lines are good, but it just didn't have the impact for me that it did for some.

Consequently.....choice 2, the Title sequence itself! From the gunbarrel (phew!) to the bold and perfectly executed (and appropriate) titles, accompanied by the second-best non-Barry Bond song yet. Again, the perfect song to introduce Daniel. These titles made me feel like the old PTS's used to. Amazing achievement!

Three.... The train dialogue. Ok, it was 'in your face' in one way, in terms of the writer's art, but it was played so well, functioned so well in the course of the story and - above all - made Daniel seem even MORE Bond than he had up until that time!

It was hard. There are many more.

And the 'little' moments?

The Drive to the Ocean Club. No tuxedo, no Aston.......no action! Just a drive! And a mobile. But pure, pure Bond. Upped the ante 'considerably'.

Vesper's underwater acting. Ok.... a 'big' moment, but short and could have been so much less but is genuinely affecting each time you watch it.

And....of course......the final moments. Bond.....James Bond. Again, a 'big' moment, but in terms of it's throwaway nature and short running time, never has a scene delivered so much to fans with so little effort (unless you count the whole previous body of the movie as leading up to that point!).

There.

[chris-o]

My favourite 3 scenes:

• The Opening Sequence, "I know where you keep your gun!"
• The scene when Bond puts on his smoking and walks to the poker tournament, I did the same when I was going to the casino.
• The last scene, because the Bond Theme starts now.

[Qwerty]

Welcome to the CBn Forums, chris-o.

[spynovelfan]

Shower, mirror, torture. All better the novel, and I never thought they'd do that.

[Mamadou]

Just three? Ooh, this will hurt.

In no particular order:
1. Parkour chase - it's going to be hard to never see this in the theatre again, because three out of three times I saw it there, I would always gasp several times (and very nearly scream at a few points). This was actually the scene that kept me going to the movie theatre: I'm willing to watch the rest of the movie on my computer or on TV, but nothing's going to replace the feeling of watching this scene on a giant screen.

2. Final scene - all three times I saw this film, the audience (including myself) cheered just as the theme cut in. And believe me, we wouldn't have been cheering if there'd been nothing to cheer about. Kudos to DC for delivering a great line. I needed a cigarette after this was all over.

3. PTS/Main titles - once again, the audience (and myself) was cheering at the gunbarrel. Never have I had such a high at a film before. From that moment on, I knew I'd be watching a great film.