187 replies to this topic

[Trident]

Well, the editing most certainly seems to be an issue with QOS, as it's practically mentioned in every second post about the film. Personally I tended to see the distracting and confusing effect of the pacing and cutting as deliberate, something the director used just for this very effect with the audiences. But I have to concede that if it prevents a substantial amount of the audience to appreciate the film, then the intended effect has backfired here.

[DaveBond21]

Well, the editing most certainly seems to be an issue with QOS, as it's practically mentioned in every second post about the film. Personally I tended to see the distracting and confusing effect of the pacing and cutting as deliberate, something the director used just for this very effect with the audiences. But I have to concede that if it prevents a substantial amount of the audience to appreciate the film, then the intended effect has backfired here.

Agreed.

Even if we accept the editing in the opening car chase, there seems to be little reason to use the same fast-cutting for both the footchase in Siena and the boat chase in Haiti.

[MrDraco]

I would have put some scene with bond walking across the desert with a machine gun instead of just using it as a cover

[Double-Oh Agent]

Okay, here's what I would have changed in Quantum Of Solace if I had been the director.

Open the film with the gun barrel. I'd also have Craig walk slower across the screen and freeze him in place through the blood dripping. The gun barrel would then open up into the current shot of flying over the water.

Make the editing traditional during the action scenes. It's a Bond film, we actually want to see, comprehend, and admire the stunts and the skill of the stuntmen.

There are two shots during the car chase I would most definitely fix. One occurs soon after Bond, the villains, and the police enter the quarry. The current shots show the cars coming at the camera and about to go under the extended arm of a crane. But just before the Aston Martin goes through, there's a cut to the back side of the crane where Bond has already gone through and you can just make out the Alfa Romeo passing by, and then there's another cut to the original camera angle where all three cars have gone by. I'd keep the first camera angle and hold it while all three cars shoot under the crane's arm. Likewise with the hairpin turn shot. We start to see the Aston Martin go into the turn, but on the next shot it's already out and gone. What the hell? That would have been a great shot and arguably the best of the quarry action, but instead we miss out on it. So I would keep the overhead shot of when Bond goes into the turn and maintain it through the villains coming out of it.

Keep Daniel Kleinman as the main titles designer.

In the foot chase, one shot I'd cut would be the final shot of the wounded woman and the crowd at the palio chase, which occurs between Mitchell jumping from a roof to another roof and Bond following suit. It is superfluous and takes the viewer out of the moment during the "exciting" foot chase. Besides, we've already had the shot of the woman losing her cherries so why leapfrog over that to yet another palio shot? It doesn't make sense. However, I would be willing to accept that final palio shot if it were moved to occur after Bond ran through the door but before Mitchell encountered the cherry woman on the stairway.

Make Elvis more threatening than the wimpy non-entity he is now.

Keep the boat chase, but include a shot of how Bond gets the boat to shoot out of the water. I also don't like the ending where Bond just hands her off to the deckhand like she's a bag of cement. I'd have it where Bond carries her to a deck chair at the end of the pier and lays her on it. As he straightens up, he sees a concerned deckhand or tourist looking at Camille and him. That's when he says "She's seasick," and walks away.

Have Elvis say nothing on the plane.

At the opera, I would eliminate Elvis' teary look and insert a shot of the guard seeing Bond atop the stage and then moving toward the stairs. As it stands now, there is no reason for the man to be there. Also, at the Bond-Greene face-off, I'd have Greene send his men after Bond, but hold an eager Elvis back. I'd then have Elvis shoot Haines' bodyguard instead of Greene's driver.

I'd lengthen the Talamone sequence with Mathis, mainly with Mathis being a little less forgiving of Bond initially and then show Mathis making the decision to go with Bond rather than end with Bond finishing his drink.

On the plane, I'd eliminate Mathis asking what Bond's drink is because he already knows it from Casino Royale. Instead, I'd just have him ask how many of those Bond has had and the bartender replying "Six of them." The rest of the scene continues as in the film.

I'd also make Bond's pickup of Fields more believable. There is nothing in their brief relationship to suggest that a liaison is about to occur, much less that a ridiculous and inane pickup line like finding stationery is going to work. I'd show them interacting more to make their liaison more believable such as the two of them having lunch in the hotel where Fields visibly starts becoming attracted to Bond in spite of herself.

