Four Bond Films

I decided to compare a few of the early James Bond stories that I have been reading and watching lately.

Casino Royale

Book (1953): This is an excellent detective novel. Ian Fleming also showcases his writing for the first time and acquits himself admirably. The style is concise and memorable; there are some nods to the dialogue in the most recent film adaptation.

Unlike the action-themed film, the novel focuses more on the Baccarat game between James Bond and Le Chiffre (it’s disappointing that the film chose to focus the gambling around Texas Hold-em rather than Bond’s traditional game of Baccarat). The strategy of the game and Bond’s strategies to bust the terrorist banker are very interesting. Bond’s affair with Vesper Lynd is not given as much attention because it is not central to the spy mystery. On the other hand, this detracts some meaning from her death, which increases in importance throughout subsequent Bond novels.

Film (2006): The gritty nature of the film is much appreciated and mirrors the turmoil Bond confronts as he earns his double-0 status. “M” calls him out as a blunt instrument early in the film but Daniel Craig’s performance shows how Bond matures. Less special effects make the film feel more like the early Sean Connery releases when contrasted with the ridiculous action sequences featured in The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Also, David Arnold’s score is very classy: combining John Barry’s “James Bond” and “007” themes with a symphonic version of Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” during key sequences.

I think it was also a good touch to include more nuanced detective work, by both sides. Sometimes, Fleming’s Bond appears to be a fool. However, MI-6 and Bond’s decisions to overlook Vesper Lynd’s Algerian love knot is a key oversight. Lynd’s demise is somewhat melodramatic but the incident is required to create Bond’s desire to make up for this one mistake (as Trevelyan puts it in GoldenEye “are you going to save [Natalya] to make up for all the ones you’ve lost?).

The reintroduction of other characters who will recur later in the film, such as Mathis and Felix Leiter is subtly done; I hate disposable characters that disappear after one film in a series and destroy all continuity.

From Russia with Love

Book (1957): Bond only appears for half of the novel, as the first part concerns S.M.E.R.S.H.’s plans to assassinate him and create a scandal at the Secret Service. Suspense builds slowly and persistently throughout the book and Fleming includes a cliffhanger ending because he was unsure whether or not to let Bond survive.

Kerim Bey is one of my favourite Bond characters because of his casual and frank attitude about his job. Like most Bond associates, he meets an untimely end. Why would anyone work with Bond? Even Leiter was eventually severely maimed because of his dealings with Bond. Fleming reveals in the book that the Secret Service pays its agents poorly but they perform well out of loyalty.

Film (1963): In the film chronology, From Russia with Love occurs after Doctor No. Bond’s assassination is planned by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in retaliation for the death of Julius No and their involvement makes the plot more logical. In the book, Bond seems to a total fool, falling for an obvious trap but Blofeld’s plans seem slightly more realistic. I also think the final showdown with Rosa Klebb, when Tatiana Romanova is forced to choose between her past (Klebb was a K.G.B. officer who had defected) and her present (Bond) enhances the film. Romanova kills Krebb because of how Bond treated her on the Orient Express whereas she is absent from the novel’s climax.

Doctor No

Book (1958): The Doctor No novel is far superior to the film because it is more thorough and complicated. Some scenes are written exactly as they will appear in the film but many others include more character and plot development. For example, when “M” wants to confiscate Bond’s Beretta, a page and a half are devoted to Bond’s feelings for his weapon, the type of emotions appropriate for a cold, “blunt instrument.” Julius No makes more than a cameo appearance in the film. His scheme is fleshed out and more importantly, he is a sadistic maniac, like a man whose former employer cut of his hands and tried to shoot him in the heart should be.

Film (1962): I thought that the film lost because the character of Doctor No and the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. organization is not adequately fleshed out. His past, his plans, and his claws are barely discussed. I find that the same lack of detail affects the entire story, which was probably shortened because the Bond franchise was nascent at the time. I also found it odd that No’s hideout has a fire alarm and detailed evacuation procedures. Hank Scorpio wasn’t the only super-villain who valued employee health along with world domination.

