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Anyone else find it jarring when M swore in Skyfall?

Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
edited January 2013 in Skyfall Posts: 2,721
Judi Dench dropping the F-bomb quite casually in the final act was surprising and I thought altogether unnecessary for a Bond film.
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Comments

  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Fitted her M though. I can imagine her M swore like a trooper.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    actonsteve wrote:
    Fitted her M though. I can imagine her M swore like a trooper.

    So do I! I didn't find it surprising at all.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Sandy wrote:
    actonsteve wrote:
    Fitted her M though. I can imagine her M swore like a trooper.

    So do I! I didn't find it surprising at all.
    Same.
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    Posts: 2,721
    Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that the character of M would swear - she said bloody and b*****d enough times - I'm more surprised that the filmmakers would drop it in to a franchise that has never used it before (even in LTK or CR)
  • TriggerTrigger
    Posts: 183
    Yes it surprised me mainly because I don't recall the word ever having been in a Bond movie before (I thought - did she just say what i think she said!), but I didn't find it jarring and didn't have a problem with it.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Trigger wrote:
    Yes it surprised me mainly because I don't recall the word ever having been in a Bond movie before (I thought - did she just say what i think she said!), but I didn't find it jarring and didn't have a problem with it.

    Sherriff Pepper mouthed it.

    Considering her job I think it fitted the character and situation.

  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    edited January 2013 Posts: 4,043
    12 certificate films are allowed one use of the word and most tend to use it that I can see, I reckon they thought if they could they would considering M's predicament and situation, it wasn't in the Office or out in the field officially it was a personal moment between her and Bond and for that reason I think it was appropriate she used such a strong word, she was acknowledging the severity of the situation. So not it wasn't jarring for me infact I didn't really notice it on my first viewing.

    Whether it becomes a regular thing uttered once in every following Bond film remains to be seen.
  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813
    She dropped the f-bomb? When? I totally missed that!
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    Master_Dahark wrote:
    She dropped the f-bomb? When? I totally missed that!

    In the final part.. "I've really f'd this one up, haven't I?"
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Swearing does happen so I cannot be bothered if it happens, I think her statement does cover the things that happened to her in SF.
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    How is that even an issue? One common swear word in a 2 hour 43 minute movie, by a character one could easily imagine saying it, in a situation where she most probably would use it, and where it was entirely appropriate... Jarring? Of course not.
  • BondWillReturnBondWillReturn
    Posts: 816
    Didn't bother me in the slightest. My mom is usually anti-swearing, but even she said 'well, It's almost expected from these kind of movies these days'
    What surprised me was the casual place it was at, where I really wasn't sure if I'd heard it correctly. This makes me think the original line in the script didn't contain the F-word, but Dench just improvized it. Otherwise, why introduce the franchise to a word it has never used it a place where it wasn't really necessary. If the writers had wanted to introduce it, they would have given the word a more prominent place. All in all, I really like the place it is now :)
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    If the writers had wanted to introduce it, they would have given the word a more prominent place.

    Really? Wow. I didn't realize the word is such a big deal.

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Kind of funny how M thinks she screwed everything up when she just did her damn job. It's Silva who is pathetic.
  • BondWillReturnBondWillReturn
    Posts: 816
    Tuulia wrote:
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    If the writers had wanted to introduce it, they would have given the word a more prominent place.

    Really? Wow. I didn't realize the word is such a big deal.

    Normally, not at all. In normal action movies, not at all. But Bond has always been a franchise to shy away from heavy curse-words. At least, that's the way I've always seen it, I once insisted in reshooting a scene for a 007 fan film because on of the 'baddies' had said the word. What I'm saying is, it makes too less of an impact to have been scripted.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    Kind of funny how M thinks she screwed everything up when she just did her damn job. It's Silva who is pathetic.

    It was left pretty ambiguous, which was one of the best things about the film. There was a sense that you genuinely felt for Silva at times, it's a question of morals and ethics and as such everyone will view M's decision making differently. To a liberal she dropped a bollock, to a conservative she was probably spot on.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    edited January 2013 Posts: 5,745
    I think a person's interpretation of M cursing reflects their maturity. All I'll say.
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    Tuulia wrote:
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    If the writers had wanted to introduce it, they would have given the word a more prominent place.

    Really? Wow. I didn't realize the word is such a big deal.