I'd still keep Fields tripping Elvis, but Elvis doesn't lose his wig at the end because his hair is real. He then glares angrily up at Fields when she apologizes.

I'd also have Mathis survive instead of dying in the film. And here's how:

The motorcycle cops are less panicky, more in control, and without itchy trigger fingers. They order Bond to get the beaten Mathis out of the trunk and set him on the ground. As Bond picks him up, Mathis becomes aware of the situation, and as Bond lays him down, he reaches into Bond's jacket and pulls out his gun and shoots both cops. The second cop dies, but the first one survives and shoots Mathis in the gut. Before the cop can get a second shot off, Bond wrestles the gun away from him and shoots him with it. Bond ejects the remaining bullets, drops the gun, and moves to Mathis' side where he is joined by Camille.

CAMILLE: "There's a hospital on the other side of town."

MATHIS: "I know a man a little ways from here who specializes in this sort of thing." He then gives the man's address.

Cut to Bond bending down and helping Mathis up.

Cut to the car racing along the streets of La Paz.

Cut to Camille driving followed by one of Mathis lying in Bond's lap in the back seat.

MATHIS in an attempt at light humor: "Remind me next time not to go on another mission with you."

BOND: "I should have never left you alone."

MATHIS waves him off: "You're not my guardian angel, James. It's a fact of life. Everyone in this business of ours has an expiration date. It's just a matter of when."

BOND: "Well yours is not going to be today."

MATHIS: "That's a nice thought."

Cut to the car swerving around a corner.

Cut to Mathis emitting a groan.

BOND: "Hang in there Mathis, we're almost there."

A concerned Bond looks up at Camille who looks back at him through the review mirror, her eyes are also filled with concern.

Cut to the car zipping around another corner and stopping with a screech of tires at their destination. The "doctor's" place turns out to be a butcher's.

Cut to Camille knocking energetically on the door while Bond props up Mathis.

There's a brief delay which leads to a cut of Bond and Camille looking worriedly at each other.

Cut to the door opening. The butcher is surprised to see Mathis and shocked at the state he's in.

MATHIS: "Hello my friend. I seem to require your services again."

The man immediately beckons them in and leads them to a back room where Bond helps Mathis onto an "operating table" and rips open his shirt. He steps away to allow the butcher to inspect the wound. The butcher frowns and goes to get his instruments ready. Mathis, who's starting to have a harder time breathing, calls Bond over.

MATHIS: "Do we forgive each other?" Bond nods. "Vesper, she gave everything for you. Forgive her. Forgive yourself."

There's a long silence which shows Bond stoically taking it all in.

Cut to the butcher coming back to the table with a tray of instruments. He orders Bond and Camille to leave the room and then proceeds to give Mathis a shot of morphine. Bond and Camille turn to leave, but Mathis grabs Bond's arm to stop him.

MATHIS: "Thanks James. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm in good hands. Go finish the mission--and give my regards to my old friend the Colonel."

A steely-eyed determination passes over BOND's face and he says: "Count on it."

He then grabs Camille and strides out of the room with her.

END SCENE

Because Mathis doesn't die at the traffic stop, I'd have Tanner inform M that two motorcycle cops were killed in Bolivia and that the police claim it was Bond.

At the airstrip, I'd eliminate Bond's line of "He'll make much more when he sells us out" because it just makes Bond look stupid for not dealing with the airfield man. I'd just have Bond say that he left the vehicle as collateral and then show him taking off in the plane, and follow that with the airfield man calling the authorities.

I'd let Camille finish her sentence "Just for the record, I wasn't with Greene for..." She and Bond don't have many dialogue exchanges so it would be good to have a little more. I would at least begin the sudden gunfire just after she's done with her sentence and before Bond's response.

I'd keep the dogfight, (it is needed to find the sinkhole), but for the parachute scene, I'd open the chute just after they enter the sinkhole, which would protect it from the exploding plane and still give them enough room to actually make a safe--and believable--landing.

At the Bolivian village, I'd have Bond and Camille tell a drought-suffering villager about the water reservoir. I wouldn't use words, I'd keep the music going, but I would show them briefly explaining to the man and pointing in the direction they've just come in before continuing on their way back to La Paz.

As Bond is taken away from his hotel room, I'd linger a little longer on the oil-covered body of Fields rather than the half-fade there is now. I'd probably also place the body horizontally at the foot of the bed so that it doesn't look quite as much like an exact replica of Goldfinger.

