Casino Royale
Casino Royale, a new take on the James Bond brand is perhaps the most successful in modern times. Directed by Martin Campbell, who previously directed the 1995 Bond film Golden Eye, gathered together a great team of actors to bring to life this new rendition of Bond. The film was shot over a period of just six months between January and July 2006 at Barrandov Studios in Prague, although shooting did take place all over Europe before ending up at Pinewood Studios in the UK. The plot takes place at the very beginning of Bond’s story in his quest to become a secret agent. Upon achieving this position he is locked in a battle against the powerful, poker-playing criminal known as Le Chiffre. In the story, the poker tournament was to be contested at the Casino Royale in Montenegro and although it was not actually filmed there; it is presented as a haven for rich billionaires. As a place so corrupt, not even the CIA has authority and so Bond has to go undercover to exploit and expose his enemy. He eventually comes out on top after sacrificing mind and body for the sake of someone who he thought was one of the few people in his life he could trust. He was later betrayed by this person, the ‘Bond girl’ Vesper Lynd portrayed by Eva Green, who was being manipulated all along by greater powers.
One of the reasons for this film’s apparent success was due to the fact that it was such a big departure from Bond films of recent years. Daniel Craig initially turned down the roll of Bond until he suggested to the directors a new vision of what Bond should be; it seems he got his way. The Bond character created by Daniel Craig is far more rugged than his predecessors and thus injects the whole franchise with a sense of realism. The storyline itself is far more realistic also and could easily be imagined by the audience as something which could be happening in the dangerous and unforgiving world of the mafia.
The plot is focused centrally on money as the most important factor for all the characters to take advantage of. This is particularly prominent in the economic context of the film, as although Britain was still in a relatively prosperous position, this was the beginning of the economic downturn and the credit crunch in Britain. Therefore as the film is all about gambling and its adverse effects, it shows albeit in a rather extreme way, what many people could turn to in a quest for wealth and power. The final plot twist, as Vesper betrays Bond, shows what such value money has in this film. It portrays very much a dog-eat-dog world where everyone fights for them self, a prediction perhaps of the future we are facing due to the current economic downturn.
This film, in my opinion, is certainly one of the most enjoyable action films of recent years if not of all time. The film is also relevant in contemporary society due to the fact that it allows the characters to value cash, intelligence and wit over guns and fast cars. It still has the childish notions of escapism which comes hand in hand with any James Bond film but manages also to show a new aspect to realism thanks largely to Daniel Craig’s performance.
The Word Stable 