Goldfinger

Book (1959): The book is much more detailed than the subsequent film. I liked the darker tones. Bond begins Goldfinger depressed about taking the life of a Mexican drug lord and pondering the ethics of killing someone. Fleming’s Bond should have a conscience to a degree; the literary James Bond does not behave like Sean Connery and quip “Positively shocking” after Odd Job’s death due to electrocution.

In the novel, Pussy Galore is clearly a lesbian and Bond uses his sexual prowess to help convince her to change sides. I also appreciate the details included about Goldfinger’s plans. Auric Goldfinger is portrayed as a banker for S.P.E.C.T.R.E., not simply a very rich man who wants to blow up Fort Knox.

Film (1964): The classic James Bond film that inspired the formula. It’s hard to criticize the film because it stands up very well over time. I’ve always wondered why Goldfinger doesn’t kill Bond when he has the chance but I suppose it wouldn’t make for an uplifting ending. Bond shows some devotion to the women in the film, like Tilly and Jill Masterson, which is a critical part of the character; Bond thinks about the death of Vesper Lynd regretfully throughout all of the books written by Fleming.

All these considered, Casino Royale offers the best combination of film and novel out of the four.

Medium=Message

If the medium is the message, where does Barack Obama’s announcement of Joe Biden as his running mate fit in? First leaked by CNN and announced shortly afterwards via text message and on the Internet at 3:00am, the message employed an entirely different medium than previous vice-presidential picks. Does Obama wish to say that he is the candidate of change because he used a new format or that his ticket now possesses stability and foreign policy experience because of Biden’s profile?

Marshall McLuhan meant to say that fact that people in the 1960s had begun watching television in mass numbers, which delivered information in short bursts in between commercial advertisements, was the real message, not what was broadcast on the screen. The change from more traditional and static methods of delivering information was the significant event, not the fact that the television debates between Nixon and Kennedy determined who would be president for the first time.

Essentially, what McLuhan foretold has come to pass. Cultural sophistication has been totally shattered, young people are more concerned about who has the nicest $500 satchel than what’s happening around them or in the world as a whole. American television spends hours dissecting every aspect of the presidential campaign to the point of tedium yet provides only cursory reporting on the conflict between Russia and Georgia, which could escalate to a far more serious problem.

John McCain tells voters that Barack Obama is more of a celebrity and unfit to lead, and the public believes him. Almost a quarter of Americans don’t believe that Obama is a Christian because of his name. McCain’s income and multiple houses make more news than his policies. The Internet and blogs will certainly help decide the election but the level of discourse is wholly superficial.

Regarding the V.P. pick, I think Obama managed to have it both ways to a degree. He has kept his core constituents involved and has responded to some concerns about his ticket. However, the marathon campaign has been over-analyzed to such a degree that media pundits are actually speaking as if this decision will determine the election. Joe Biden can’t receive any votes for president in November. Talking about improving the economy, promoting global stability, and protecting the world from future environmental destruction should be the paramount issues, not the name in small print on the ticket.

Silver and Bronze

During the 2008 Olympics, China has placed a premium on gold medals. To some degree, the philosophy suggests that if the medal isn’t gold it doesn’t matter. Like Johan Bruyneel said in the title of his new book “We Might as Well Win.”

Many times, falling just short - pulling up instead of driving for the line, missing the critical foul shot - is an example of a lack of focus. That said, there are other occasions when a podium position is still an example of excellent mental training.

During Tuesday’s triathlon, Simon Whitfield had been dropped by the lead pack as they entered the stadium. Discarding his visor was Whitfield’s signal that he was refocusing and sprinting to the finish. The Canadian rejoined the lead pack and briefly held the lead as the runners approached the line. Whitfield was passed by a German in better shape at the time but he would have received nothing had he given up when it seemed that he was out of the race.