Instead of Bond confronting Carlos by saying, "I believe we had a mutual friend!" I would have him say, "For Mathis!"

In the climactic battle, instead of having Greene point Elvis at the open doorway to shoot Bond, I'd change it to have an explosion that blocks their escape. Trapped, Elvis (without the stupid neck brace) engages in a gunfight with Bond where both of them run out of bullets. Elvis and Bond then get in a hard-nosed fistfight. Greene manages to slip past during the scuffle and runs down the hallway. Soon after, Bond tosses Elvis over the side of the railing where he falls three stories to his death. As Bond turns to go after Greene, the latter suddenly attacks him with the ax, whereupon we pick up the film from that point. However, I would shorten their fight slightly due to the previous scuffle Bond just had with Elvis and Greene's lack of fighting skills.

I'd have Bond and Camille have their final talk in a hotel room where the two of them are all cleaned up. I'd keep the dialogue as it is currently. At the end, Bond kisses her and walks out the door where Mathis is waiting outside.

I'd also include Bond's signature line. In the Russia scene, Bond gets the drop on Yusef and Corinne as in the film. But as they sit down...

CORINNE: "Who are you and what do you want?"

BOND: "My name's Bond, James Bond, and I've come to settle an I.O.U."

Cut to Yusef who gets really nervous and begins to break out in a sweat at the mention of Bond's name as he knows Bond was in love with Vesper and damaged Quantum's plans in Casino Royale. He also has difficulty swallowing. The rest of the scene plays as is.

And those are my changes for Quantum Of Solace.

Sorry for the long post.

[DamnCoffee]

Some brilliant ideas there, Double-Oh Agent. I enjoyed the new Mathis scene, it was a nice touch.

[Trident]

Sorry for the long post.

Don't apologize! You and Mharkin (amongst several others!) have put lots of effort into your work on creating your personal version of QOS. I congratulate you and admire these visions. Especially because it's all so much harder to write this whole stuff basically against the film we've all seen already and that plays inevitably in the back of our heads. Trying to overcome this visual image is enormously difficult!

[coco1997]

Sorry for the long post.

Apologize not! Great ideas. Your alternate Mathis scene and Bond VS. Elvis fight was an enjoyable read.

The only thing I'd change would be to still have Elvis vaporized, just because he's a slimy character and deserves a pathetic death. Perhaps they still engage in a gunfight, which ends with Bond emptying his clip and finding himself on the wrong side of the hand of Elvis, who giggles manically as he thinks he has Bond just where he wants him, when all of a sudden, BAM! One of the fuel cells erupts and instantaneously disintegrates Elvis.

[DamnCoffee]

If Elvis is thrown three stories to his death, I would honestly expect Bond to say something along the lines of "Elvis has left the building!"

[Double-Oh Agent]

Thanks Trident.

Sorry for the long post.

Apologize not! Great ideas. Your alternate Mathis scene and Bond VS. Elvis fight was an enjoyable read.

The only thing I'd change would be to still have Elvis vaporized, just because he's a slimy character and deserves a pathetic death. Perhaps they still engage in a gunfight, which ends with Bond emptying his clip and finding himself on the wrong side of the hand of Elvis, who giggles manically as he thinks he has Bond just where he wants him, when all of a sudden, BAM! One of the fuel cells erupts and instantaneously disintegrates Elvis.

Thanks coco. Your idea isn't bad either.

If Elvis is thrown three stories to his death, I would honestly expect Bond to say something along the lines of "Elvis has left the building!"

Not to mention leaving the Heartbreak Hotel.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Some brilliant ideas there, Double-Oh Agent. I enjoyed the new Mathis scene, it was a nice touch.

Thanks Mharkin.

I felt I had to make an elaborate scene of that one because it was so completely different than what was filmed. If I'd just had "Mathis lives", people would have just went "okay" and moved on with hardly a second thought. So instead, I tried to present an "alternate reality" of how I would have wanted the scene to be and maybe make them say "you know what, that is as good (or better) than what we have now" and possibly make them reconsider their position of being in the pro-Mathis dying camp; and that having Mathis live could have been just as exciting, meaningful, and touching as him dying.

[DaveBond21]

If Elvis is thrown three stories to his death, I would honestly expect Bond to say something along the lines of "Elvis has left the building!"

