Skyfall: Scene by Scene

As they leave the room, Bond collapses exhausted, backlit by harsh fluorescent lights and the decrepit walls of MI6’s new base of operations. This use of mise en scene contributes to the sense that his near-fatal injury has left him exhausted and out of shape. In his commentary for the film, Mendes reflects on his use of montage to convey important exposition to the audience: “We have this training sequence which I sort of shot and designed, along with Roger Deakins, to be almost a montage. As if it’s one continuous speech by Tanner in which he’s delivering the information, there’s quite a lot of information here: who they think or who they’re guessing is attacking MI6.”

The character of Bond is developed further in the next scene. This scene begins with a mid shot of Bond pulling out a revolver and firing rounds into a paper target. Mendes cuts in to a close up of the target showing a bullet hole several inches to the left of its head. He cuts back to Bond who looks frustrated, massaging the wound in his shoulder with one hand. There is a pull focus to the examiner who stands to one side, watching impassively. Mendes cuts to a full shot of Bond who prepares himself for the next attempt. Cutting in to a close up of his face, Mendes pulls focus to the revolver which shakes noticeably. This combination of editing, acting and camera techniques all contribute to the sense that Bond has yet to recover from his injury. When he misses the next shot, Mendes cuts to a close up emphasising his frustration. The camera tracks Bond as he advances quickly towards the target, arm outstretched, firing rounds. Mendes cuts to a wider shot which shows the target riddled with bullets.

In the scene when Bond is questioned by the psychologist, Mendes uses harsh fluorescent lighting to make the scene more tense. “As Stanley Kubrick proved in Doctor Strangelove with good overhead lighting you can hold the master shot for much longer and then bring a kind of tension to the frame,” he says in the commentary for the film. In this scene, Bond’s dialogue helps to establish the character for the audience.

Psychologist: I’d like to start with some simple word associations. Just tell me the first word that pops into your head. For example, I might say “Day” and you might say…
Bond: Wasted.
Psychologist: All right. Gun.
Bond: Shot.
Psychologist: Agent.
Bond: Provocateur.
Psychologist: Woman.
Bond: Provocatrix.
Psychologist: Heart.
Bond: Target.
Psychologist: Bird.
Bond: Sky.
Psychologist: M.
Bond: Bitch.
Psychologist: Sunlight.
Bond: Swim.
Psychologist: Moonlight.
Bond: Dance.
Psychologist: Murder.
Bond: Employment.
Psychologist: Country.
Bond: England.
Psychologist: Skyfall. Skyfall.
Bond: Done.

In the subsequent scene, mise en scene and sound are used to convey the sense that Bond has hit rockbottom. Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond backlit by harsh fluorescent light in a dismal washroom. He removes his shirt, grunting with pain and grimacing. Mendes cuts to a close up as Bond as he removes a pen knife and pierces the wound, a trickle of blood running down his chest. The camera dollies in on his expression of intense pain before Mendes cuts to a shot of his hands washing the bloody shrapnel. He pokes the shrapnel gingerly with one finger. Mendes cuts to a shot of Bond who emerges from the darkness, handing a ziplock bag of bullet fragments to someone before saying, “Get these analysed. For her eyes only.” This scene is important in the chain of cause and effect, propelling the narrative forward as Bond resolves to rebuild himself and track down who stole the secret files.

When Tanner receives word about the origin of the shrapnel, M instructs Bond to track down a mercenary Patrice in Shanghai. “Find out who he works for and who has the list,” M says. “Then terminate him, for Ronson.” The first act of the narrative ends and Bond is propelled headlong into the pursuit of the terrorists who stole the files and destroyed MI6. “I didn’t know Bond passed the tests,” Tanner says as Bond leaves the room. “He didn’t,” replies M.

In the subsequent scene, Bond meets with Q to receive his equipment for the mission.

Q: Always makes me feel a little melancholy. A grand old warship being ignominiously hauled away for scrap. The inevitability of time, don’t you think? What do you see?
Bond: A bloody big ship. Excuse me.
Q: 007…I’m your new Quartermaster.
Bond: You must be joking.
Q: Why, because I’m not wearing a lab coat? Because you still have spots. My complexion is hardly relevant.
Bond: Well, your competence is.
Q: Age is no guarantee of efficiency.
Bond: And youth is no guarantee of innovation.
Q: I’ll hazard I can do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey than you can do in a year in the field.
Bond: Oh, so why do you need me?
Q: Every now and then a trigger has to be pulled.
Bond: Or not pulled. It’s hard to know which in your pajamas. Q.
Q: 007. Ticket to Shanghai. Documentation and passport.
Bond: Thank you.
Q: And this. Walther PPK/S 9mm short. There’s a micro-dermal sensor in the grip. It’s been coded to your palm print so only you can fire it. Less of a random killing machine, more of a personal statement.
Bond: And this?
Q: Standard issue radio transmitter. Activate it and it broadcasts your location. Distress signal. And that’s it.
Bond: A gun…and a radio. Not exactly Christmas, is it?
Q: Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don’t really go in for that anymore. Good luck out there in the field. And please return the equipment in one piece.

This scene is a good example of how mise en scene can contribute to character. The scene opens with a shot of JW Turner’s painting ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ which shows an old warship being hauled away for scrap. “Obviously we play that as a metaphor for Bond,” says Menes in the commentary. “The ageing hulk being taken to the scrapyard.”