Later in the day, the Women’s 100m hurdles were wide open, since previous Olympic and World Champions had not qualified for the final. Lolo Jones led most of the race but her focus slipped as she approached the finish line. The American hit the penultimate hurdle and lost her balance. Dawn Harper won the race but those who kept racing hard for the entire race were involved in a photo finish as 0.02 seconds separated second and sixth position. Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep consequently won a surprise bronze medal.

Short-track speed-skaters crash, bizarre comebacks can occur. During the Men’s 200m Sprint, Usain Bolt dominated the field but the silver and bronze medalists were disqualified for stepping on the lane dividers. Sport permits all types of events to occur; determination despite obstacles is often rewarded.

Performance under Pressure, Part V

Donovan Bailey said that while athletes participating in the 100m dash share genetics and other physical characteristics, it’s entirely mental when they arrive in the stadium for the final heat. Swimmers and other athletes would be remiss not to take the 1996 Olympic Champion’s advice. Self-confidence, technique, overcoming fear (of success and failure) are among the essential skills possessed by an Olympic Champion.

Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in a single Olympics. He is an amazing athlete. But Phelps also performs consistently and never wavers from his game plan. He’d only have six medals if the competition were as diligent. In the Men’s 4x100m Feeestyle relay, Alain Bernard had a relatively large lead going into the final stretch over Jason Lezak but swam too close to the lane divider, allowing the American to draft behind and out-touch him at the wall. In the Men’s 100m Butterfly, Serbian Milorad Cavic appeared to have a half-meter lead with two meters to swim but lifted his head at the wall and lost by 0.01 seconds. Phelps realized that he was behind and that he was out of sync with his normal stroke rhythm. He took a “chopped stroke” and barely won the event.

In the 1992 Men’s 100m Backstroke, Mark Tewksbury spent the preceding year visualizing his race in Barcelona. He studied the pool when it was under construction and planned every detail of his race months in advance. When he got within meters of the wall, he realized that he was out of sync with his normal stroke pattern and didn’t have enough time for a full stroke. Consequently, Tewksbury reached backwards and won the race by milliseconds. Both Phelps and Tewksbury focused on the mental aspect of swimming and narrowly won gold medals as a result.

Egregious mental errors have occurred in other sports too.

• Women’s Marathon: the field allowed one athlete, Constantina Tomescu-Dita to breakaway and lead more than half the race. The Romanian won by half a minute and it seemed as if the chase pack had forgotten that she was in the race.
• Women’s 400m Freestyle Swim: Katie Hoff led most of the race but decided to touch the wall with a flat palm. Great Britain’s Rebecca Adlington made a last outstretched lunge for the wall and won by 0.07 seconds.
• Women’s Freestyle Wrestling 63kg Bronze Medal Match: Martine Dugrenier was up a point with thirty seconds remaining. After she had taken the lead with a leg-lace takedown, she quickly gave up her back and side control to opponent Randi Millar, losing with seconds remaining.

Why are these athletes losing focus at critical moments? Tewksbury hypothesizes that the fear of success and reaching a life-long dream is as prevalent as the fear of failure. C.B.C. commentators Steve Armitage and Byron McDonald praised Phelps for dominating every element of the race. Tewksbury told anchor Ron McLean that Canada needs to have benchmarks for all aspects of the performance.

What makes up a gold medal swim in London 2012 and what are our improvement targets for each year? Nothing is too small to be measured (and Omega has shown that every millisecond can be timed) and nothing too intangible to be considered. If Canada wants to “Own the Podium”, they have to own themselves first and aim to own all the mental and physical aspect of the competition, like Phelps did whilst winning eight medals.

French Food

Back in Toronto, it is nice to return to typical Canadian food. The cafeteria in the Hameau-St. Michel residence frequently deep-fried meals and served potatoes to the point of boredom.