LOL. Yes, that's a Moore or Brosnan line if I ever I saw one.

[DamnCoffee]

I didn't think this warrants it's own thread. So I decided to post in here.

I've been reading up on The Lord Of The Rings, and I found out that Peter Jackson directed all three films back to back. Now, It would've been interesting if Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis wrote Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2005 and Martin Campbell directed both movies back to back.

Quantum still would've been released in 2008, but it would've allowed time for a fully fleshed out script and such. DO NOT bite my head off for suggesting this, It's just interesting to think 'what if'.

[Tybre]

Well even if they did it that way there's no guarantee things would've been any different in terms of writing. Since we're treating it as an LOTR b2b scenario, then of course Martin Campbell would be directing and naturally the film would look different and the editing probably wouldn't have been the more manic style it was, but it is still entirely possible the script we got is what we would have received. In fact, back-to-back could have been quite detrimental. Of course it might have made an infinitely better film, too. Boils more down to how the process is handled, I suppose.

[Bucky]

I didn't think this warrants it's own thread. So I decided to post in here.

I've been reading up on The Lord Of The Rings, and I found out that Peter Jackson directed all three films back to back. Now, It would've been interesting if Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis wrote Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2005 and Martin Campbell directed both movies back to back.

Quantum still would've been released in 2008, but it would've allowed time for a fully fleshed out script and such. DO NOT bite my head off for suggesting this, It's just interesting to think 'what if'.

not sure how that would be helpful for bond films since they film in so many different locations. it was good for lord of the rings since they were pretty much all filmed in one country.

[ChandlerBing]

How would I direct QOS? To borrow a response from John Ford..

"With a camera."

[WhatMeWorry?]

I would "tone-down" the shaky camera during fight scenes.

[Wade]

I didn't find this in any other replies, but one clear way one could improve QOS immensely would be to pay off the plot. There's this big reservoir underground holding all the water for all these thirsty people, and Bond oddly doesn't do to rectify the situation. I'd have built in some mechanical way for Bond to use his propensity for destruction to blow the thing up and send the water back down an old wadi to some people who could use it.

Also, I'd have paid off the ending with Bond walking off after talking to M, trudging through the cold darkness, while Mr. White watches from the shadows. With a gun. Somehow his movements tip off Bond, who turns 90 degrees to his left and fires, killing White. And then ...

The gun barrel logo irises up around him ...

[Zorin Industries]

I didn't think this warrants it's own thread. So I decided to post in here.

I've been reading up on The Lord Of The Rings, and I found out that Peter Jackson directed all three films back to back. Now, It would've been interesting if Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis wrote Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2005 and Martin Campbell directed both movies back to back.

Quantum still would've been released in 2008, but it would've allowed time for a fully fleshed out script and such. DO NOT bite my head off for suggesting this, It's just interesting to think 'what if'.

Completely different films, film makers, logistical parameters, source material....

[Trident]

I didn't think this warrants it's own thread. So I decided to post in here.

I've been reading up on The Lord Of The Rings, and I found out that Peter Jackson directed all three films back to back. Now, It would've been interesting if Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis wrote Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2005 and Martin Campbell directed both movies back to back.

Quantum still would've been released in 2008, but it would've allowed time for a fully fleshed out script and such. DO NOT bite my head off for suggesting this, It's just interesting to think 'what if'.

Completely different films, film makers, logistical parameters, source material....

I would have thought the idea was to make them the same kind of films and so on. Obviously QOS would be more influenced by such a move to be (at least to some people's tastes) a bit more agreeable. High chances of course to just get a 'CR II: THE REVENGE OF THE DOUBLE 0-7'. Not my cup of tea but doubtlessly some would have preferred it this way.

In fact I'm rather glad things move on from film to film and don't carbon copy its predecessors any more as say, TSWLM and MR did back in the day. Still, an interesting speculation and I'm sure Campbell could have directed a film in a different tone and style, not mimicking CR's.

[DAN LIGHTER]

I cant direct. Shame old Mathis got killed off though. I liked him, even if you could see crew members in his sunglasses.

[DominicGreene]

GOT YOUR ATTENTION?

