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Did M say a very bad word?


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#31 Miles Miservy

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Posted 14 November 2012 - 03:17 PM

Don't worry, she won't be saying it again.


Ooooooooooh
...harsh!

#32 bebopfoot

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Posted 14 November 2012 - 06:55 PM

Not having seen it yet I admit it does seem like an unneeded line to cross for the movie. However given her characters fate it is quite ironic, perhaps within the Bond universe she committed a new sin not previously done by MI6 staff regulars and thus suffered a fate not given to any of them thus far to match? Would be quite the poetic justice.

#33 Double-0-Seven

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 02:26 AM

I do find it funny how people think one use of the word in question has crossed the line and now Bond can't be family entertainment. It's okay for kids to see Bond having sex with a woman (this film is probably the most explicitly it's shown next to Die Another Day), and to see various murders and other violence, but it's not okay to hear one swear word that is perfectly within context of the scene and barely audible anyways? Crazy. I hear worse words than that in my daily life. How can sex, death, and violence be okay but not one justified (in my opinion) use of a swear word? To each their own of course, but I really don't see the problem with it. Then again, I have a bad habit of saying the word a lot anyways.

#34 jsteed

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 04:28 AM

I do find it funny how people think one use of the word in question has crossed the line and now Bond can't be family entertainment. It's okay for kids to see Bond having sex with a woman (this film is probably the most explicitly it's shown next to Die Another Day), and to see various murders and other violence, but it's not okay to hear one swear word that is perfectly within context of the scene and barely audible anyways? Crazy. I hear worse words than that in my daily life. How can sex, death, and violence be okay but not one justified (in my opinion) use of a swear word? To each their own of course, but I really don't see the problem with it. Then again, I have a bad habit of saying the word a lot anyways.

Completely Agree. I don't really think of the Craig era Bond films as family entertainment. If you go back to the 1960's, the Connery era Bond films weren't the safest of movies in terms of content at the time. The word was used in Live And Let Die but was bleeped out via a car horn.

#35 starschwar

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 06:45 AM

I agree - there really is an absurd double standard about the whole thing. I didn't follow the media buzz back in '06. Was there anything close to this kind of backlash to the torture scene?

#36 Satorious

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 09:18 AM

Mommy was very bad! Dropping the F bomb in Skyfall was completely unneccessary in my view. There is enough bad-language in everyday life and in other action films. This language tends to show a lack of imagination in my view (unless you happen to be Malcolm Tucker - in which case it's an art form).Bond never pandered to this in the past and this is one of the smaller reasons I enjoyed the series - it had a certain class and you could watch it with the whole family. This scene felt more like Mendes or Logan trying to push the boat - rather than the fact it actually added anything. There were other earlier scenes where it would have worked better, not that I encourage its use. I look forward to seeing the 3pm TV edit with "mucked" dubbing... ;)

#37 Stokes

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 11:04 AM

Bond never pandered to this in the past


That's interesting, I didn't see it as pandering, I thought it was totally in context and perfectly relevant. I am in agreement with what many have said. How some are OK letting kids watch films depicting certain vices but not others.

I agree with you, though, that bad language for its own sake does show lack of imagination, it's just that I didn't think that was the case here, and I definitely didn't think that it was Logan and Mendes deliberately trying to push the boat out. In other aspects of the film, yes they were. With glorious results. M's dropping of the 'F' bomb just felt right. I didn't find myself jarred out of the film thinking, "Oh my, she just said 'f--'."

#38 Vauxhall

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Posted 15 November 2012 - 01:23 PM


For anyone still wondering if it is "f***ed up" or "fouled up", the promotional material refers to SKYFALL containing "one use of strong language". That's what it refers to.

Well, to be fair though it could refer to Kincade saying s**t...

Interestingly, and I'm not quite sure if this has always been the case, but s**t is classified as "mild language" rather than "strong language" in the UK. Might be different elsewhere.

Anyway, back on topic, I think the use of the word worked in the film, but I can imagine they wouldn't be too worried if forced to drop it.

#39 Aisforauric

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Posted 22 November 2012 - 10:16 PM

Mommy was very bad.

Nice one. Mommy was very f*cking bad ;-)

#40 The Man In A Suit

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 03:20 AM

I just bought the Blu-Ray today and watched it. (Have already seen it twice.) I had to rewind it 3 times to make sure my ears didn't deceive me. I still could not believe what I was hearing. I turned the subtitles on and sure enough M says "I f**ked this up didn't I".....Still can't believe it though



#41 thecasinoroyale

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 08:48 AM

It's strong for the Bond films, but I think it works so well for the reasons it shows the head of MI6, the former un-nerved and strong lady with so much power and respect around the globe as finally seen the error of her ways, the mistakes she's made and what she's up against and basically, tosses the formalilty and well-bred language out of the window.

 

She's not in a government meeting, a war room or in the MI6 office - she's in a dark, cold and remote Scottish lodge 300 miles from home facing certain death with only her best agent and an old man to protect her. She's been the target of multiple assassination attempts, people have died because of her and they are on the run.

