Spectre (2015): The 24th James Bond Movie
Spectre is the 24th installment in the series of films about the British MI6 secret agent James Bond, released in 2015. It was directed by Sam Mendes, and the role of agent James Bond was portrayed by Daniel Craig for the third time.
Plot
James Bond receives a posthumous message from M, urging him to kill Marco Sciarra and attend his funeral. The mission takes him to Mexico City, where Bond thwarts a planned bombing attack at a stadium during the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead festival. After a shootout, the destruction of a residential building, and a subsequent helicopter scuffle, Bond acquires from the deceased Marco Sciarra a ring with an octopus symbol, indicating his connection to the secret organization Spectre.
Following the events in Mexico, the new M, Gareth Mallory, suspends Bond for his unauthorized actions. M must face a power struggle with Max Denbigh, whom Bond nicknames C. C is the director of the new Joint Intelligence Service, formed by merging MI5 and MI6. C advocates for Britain to join the global surveillance and intelligence initiative Nine Eyes, and for the closure of the 00 section, which he considers obsolete. Bond decides to continue the mission assigned to him by the previous M on his own, with clandestine assistance from Eve Moneypenny and Q.
Bond then travels to Sciarra's funeral in Rome, where he rescues his widow Lucia (Monica Bellucci) from assassins. She claims that Bond condemned her to death by killing her husband, but still reveals to him Sciarra's connection to a terrorist network led by Franz Oberhauser, who has been presumed dead for twenty years.
Figure 1: Monica Bellucci as the oldest Bond girl (50 years old) Lucia Sciarra (source: Craiyon)
With the help of Sciarra's ring, Bond infiltrates a secret meeting where Oberhauser orders the assassination of the Pale King. However, Oberhauser knows about Bond and exposes him to the crowd. Bond flees in his Aston Martin DB10, pursued by the network's top assassin, Hinx. Moneypenny identifies the Pale King as Mr. White, a former member of the Quantum subsidiary organization.
Bond tracks down White in Altaussee, Austria, where he dies from thallium poisoning. Bond offers protection to his daughter, psychologist Madeleine Swann. As a sign that he is serious, Bond hands Mr. White his gun. White tells him that his daughter will lead him to L'Américain and commits suicide. Bond traces Swann to a luxury clinic. Initially skeptical, Swann is convinced by Bond after she and her entourage are kidnapped by Hinx.
Figure 2: Léa Seydoux as Bond girl Dr. Madeleine Swann (source: Craiyon)
Q discovers that Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale), Dominic Greene (from Quantum of Solace), and Raoul Silva (from Skyfall) were all agents of Oberhauser's secret organization, revealed by Swann to be Spectre. She leads Bond to L'Américain, a hotel in Tangier, Morocco, where a secret room contains information about Oberhauser's base in the Sahara. Bond and Swann travel by train to the base. Hinx ambushes them on the train, but Bond defeats him and Swann only just escapes.
They disembark at a desert train station, where an old Rolls-Royce awaits them. At the base, Bond and Swann confront Oberhauser, who reveals Spectre's involvement in the Joint Intelligence Service and Nine Eyes surveillance program. C, a member of Spectre, plans to grant Spectre unlimited access to information gathered through Nine Eyes.
Oberhauser tortures Swann psychologically, playing a recording of her father Mr. White's suicide, and subjects Bond to neurosurgical torture. He discusses with Swann their shared past with James Bond and reveals that they became adopted brothers after Bond's parents died. Oberhauser saw Bond as a cuckoo and believed that his father favored Bond over him, which led him to kill his father.
Oberhauser founded Spectre, took on the name Ernst Stavro Blofeld from his mother's side, and deliberately tried to destroy everything Bond loves. Blofeld informs Bond that after his neurosurgical procedure, he will not recognize friends and will not recognize Swann either. However, Bond and Swann manage to incapacitate Blofeld with an explosive wristband. They destroy the base and head to London to prevent the activation of Nine Eyes.