    Normally, not at all. In normal action movies, not at all. But Bond has always been a franchise to shy away from heavy curse-words. At least, that's the way I've always seen it, I once insisted in reshooting a scene for a 007 fan film because on of the 'baddies' had said the word. What I'm saying is, it makes too less of an impact to have been scripted.

    Apparently not since people discuss it. ;)
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    Tuulia wrote:
    BondWillReturn wrote:
    If the writers had wanted to introduce it, they would have given the word a more prominent place.

    Really? Wow. I didn't realize the word is such a big deal.

    Normally, not at all. In normal action movies, not at all. But Bond has always been a franchise to shy away from heavy curse-words. At least, that's the way I've always seen it, I once insisted in reshooting a scene for a 007 fan film because on of the 'baddies' had said the word. What I'm saying is, it makes too less of an impact to have been scripted.

    I'd say it had something to do with her moment of realisation. 'M' admits to herself that she's dropped a giant hairy bollock. In the moment, the word 'fuck' seems apt, and altogether more real. I fail to see why it should be omitted because of people's need for canonical consistency.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    I ddidnt really see the necessity for it. It struck me as one of those things where it is done to get a particular certificate for the film.

    Still it wasnt as jarring as Die Hard 4 which was really awful and omitted the word throughout. Even John Mcclanes catchphrase was f*cked up as they tried to mask it with a gunshot. Extremely gutless from the studio just to get a few extra kids in the door.
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    I ddidnt really see the necessity for it. It struck me as one of those things where it is done to get a particular certificate for the film.

    Still it wasnt as jarring as Die Hard 4 which was really awful and omitted the word throughout. Even John Mcclanes catchphrase was f*cked up as they tried to mask it with a gunshot. Extremely gutless from the studio just to get a few extra kids in the door.

    What do you mean? If they hadn't used the word in Skyfall they'd got the same certificate, surely.


  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    I thought it was quite amusing to be honest! ;))
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    I had no problem with it, regarding the situation it was understandable.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Tuulia wrote:
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    I ddidnt really see the necessity for it. It struck me as one of those things where it is done to get a particular certificate for the film.

    Still it wasnt as jarring as Die Hard 4 which was really awful and omitted the word throughout. Even John Mcclanes catchphrase was f*cked up as they tried to mask it with a gunshot. Extremely gutless from the studio just to get a few extra kids in the door.

    What do you mean? If they hadn't used the word in Skyfall they'd got the same certificate, surely.


    Maybe they didnt want to get a PG? The violence in it isnt that bad. Anyway I take your point I just meant to have it once when it wasnt particularly necessary felt artificial.
  • TuuliaTuulia
    Posts: 2,081
    Swearing is rarely necessary, but it didn't seem artificial at all to me in that scene since it fit both the character and the situation, IMO.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,846
    I don't even remember it, so I guess it did not bother me. I remember she swore more in CR and QOS, and then I thought it was in character.
  • forgotmyusernameforgotmyusername
    Posts: 2,782
    Major_Boothroyd wrote:
    Judi Dench dropping the F-bomb quite casually in the final act was surprising and I thought altogether unnecessary for a Bond film.

    Swearing is group of letters put together to make words. I only find swearing offensive when it's used to degrade women, children and the colour of a person's skin. Apart from that, expressing disappointment or glee I think it's ok.

    But i'm a stupid punt so what the duck do I know?
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    For feck sake, she smegging used a swear word!!!
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    Posts: 2,721
    To reiterate...I don't find the word remotely offensive and I have no problem that the character or actor used the word. I'm saying it's the first time it has ever been used in a bond film and that was surprising. It jarred me in so much as it briefly took me out of the film to think 'did they just use the f-word for the first time in a bond film'?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    RC7 wrote:
    0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:
    Kind of funny how M thinks she screwed everything up when she just did her damn job. It's Silva who is pathetic.

    It was left pretty ambiguous, which was one of the best things about the film. There was a sense that you genuinely felt for Silva at times, it's a question of morals and ethics and as such everyone will view M's decision making differently. To a liberal she dropped a bollock, to a conservative she was probably spot on.
    She isn't like a liberal or conservative and that is because she admitted a mistake.

    Again, I don't see how she is the one to blame. She isn't the problem, that would be Silva, the overly-obsessed prink.
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