 

I think all the years of the strain, topped with the Silva incident, led to her one outburst. It's as if it wasn't even meant to be filmed, and the camera's aren't there and makes it even more real for her and her situation.

 

She's sat low, her head dropped, with a coat wrapped around her. She never expected this. She really f***ed this up, didn't she.

 

:)



#42 PPK_19

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 09:17 AM

 

It's strong for the Bond films, but I think it works so well for the reasons it shows the head of MI6, the former un-nerved and strong lady with so much power and respect around the globe as finally seen the error of her ways, the mistakes she's made and what she's up against and basically, tosses the formalilty and well-bred language out of the window.
 
She's not in a government meeting, a war room or in the MI6 office - she's in a dark, cold and remote Scottish lodge 300 miles from home facing certain death with only her best agent and an old man to protect her. She's been the target of multiple assassination attempts, people have died because of her and they are on the run.
 
I think all the years of the strain, topped with the Silva incident, led to her one outburst. It's as if it wasn't even meant to be filmed, and the camera's aren't there and makes it even more real for her and her situation.
 
She's sat low, her head dropped, with a coat wrapped around her. She never expected this. She really f***ed this up, didn't she.
 
:)

 

Hit the nail on the head there, TCR.

If you think all the way back to Goldeneye, when she calls Bond a 'misogynist dinosaur'. She was confident, assured in her role and put Bond in his place.

In contrast, Skyfall shows M at her most unsure, her relationship having developed with Bond and it's now Bond coming out with the put-downs. "I read your obituary of me. Appalling." (paraphrased).

So seeing her use the F word was a shock, but a telling moment.

#43 thecasinoroyale

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Posted 13 February 2013 - 09:41 AM

Indeed, and thanks PPK! I reckon if it had been "screwed" or "messed", it would have worked but just been a little too obvious in dumming down the realism of the situation, so letting in this one F-bomb is, as you say, a shock, but rightfully so.

 

And the gravitas of having Dame Judi say it is more forgiving in the Bond world than some mild-unknown villain or bit-part who just throws it out there.

 

It's used once in the franchise (ok, 2 if you count the mouthed version by Pepper in 'LALD') and it's used to sum up near enough 17 years of hard work going down the pan for M herself.



#44 FutureJamesBond

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Posted 14 February 2013 - 09:17 PM

Oh well, this isn't the first time M has sworn.

 

"Who the h*ll do they think they are? I report to the Prime Minister and even he's smart enough not to ask me what we do. Have you ever seen such a bunch of self-righteous, a**-covering pr**s? They don't care what we do; they care what we get photographed doing. And how the h*ll could Bond be so stupid? I give him double-O status and he celebrates by shooting up an embassy. Is the man deranged? And where the h*ll is he? In the old days if an agent did something that embarrassing he'd have a good sense to defect. Christ, I miss the Cold War."

 

-M, Casino Royale.
 



#45 Leon

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Posted 14 February 2013 - 09:23 PM

Given the gravity of the situation in the film I think it's a perfectly good word to use. There was loads of swearing in the Bond novels anyway.



#46 Vauxhall

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Posted 14 February 2013 - 11:10 PM

Oh well, this isn't the first time M has sworn.
 
"Who the h*ll do they think they are? I report to the Prime Minister and even he's smart enough not to ask me what we do. Have you ever seen such a bunch of self-righteous, a**-covering pr**s? They don't care what we do; they care what we get photographed doing. And how the h*ll could Bond be so stupid? I give him double-O status and he celebrates by shooting up an embassy. Is the man deranged? And where the h*ll is he? In the old days if an agent did something that embarrassing he'd have a good sense to defect. Christ, I miss the Cold War."
 
-M, Casino Royale.
 

She actually says "prigs" in CASINO ROYALE, not anything worthy of the swear jar, but I always suspected that it may be misheard. Not very clear.

#47 thecasinoroyale

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Posted 15 February 2013 - 08:24 AM

I always heard her saying "prigs" but thought it was such a strange word, but really nice in a way I can imagine M wants to call them "pr**ks", but almost gets ahead of herself and remembers she's maintaining a professional stature and changes her insult quickly! Love it.



#48 Major Tallon

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Posted 15 February 2013 - 12:05 PM

The word "bloody" gets used a lot in the film, and, as I understand it, this was once considered profanity in British English.  The word isn't in much used in America, where it's considered kind of quaint.



#49 sharpshooter

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Posted 15 February 2013 - 12:44 PM

The word "bloody" gets used a lot in the film, and, as I understand it, this was once considered profanity in British English.  The word isn't in much used in America, where it's considered kind of quaint.

Yes. I count at least five instances. "They'll be too bloody late", "take the bloody shot", "you're bloody well not sleeping here", "a bloody big ship" and "the whole office goes up in smoke and that bloody thing survives". 



#50 Bucky

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Posted 15 February 2013 - 05:21 PM

Oh well, this isn't the first time M has sworn.

 

"Who the h*ll do they think they are? I report to the Prime Minister and even he's smart enough not to ask me what we do. Have you ever seen such a bunch of self-righteous, a**-covering pr**s? They don't care what we do; they care what we get photographed doing. And how the h*ll could Bond be so stupid? I give him double-O status and he celebrates by shooting up an embassy. Is the man deranged? And where the h*ll is he? In the old days if an agent did something that embarrassing he'd have a good sense to defect. Christ, I miss the Cold War."

