141 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

Marc Forster on Quantum of Solace; working with David Arnold

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

[MattofSteel]

Well, that settles the debate on who's responsible for the editing. I've defended a lot of Forster's direction in the past, and I still will, but in that one element I can't get on board. Stylistically, emotionally, etc. - it was an interesting choice and certainly honest to the story. But aesthetically, I think it took something away.

Still a great choice to keep Arnold on board, though.

[Santa]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

Well, you succeeded but I don't think it's anything to be proud of.

[Loomis]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

And then, unfortunately, you carried on.

[Judo chop]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

I wonder if you considered the possibility that you’d permanently lose a few audience members in doing so?

No matter. I was able to hop back onboard. Thank you.

[HildebrandRarity]

He confirms what I wrote about the opening in my review. Best Bond film yet. Well done to both Forster and Arnold.

[Mr_Wint]

The studio didn't really say much, it was more from me.

Good, then we can just blame everything on Forster!

I wouldn’t be surprised if he's behind the climate change, too.

[MattofSteel]

Forster wants his crew and then keeps the weakest ling from EON, namely I-cannot-for-the-life-of-me-create-a-decent-soundtrack-Arnold and changes the rest.

Nice admiiting that he is the one to blame. Please never let him near another 007 production the man is more destructive than constructive.

I figured the Arnold haters would find that particularly ironic and painful. In my opinion, I don't think we could have a better torch-carrier on the Bond franchise, musically, than David. And I think the moment the series gets a new composer with a distinctly different style, people will instantly start to want Arnold back.

[Tybre]

Forster wants his crew and then keeps the weakest ling from EON, namely I-cannot-for-the-life-of-me-create-a-decent-soundtrack-Arnold and changes the rest.

Nice admiiting that he is the one to blame. Please never let him near another 007 production the man is more destructive than constructive.

I figured the Arnold haters would find that particularly ironic and painful. In my opinion, I don't think we could have a better torch-carrier on the Bond franchise, musically, than David. And I think the moment the series gets a new composer with a distinctly different style, people will instantly start to want Arnold back.

As long as John Barry is alive, you can bring in whoever you want. People'll still bitch that he ain't no John Barry, and demand they "bring Barry back".

[Professor Dent]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

And then, unfortunately, you carried on.

I agree. Forster's statement does nothing to explain the editing in the rest of the movie. I am glad he kept Arnold on for the score, though.

[DaveBond21]

Forster has made a good James Bond movie.

My only complaint about it, is this editing issue. I think he has some wonderful action scenes filmed, when it came to the opening car chase and the Siena footchase but the editing spoiled them a little.

[crheath]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

Well, you succeeded but I don't think it's anything to be proud of.

He wanted to create the opening to be very disorienting? I don't think so. Sounds like just an excuse for the criticism it got.

[Major Tallon]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

Well, you succeeded but I don't think it's anything to be proud of.

He wanted to create the opening to be very disorienting? I don't think so. Sounds like just an excuse for the criticism it got.

I don't think so. In response to all the people speculating about a future "director's cut," it's been my view all along that the version of "Quantum of Solace" we have is the director's cut. There are some sequences that I wish had been edited differently, but I think the opening car chase and the rooftop chase work quite well.

[sharpshooter]

'I wanted to create that opening to be very disorientating...'

And then, unfortunately, you carried on.

Precisely, the dizzy editing permeates throughout the film - not just the opening car chase. Obviously the editing style wasn't an exclusive concept just for the opening. Or it was, but somebody got carried away.

[Bucky]

so it sounds like i can give forster all the credit for making quantum of solace an awesome movie.

[The Shark]

I figured the Arnold haters would find that particularly ironic and painful. In my opinion, I don't think we could have a better torch-carrier on the Bond franchise, musically, than David. And I think the moment the series gets a new composer with a distinctly different style, people will instantly start to want Arnold back.

People will actually miss his nauseating synth beats?

I can think of a number of better torch carriers, though for someone reason they chose the generic choice. And no John Barry will never come back, but there are still many other possibles, that can bring a truly magical sound to the franchise again. Nothing Bond-lite.