The first night in Tours, I ate at Au Lapin Qui Fume, a small bistro that served traditional French food, pairing meat and game from the area with regional produce. The smoked salmon appetizer was fine, though in retrospect salmon with dill is not unique to France. The rabbit stew was flavourful, although I know now that this country cuisine is not my favourite. The apricot tart served for dessert was locally made and perfectly good.

A return to the bistro towards the end of the trip was equally enjoyable. The rabbit terrine was savoury and the lamb was well-cooked. Again, I suppose that lamb and rosemary is not a combination unique to France but the dishes were locally prepared. The raspberry shortcake was a memorable conclusion to the meal.

Another night, I dined at Au Chien Jaune, which was near the Lapin in location but not in quality. They served a salmon mousse profiterole, which was an interesting juxtaposition of textures. The duck was cooked exactly to specifications but the dish was plain. The lonely duck was only accompanied by a salad and could have enjoyed the company of a sauce. The crème brulée was only partially “bruléed” and whoever did this task had done it long before I ordered the dessert.

At Chez Roy, I enjoyed a duck in a red wine sauce with potatoes. It was the dish that I envisioned the first time; the savory red wine sauce accentuated the taste of the duck admirably. The escargot appetizer was plentiful, highlighted by a delicious pesto and garlic combination. The crème caramel seemed to have been lying there for a while. During the meal, a loud argument caused delays in the kitchen. When my friends returned to the restaurant, the oven was broken. The restaurant could improve upon these inconsistencies.

In Blois, some of us ate at Le Rond de Serviette, which was a bit off of the beaten path. One of their pizzas was topped with escargots. The snails were effectively cooked but the pie was lacking; too much tomato sauce caused the toppings to slide around.

On another field trip in Bourges, the bouillabaisse at Le Jardin d’O (not a typo) was plentiful and reasonably priced. A moelleux au chocolate in a crème anglaise sauce seemed homemade.

The final field trip to Chartes involved lunch at the ironically named Café Serpente, across the street from the cathedral. Moules marinière were bountiful but a little too salty. The hap-hazard fries should have been excluded from the dish and replaced with bread. A friend ordered the oddly named “Texas Style” pork. I recommended against since it seemed unlikely that anyone in the kitchen was from Texas, Oklahoma, or Missouri. The ribs weren’t really barbecued and only came with a mild tomato side sauce.

Over the course of the sojourn, Au Bureau became average brasserie where one could watch events like the Wimbledon final and the Euro 2008 championship game. They served a “Vesuvio” pizza with a fried egg in the centre which was surrounded by smoked ham and onions. They also served an “American” burger which came with a fried egg. I don’t know anything about how pizzas were topped in Pompeii but I don’t know why a fried egg makes a hamburger “American.”

The last memorable meal that I had was at La Bouillon Racine, which was recommended in class. The service was attentive to the point of almost being instantaneous. I wanted to have more escargots so I ordered the appetizer, which was similar in taste and quality to the other restaurants (which was what I was hoping for).

While walking by the Botanical Gardens in Tours, I had seen some lambs, chickens, and pigs socializing in the petting zoo. Why single out the lamb and duck by only eating them? They all seemed equal, in an Orwellian way. So, to spread fate’s cruel judgments around, I ordered the chicken with risotto.

Based on how often it’s fouled up on Hell’s Kitchen, I thought that risotto was a difficult dish to make. This one could have been a little creamier but was mostly delicious. The dish treaded a fine line between a fancy restaurant dish and something made with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup but the depth of the mushroom flavour heighten the quality of this dish. Plus, the chicken was notably tender.

The crème brulée was exactly what I expect in the dish: finished off after it was ordered and a nice sugar crust on top of a rich cream.

A friend alerted me to this article about the economic value of experiences. So rather than buy excessive souvenirs or whatever, I focused on the quality of my experience. Relatively speaking, the good restaurant that is diligently sought is not much pricier than food of average quality. All in all, I am satisfied with my choices.