Would you rather a return to the gun barrel at the start OR have it at the end of the film?

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Comments

  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 14,793
    That's well said @BT3366 and would be ideal for me.


    SF opening if it had a gunbarrel start. Gunbarrel indicates Bond shot a bad guy. Bond walks into focus, continues down the corridor to find an associate. Obviously 007 didn't shoot fellow agent Ronson. So there's not an automatic conflict there.

    The first gunbarrel for an actor can be ambiguous as mentioned earlier (Bob Simmons as Connery in DN, FRWL, GF) or clearly the actor Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig.

    The Bond actor will be known at the time of the film's release, on posters and trailers. I'll be looking to recognize the actor in the Bond role at first opportunity on screen. And that moment will establish him to audiences, gunbarrel or otherwise. My thinking is for BOND 26 the gunbarrel demands a clear introduction of the new Bond, from there it will be film history regardless.

  • Posts: 12,876
    cooperman2 wrote: »
    At the start. Always. It's the few seconds that let you know this isn't some bog standard action movie this is a JAMES BOND film.

    +1
  • Posts: 2,457
    Right now I don't care. It's just a brand. I guess Amazon will use it as such.

  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 6,162
    I never really bought the reason for no GB at the start for Skyfall. To me there was ways to have it and have Bond come into focus down the corridor.

    The thrill of the music hitting as the dots move across the screen is unlike anything else in cinema. I would argue that Star Wars comes close with the "Galaxy far far away..." John Williams music hits.

    Bring it back, respect it, update it if you want. But let have a bombastic start to the film and the GB gets us going.
  • edited October 13 Posts: 6,099
    I think the opening of SF makes sense as it is. It’s very much a ‘start as late as possible’ beginning, which in storytelling terms is ideal. The opening shot from a cinematic perspective is pretty damn ingenious too (such a simple, elegant way of introducing Bond, and the shape of the lighting even emphasises Craig’s eyes, which is one of his most striking features. It works better than any insert or establishing shot).

    I can also understand how it just feels ‘off’ having the gunbarrel at the start and then introducing Bond like that. What’s the point in introducing him twice? I think as fans we love the idea of the gunbarrel so much we wouldn’t always notice just how weird it’d feel to most viewers. And honestly, if that was a choice that was agreed upon by all the talented creatives who made this film, I’ll trust them. No, they made the right choice, and it actually works well having it at the end after showing us the traditional MI6 office and Bond returning (hell, I’d argue it lessens the impact of the ending not having it there!) I think it’d be equally as awful losing that wonderful feeling of the ending as well just because of ‘tradition’.
  • Posts: 2,144
    007HallY wrote: »
    I can also understand how it just feels ‘off’ having the gunbarrel at the start and then introducing Bond like that. What’s the point in introducing him twice?

    The producers didn't have a problem with introducing Bond twice in TWINE. Gun barrel and then film opens right on Bond.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 19,357
    I do tend to think that’s the worst transition in the series though. That and maybe OHMSS compete for the least exciting shot for the gunbarrel to open on.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 7,010
    mtm wrote: »
    I do tend to think that’s the worst transition in the series though. That and maybe OHMSS compete for the least exciting shot for the gunbarrel to open on.

    You don't like radioactive lint?
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 6,162
    "When placed in an opponents pocket the anti-personal and location fix seems fairly obvious. @007HallY is making ugly noises about Operation Gun Barrel."

    Sorry couldn't resist.

    I do think there was a way, not sure if it would have been better or taken away from what we got. I just didn't see the need for SF to have no gun barrel.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 7,010
    thedove wrote: »
    "When placed in an opponents pocket the anti-personal and location fix seems fairly obvious. @007HallY is making ugly noises about Operation Gun Barrel."

    Sorry couldn't resist.

    I do think there was a way, not sure if it would have been better or taken away from what we got. I just didn't see the need for SF to have no gun barrel.

    I blame Mendes.
  • Posts: 16,742
    I remember an ABC edit of OHMSS where the red circle of the gunbarrel faded into the Universal Exports sign rather than opening on it.
    I always thought a transition like that might've worked for SF as the initial image is out of focus.
    Honestly, I never really cared for the opening shot of SF. It's okay, but I prefer the opening shots of all the other Craig films.
  • edited 3:09am Posts: 6,099
    thedove wrote: »
    "When placed in an opponents pocket the anti-personal and location fix seems fairly obvious. @007HallY is making ugly noises about Operation Gun Barrel."


    Sorry couldn't resist.

    I do think there was a way, not sure if it would have been better or taken away from what we got. I just didn't see the need for SF to have no gun barrel.
    .

    Hehe 😂

    fjdinardo wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    I can also understand how it just feels ‘off’ having the gunbarrel at the start and then introducing Bond like that. What’s the point in introducing him twice?

    The producers didn't have a problem with introducing Bond twice in TWINE. Gun barrel and then film opens right on Bond.

    TWINE’s PTS isn’t exactly as cinematic as SF’s (a polite way of saying not as good). It’s also not really an introduction to Bond. He’s just walking across the street. SF’s opening is a full intro, him coming into focus, into the light etc. Different feel even though both open with a shot of Bond.

    I think at the end of the day it just came down to impact. It lessens the impact of the opening shot seeing the gunbarrel beforehand, and instead of reshooting they realised putting it at the end heightened the finale. Pretty elegant solution I’d say that made an emotionally satisfying film.
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