How about someone who's actually musically trained at a college, has an advanced knowledge of music theory, and understands orchestration?

Edited by The Shark, 12 August 2009 - 01:20 AM.

[00Twelve]

Ah, that lovely car chase. Wonderful stuff.

[MattofSteel]

I figured the Arnold haters would find that particularly ironic and painful. In my opinion, I don't think we could have a better torch-carrier on the Bond franchise, musically, than David. And I think the moment the series gets a new composer with a distinctly different style, people will instantly start to want Arnold back.

People will actually miss his nauseating synth beats?

I can think of a number of better torch carriers, though for someone reason they chose the generic choice. And no John Barry will never come back, but there are still many other possibles, that can bring a truly magical sound to the franchise again. Nothing Bond-lite.

How about someone who's actually musically trained at a college, has an advanced knowledge of music theory, and understands orchestration?

We're all waiting for an example.

[bond 16.05.72]

I have to say my QOS Blu Ray turned up yesterday and popped in the player to watch that PTS again before my Wife and I left for the gym last night and wow!

It looked superb, I've always loved that opening tracking shot across the lake but watching the chase itself again it seemed to flow much better, the blu looks superb and I look forward to a CR/QOS Blu Ray double bill very soon.

I must say there are snippets of Arnolds score I really like, the piece he uses in the PTS that is reprised in the climax is one of my favourite cues of his.

[The Shark]

I figured the Arnold haters would find that particularly ironic and painful. In my opinion, I don't think we could have a better torch-carrier on the Bond franchise, musically, than David. And I think the moment the series gets a new composer with a distinctly different style, people will instantly start to want Arnold back.

People will actually miss his nauseating synth beats?

I can think of a number of better torch carriers, though for someone reason they chose the generic choice. And no John Barry will never come back, but there are still many other possibles, that can bring a truly magical sound to the franchise again. Nothing Bond-lite.

How about someone who's actually musically trained at a college, has an advanced knowledge of music theory, and understands orchestration?

We're all waiting for an example.

Elliot Goldenthaal for one, though I've already mentioned him before.

[HildebrandRarity]

Who?

Barry is old and very ill. Loved him...but get over him, get over Connery. Move on.

As for Arnold in Q0S...I noted mandolin, I noted reverbed guitar work, I noted thundering percussion...but I barely noted any 'synth'. The Quantum/Night At The Opera que was mesmeric. Arnold is a James Bond fan through-and-through and I think he's done well for the franchise lately.

[sharpshooter]

The Quantum/Night At The Opera que was mesmeric. Arnold is a James Bond fan through-and-through and I think he's done well for the franchise lately.

Agreed. I quite like Arnold's work on Tomorrow Never Dies, but his best work has been in the two Craig films. Everybody in general has lifted their game.

[HildebrandRarity]

Tomorrow Never Dies could be regarded as his best but he was fully channelling Barry in it. It's safe to say he was channelling Barry less so in CR and Q0S...but then Barry is synonymous with The James Bond 'Sound' so it would be hard not to have some Barry in a 007 film.

[The Shark]

As for Arnold in Q0S...I noted mandolin, I noted reverbed guitar work, I noted thundering percussion...but I barely noted any 'synth'. The Quantum/Night At The Opera que was mesmeric. Arnold is a James Bond fan through-and-through and I think he's done well for the franchise lately.

Yes there was Mandolin in Talamone, reverbed guitar in countless tracks, and generic tribal drums (which sound pretty out of place in the Siena chase), dissonant gongs in Pursuit at Port Au Prince, and string harmonics in oil fields along with thudding distorted guitar.

Though unfortunately synth effects still dominate - featuring in Time to Get Out, The Palio, the beginning of Inside Man, Someone wants to Kill you, Pursuit at Port-au-Prince, No Interest in Dominic Greene, Night at the Opera, Restrict Bond's Movements, Forgive Yourself, Target Terminated, Camille's Story, Oil Fields, Perla De Las Dunas, The Dead Don't Care About Vengeance.