 

-M, Casino Royale.
 

 

Also, in Quantum of Solace...

"I couldn't give a s*** about the CIA and their trumped-up evidence. He's my agent, and I trust him."


Edited by Bucky, 15 February 2013 - 05:21 PM.


#51 Professor Pi

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Posted 16 February 2013 - 12:45 AM

So Skyfall has, I think, half-dozen swear words onscreen (4 uttered in a row by Q, same 1 by Kincade, and M's contribution.)  The only other swear word I can recall was Pam Bouvier's "Bull$#!+" in LTK. 

 

Oh, and JW Pepper's WTF which was drowned out by a boat.

 

Anybody remember any others in the series?


Edited by Professor Pi, 16 February 2013 - 12:47 AM.


#52 seawolfnyy

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 03:34 AM

Moore in Octopussy: "Dammit man, I said it's urgent!"

 

Not a horribly bad word, but there you go.



#53 Mallory

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 03:39 AM

Oh S***, S***, S***. What a potty mouth on Q



#54 AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 05:08 AM

Indeed, and thanks PPK! I reckon if it had been "screwed" or "messed", it would have worked but just been a little too obvious in dumming down the realism of the situation, so letting in this one F-bomb is, as you say, a shock, but rightfully so.

 

And the gravitas of having Dame Judi say it is more forgiving in the Bond world than some mild-unknown villain or bit-part who just throws it out there.

I agree, it was appropriate.

What I really like about Bond films that they've managed to keep their language sanitized without making it sound forcibly censored. "Foul language" has never been a problem in Finnish films, there are our equivalents of "F-bombs" in Finnish films which are for all ages, so I really can't understand the BBFC/MPAA hysterics over some words. And of course I want Bond films to maintain their flemingian charm of using four letter words very, very sparingly.



#55 thecasinoroyale

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 02:16 PM

We had Dalton, brutal and gritty, in 'Licence To Kill' with "Watch the birdy, you bas**rd." and his defiant "Piss off."

 

 

And let's not forget the first ever "swear" word in the Bond films uttered by the wonderful Mrs.Bell... "Ohh sh*t!"

mrsbell.jpg



#56 PPK_19

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 04:28 PM

"These bastards want your head..." from CR- M "He'd would be a pretty cold bastard..." line from QOS, -M. She loves a swear, our M does!

#57 Professor Pi

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 04:36 PM

Just caught Dominic Greene saying he was tired of Camille's 'BS' while watching Quantum of Solace the other night.



#58 thecasinoroyale

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Posted 20 February 2013 - 08:10 PM

Cor, those Bond fims like a bit of blue language looking at it don't they! :P



#59 JBOO71970

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Posted 21 February 2013 - 02:37 PM

The Moore films had their share of language. I remember THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN as having a few words in it. I'm forgetting what as it's been a couple of years since I've seen it.

#60 RufusCobb

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Posted 21 February 2013 - 05:11 PM

It's strong for the Bond films, but I think it works so well for the reasons it shows the head of MI6, the former un-nerved and strong lady with so much power and respect around the globe as finally seen the error of her ways, the mistakes she's made and what she's up against and basically, tosses the formalilty and well-bred language out of the window.

 

She's not in a government meeting, a war room or in the MI6 office - she's in a dark, cold and remote Scottish lodge 300 miles from home facing certain death with only her best agent and an old man to protect her. She's been the target of multiple assassination attempts, people have died because of her and they are on the run.

 

I think all the years of the strain, topped with the Silva incident, led to her one outburst. It's as if it wasn't even meant to be filmed, and the camera's aren't there and makes it even more real for her and her situation.

 

She's sat low, her head dropped, with a coat wrapped around her. She never expected this. She really f***ed this up, didn't she.

 

:)

I think that some posters are arguing the wrong case here.

 

Nobody is is denying that given M's situation she may well say a bad word to sum up her position and that doesn't bother me at all, if she were in a DIFFERENT TYPE OF MOVIE. However, as other posters have stated, we don't expect that sort of language in a Bond movie. This was purely down to the writers/director and producers. (Trying to be 'edgy' perhaps? I don't know.)

 

As has been pointed out by Yellow Pinky, Bond movies are generally considered to be family entertainment and it would be a shame if it did put fathers off taking their young children to see the movies, in case they now contain bad language.

 

To those who have said, 'So what?' and that the playground is full of bad language I say this, some parents do not want their children to hear that kind of talk and though they are unable to protect them from it in everyday life, they can make damned sure that they are not going to pay out good money to have their kids confronted by it in the cinema.

 

And as to those who say, 'If we are showing sex, sadism and killing and that doesn't do any harm, so why not a bit of bad language?' Then that also makes a nonsense of the producers decision not to allow Bond to smoke, 'In case it influences the children'. ('Think of the cheeeeeldren.')

 

They can't have it both ways, either Bond is a 'clean act' in which case no swearing or they acknowledge it is for grown ups and they let him smoke.