In London, Bond, Swann, M, Q, Bill Tanner, and Moneypenny gather to arrest C. However, Swann and Bond are separately abducted by Spectre agents, while the others proceed with the plan. After Q prevents the activation of Nine Eyes, the showdown between M and C ends with C's death by falling from a building. Bond is taken to the ruins of the old MI6 building, slated for demolition after Silva's bombing attack.
However, inside the building, Blofeld, who survived the base destruction with severe burns to his face, imprisons Swann. Blofeld initiates a three-minute countdown and challenges Bond to decide whether to save his own life and leave Swann, or attempt her rescue and both die. Bond finds Swann and manages to escape at the last moment by jumping with Madeleine in his arms into a safety net he knew about.
Blofeld watches the impending destruction of the building from a helicopter, saying "Goodbye, James Bond." Bond shoots down Blofeld's helicopter, which crashes onto Westminster Bridge. Blofeld survives and provokes Bond to shoot him. Bond replies that he has something better to do and goes to Madeleine Swann, while M arrests Blofeld.
Bond Song
The title song Writing's on the Wall, performed by Sam Smith for the film, beautifully captures the emotional essence of James Bond's journey in Spectre. Smith's haunting vocals, paired with the song's melancholic melody, create a sense of introspection and vulnerability that mirrors the inner turmoil of Bond's character. The lyrics delve into themes of love, longing, and the inevitable betrayal that often accompanies the world of espionage. As Bond grapples with his past and confronts the shadows of his own vulnerability, Writing's on the Wall serves as a poignant soundtrack to his journey of self-discovery. Smith's powerful delivery and the song's evocative orchestration add depth and resonance to the film's narrative, making it a memorable addition to the James Bond musical canon.
Cast
| Role | Actor | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| James Bond | Daniel Craig | British secret agent 007, the main protagonist of the Bond film series. |
| Ernst Stavro Blofeld | Christoph Waltz | Main antagonist, head of the criminal organization SPECTRE, who is also Bond's longtime nemesis. |
| Dr. Madeleine Swann | Léa Seydoux | Daughter of former criminal Mr. White and a psychologist who becomes Bond's lover. |
| Lucia Sciarra | Monica Bellucci | Wife of SPECTRE agent Sciara, who has connections to Blofeld. |
| M | Ralph Fiennes | New head of the British secret service MI6, who replaced Judi Dench's M. |
| Q | Ben Whishaw | MI6 technical expert responsible for producing and distributing special gadgets for Agent 007. |
| Moneypenny | Naomie Harris | M's secretary. |
| C | Andrew Scott | High-ranking official of the British government, traitor, ally of SPECTRE. |
| Mr. White | Jesper Christensen | Former member of a secret criminal organization, who has information about Blofeld's past. |
| Hinx | Dave Bautista | Professional assassin working for Blofeld, tasked with eliminating Bond. |
Trivia
- Spectre marks the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, one of Bond's most iconic adversaries, to the series after a long absence.
- The title Spectre stands for Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion, a fictional organization that appears in several Bond films.
- Christoph Waltz, who portrayed Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is the first actor to reprise the role of Blofeld since the original Bond films with Sean Connery.
- Monica Bellucci became the oldest Bond girl at the age of 50.
- The opening scene of Spectre, featuring breathtaking shots during the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City, is one of the longest continuous shots in Bond film history.
- With a budget exceeding $300 million, Spectre is one of the most expensive Bond films ever produced.
Conclusion
Spectre delivers all the elements fans expect from a Bond film: action, intrigue, and enemies to life and death. With an outstanding cast, captivating story, and stunning visual effects, Spectre is a worthy addition to the legendary spy film series.
You Might Be Also Interested
- 23rd Bond Movie: Skyfall (2012) ← → 25th Bond Movie: No Time to Die (2021);
- Bond Films: Stories of James Bond, Agent 007;
- All Bond Songs: Iconic Title Songs From Bond Films
- Movies With Casino Themes and Betting.
Based on the original Czech article: Spectre (2015) – 24. bondovka.