Skyfall asks the viewer to think about James Bond in a way that isnt often required for a Bond film as an actual person. As the 50th anniversary film, Skyfall is both a celebration of what made the franchise so much fun in the 60s and 70s and an examination of the very idea of Bond, a Cold War thug who may not fit into todays conflicts. Its a film about Bond as much as it is a Bond film. The close examination of the characters, combined with the continuity nods and a long absent sense of humor, makes Skyfall the best Bond film since, well, perhaps ever.
One of the recurring themes of the film is that sometimes the old ways are the best ways, but Skyfall takes time to tear apart the old structures of the Bond universe and lay bare how brutal they are. The film begins with Bond (Daniel Craig) pretending to be dead after getting shot in the line of duty by a fellow agent while trying to recover a hard drive full of the names and locations of British 00 Agents embedded in terrorist organizations around the world. Hes comfortable drinking himself to death on a tropical island until he learns that in his absence, the government agency MI6 has been compromised and M (Judy Dench), the head of the bureau (and somewhat of a maternal figure to Bond), is about to get sacked, and his sense of duty brings him begrudgingly back to England and to Ms side.
The relationship between Bond and M is at the heart of the film. Both are cast as relics in a new war they may not be prepared to fight, and they are constantly a step behind the villain, an agent M chose to abandon in the field who has come back for revenge. Ms role in creating Bond and the former agent, Silva (played creepily and expertly by Javier Bardem), makes the conflict oddly intimate. Bardems Silva has an almost oedipal fascination with M, which further highlights the brokenness of creating 00 Agents, recruited as orphans and trained at an early age to be ruthless and devoted killers.
In opposition to Silvas inhuman ability to remain one step ahead of MI6 is Bonds humanity, which is crafted in detail that is rarely seen in Bond continuity. Craigs Bond in Skyfall is not a Bond at the top of his game. He is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds, which have destroyed his marksmanship and left him weakened, forcing him to rely on his cunning rather than his brute force. We also see Bond as sort of nostalgic, as he tries to confront his past while fighting for his future. He seems disappointed when the new Q (Ben Whishaw) gives him two gadgets amounting to a gun only Bond can fire and a radio tracker. What were you expecting? Q asks. An exploding pen? We dont do that anymore. And the third act of the film sees Bond literally retreating into his past to his ancestral Scottish Manor. The film is full of great continuity nods like these, which help to imbue the film with a sense of humor and awareness that hasnt been present in the previous Craig Bond films.
The film features some amazing set pieces, located in Istanbul, Shanghai and Scotland. Roger Deakins, cinematographer extraordinaire, shoots the film beautifully. Especially amazing is a short scene of Bond standing on a boat surrounded by lights as he is ferried into a casino and the mountains of Scotland presiding over the third act of the film. Director Sam Mendes does equally well directing clear and frenetic rooftop chases as he does the more tender moments between Bond and M.
The success of the film as a stand-alone movie is only part of what makes it so fantastic. The other part is that, as the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, it pleases the old fans and excites the new. Sam Mendes has created a film that is both retrospective and introspective. He celebrates the franchise and reconciles the new Bond with the old. Its clear that the film was crafted with love for the history and excitement that the Bond film Casino Royale, the first in which Craig played Bond, brought back to the franchise. Skyfall is the most pure and honest Bond film, but its also the most artful and mature. Its Bond 50 years in the making, and not something any fan should miss.