Good.
Lets get this straight once and for all. QOS is not badly directed in fact it's fantastically directed. It's one of the films major success'. Forster's movie looks amazing, and his angles are expertly chosen, his ability to really capture each of his locations makes QOS feel like you really have travelled the globe in 105 minutes. His use of intercutting is extremebly good the way he tells two seperate stories each with a similar theme running through. Tosca's backstroy connecting to CR while we see Bond running through the opera wrecking havoc on his revenge mission. Very well done. It all comes to a head when Bond and Camille go after there different agendas and it all comes undone, leaving Bond to relaise there is more to life then seeking a hollow revenge.

QOS though is far from perfect, the editing is distracting and pretty bad (which Forster did oversee and had the biggest say in, so in this case it can be considered bad direction), having said that I love the car chase. The script is really weak which goes to the writters (funnily CR's script was it's strongest point)and stroy is hung together poorly. I truly think that if the strike hadn't have happened there is no doubt QOS would have been as good as CR. They were working off an unfinished script and it showed.

(Crowd Screams in Applause) Truly, truly well written and very, very true. Fantastic Daniel - Pierce!!!

Well even if they did it that way there's no guarantee things would've been any different in terms of writing. Since we're treating it as an LOTR b2b scenario, then of course Martin Campbell would be directing and naturally the film would look different and the editing probably wouldn't have been the more manic style it was, but it is still entirely possible the script we got is what we would have received. In fact, back-to-back could have been quite detrimental. Of course it might have made an infinitely better film, too. Boils more down to how the process is handled, I suppose.

You have a point there, it would effect the story in some way, going back to back may have gave foster a better understanding of things and he would have considerations to enrich the story, which in conclusion would have made a better film.

[Safari Suit]

I would have taken more tea-breaks.

[tdalton]

I'd change every scene that seemed like it was absconded from a Bourne movie.

Bond used to set the stage for others to follow, not the other way around.

Bond has been a trend-follower for a very long time now, going all the way back to Live and Let Die, if not earlier. For the most part, the series has lacked a great deal of originality since the Connery Era, generally opting to copy what is popular at the time (Star Wars, Miami Vice, the action films of the 1990s, Bourne) rather than dictating the trend itself.

[00Twelve]

I'd change every scene that seemed like it was absconded from a Bourne movie.

Bond used to set the stage for others to follow, not the other way around.

Bond has been a trend-follower for a very long time now, going all the way back to Live and Let Die, if not earlier. For the most part, the series has lacked a great deal of originality since the Connery Era, generally opting to copy what is popular at the time (Star Wars, Miami Vice, the action films of the 1990s, Bourne) rather than dictating the trend itself.

Oh, it goes back earlier. Definitely. Try watching NORTH BY NORTHWEST followed by FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and see if you don't see some trend-following going on.

[Agent 76]

I would have made the interrogation scene with Mr White at the beginning a bit more longer and more sinister.

[Judo chop]

I would have made the interrogation scene with Mr White at the beginning a bit more longer and more sinister.

Yeah, gotta agree. I think I'd add something there before substracting any of the stuff I don't care for. One gets a sense there is a gaping hole in the sequence that needs filling.

Forster prematurely shot his bullet.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Oh, it goes back earlier. Definitely. Try watching North by Northwest followed by From Russia with Love and see if you don't see some trend-following going on.

Never mind that Dr. No follows The Third Man in plot construction, and the opening sequence of Goldfinger is clearly inspired by Orson Welles' Touch of Evil...

[sharpshooter]

I would have made the interrogation scene with Mr White at the beginning a bit more longer and more sinister.

Yeah, gotta agree. I think I'd add something there before substracting any of the stuff I don't care for. One gets a sense there is a gaping hole in the sequence that needs filling.

Forster prematurely shot his bullet.

I agree as well. I would’ve kept the start of the chase the same, but I would’ve liked to see Bond get medieval before that, perhaps to the point where M has to reign him in.

[00Twelve]

Oh, it goes back earlier. Definitely. Try watching North by Northwest followed by From Russia with Love and see if you don't see some trend-following going on.

Never mind that Dr. No follows The Third Man in plot construction

I'm I'm being a little pedantic here (and after you backing me up!), but it seems to me that if DN was following THE THIRD MAN,

Spoiler

Strangways would have turned out to be alive and also a bad, bad man

. I think I see what you mean, though. It doesn't hit me as being as obvious as NBN -> FRWL. When I see the latter anymore, I frequently find myself thinking, "Wow. They really didn't think of that first."

[CJB]

Firstly, I would fix the camera to a tripod.