That's practically 85% of the score.

[The Shark]

As for Arnold in Q0S...I noted mandolin, I noted reverbed guitar work, I noted thundering percussion...but I barely noted any 'synth'. The Quantum/Night At The Opera que was mesmeric. Arnold is a James Bond fan through-and-through and I think he's done well for the franchise lately.

Yes there was Mandolin in Talamone, reverbed guitar in countless tracks, and generic tribal drums (which sound pretty out of place in the Siena chase), dissonant gongs in Pursuit at Port Au Prince, and string harmonics in oil fields along with thudding distorted guitar.

Though unfortunately synth effects still dominate - featuring in Time to Get Out, The Palio, the beginning of Inside Man, Someone wants to Kill you, Pursuit at Port-au-Prince, No Interest in Dominic Greene, Night at the Opera, Restrict Bond's Movements, Forgive Yourself, Target Terminated, Camille's Story, Oil Fields, Perla De Las Dunas, The Dead Don't Care About Vengeance.

That's practically 85% of the score.

[The Shark]

As for Arnold in Q0S...I noted mandolin, I noted reverbed guitar work, I noted thundering percussion...but I barely noted any 'synth'. The Quantum/Night At The Opera que was mesmeric. Arnold is a James Bond fan through-and-through and I think he's done well for the franchise lately.

Yes there was Mandolin in Talamone, reverbed guitar in countless tracks, and generic tribal drums (which sound pretty out of place in the Siena chase), dissonant gongs in Pursuit at Port Au Prince, and string harmonics in oil fields along with thudding distorted guitar.

Though unfortunately synth effects still dominate - featuring in Time to Get Out, The Palio, the beginning of Inside Man, Someone wants to Kill you, Pursuit at Port-au-Prince, No Interest in Dominic Greene, Night at the Opera, Restrict Bond's Movements, Forgive Yourself, Target Terminated, Camille's Story, Oil Fields, Perla De Las Dunas, The Dead Don't Care About Vengeance.

That's practically 85% of the score.

[MattofSteel]

Barry used synth, too. But it was always propped up by orchestra, which Arnold has well and truly learned after some negative feedback to work like TWINE and DAD.

If anything, I feel that with CR and QOS, Arnold is channeling Barry MORE than TWINE and DAD, and about the same level as TND. His work on QOS is so varied and interesting in a new, unexpected way that it hardly sounds him. Arnold's proven he can handle an entire spectrum of the Bond films - from the silliest in DAD to, arguably, the most serious in QOS. The music has to fit the film, and he's got a remarkable skill for making that happen.

The one consistent criticism and one that I tend to agree with is his constant use of the entire orchestra on every track.

QOS wasn't really a score that called for an echo of Barry's sweeping strings, etc. Neither was CR (on the whole), but in spots it was, and we got some truly beautiful work out of him. Some of the stuff with Vesper's theme or tracks showcasing YKMN could have been Barry himself. And all Arnold's music is absolutely LOCKED into the narrative, progressing it while accompanying it, as opposed to the generic noise so many other composers go for.

I'll just never understand the hate.

[Judo chop]

Precisely, the dizzy editing permeates throughout the film - not just the opening car chase.

I don't really think it does. I do believe it calms down quite a bit after the Siena chase, and ceases to be noticble by the time they get to the Planet Greene benefit.

My memory of the exact milestones is fuzzy, but I'm confident saying that the editing frenzy definitely 'tapers' over the course.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Having seen QoS three times now, I think it is neither the awful piece of so many people describe it as, neither the misunderstood masterpiece others think it is. It's just a pretty good Bond movie, a huge letdown from the excellence of Casino Royale, but still better than 99,9 percent of the action movies out there.

I hate to whine more about the editing since it gets critique all the time, but yes, it is a problem.

[I never miss]

I largely agree with the last post: CR was always likely to prove difficult to surpass, and so it proved. I believe that QOS is a solid top ten Bond movie. In any case, it will be interesting to see if time is kind or harsh to it - how will we think of it in 10 or 20 years when it is no longer the 'latest' movie?