I watched Casino Royale again yesterday, and came away realizing I don't fully understand that movie. To help, I wrote this timeline:
-The super-secret worldwide organization with unknown aims (heretofore referred to as "Quantum") is organized.
-Vesper Lynd meets Algerian boyfriend/spy, he is “kidnapped” and held for ransom. Is this before the Casino Royale poker game is organized? Did Quantum know Vesper would be the one to represent the Treasury, or was it just dumb luck?
-The Quantum recruits Le Chiffre to invest their money sometime around here.
-MI6 somehow tracks down the bomb maker in Madagascar. Bond kills him, gets his cell phone.
-Bond uses the cell to track down the middleman in the Bahamas, kills him in Miami.
-Bond thwarts Le Chiffre's plan to short sell the airplane manufacturer stock, Le Chiffre loses millions of dollars that aren't his, including the Quantum's. The Quantum and other clients are angered.
-Bond discovers Le Chiffre's “tell” during the first hand of the game. Bond is burned by this, either because a.) he was arrogant and fell for LeChiffre's use of a false “tell,” b.) Vesper tipped Le Chiffre off about Bond having discovered it or c.) Mathis betrayed Bond by tipping Le Chiffre off. I favor the first theory.
-Bond beats Le Chiffre at poker, wins $150 million, Le Chiffre has failed and is desperate.
-Le Chiffre “kidnaps” Vesper (is she in on it?) and tortures Bond to get the password for the poker winnings. (Does Le Chiffre's plan involve ambushing the Swiss dude and getting the briefcase/computer thing?) (Also, he doesn't need the account number from Vesper. He can have the winnings transferred to any account he wants, right?)
-Mr. White arrives and kills Le Chiffre and others (spares Vesper and Bond, part of the plan from the beginning?) presumably because Le Chiffre blew the Quantum's money and failed to regain it.
-Bond falls in love with Vesper, while Vesper at the very least pretends to fall in love with Bond.
-The Swiss arrives, Vesper keys in an account (not the Treasury's) and Bond has her key in the password. The poker winnings are transferred.
-Days later, Bond and Vesper and about leave to travel the world. Bond, at least, is sold on the idea. Is Vesper? Is she sold on it until she sees the man with the eyepatch glasses? If so, has she planned to abandon her Algerian boyfriend? It seems more likely she was just waiting for the Quantum to make contact with her.
-Vesper goes to the bank and withdraws the poker winnings from the account she deposited them into back in Italy.
-Bond receives a call from M, asking why he hadn't deposited the winnings yet. At that moment, he realizes he's been had.
-Bond chases Vesper down as she makes an exchange with eyepatch glasses guy and goons. EG guy attempts to take Vesper hostage in order to get Bond to back off, not realizing Bond has figured out at least a part of the plot, and isn't interested in Vesper living (later proved to be a bluff?).
-Bond kills EG guy and goons (all Quantum?).
-Vesper locks the elevator she's in and lets herself drown as Bond looks on. Does she do it for Bond? Mr. White later says they would have used Vesper to control Bond if she hadn't died. Does she realize that? Does she believe her Algerian boyfriend will be killed because the Quantum will believe she brought Bond with her to the exchange? Is she in love with both men?
-Mr Green looks on (silent observer the whole time?) and leaves with the $150 million after Vesper is dead.
-The Quantum fakes the death of the Algerian boyfriend, and he moves on to seducing a Canadian government official (why Canada?).
-Blah blah blah stealing Bolivia's water and selling it back at double the rate blah blah blah Bond stops it blah blah.
QUESTIONS:
1. Was Casino Royale merely about money? Is every intrigue and plot related to either Le Chiffre winning back the money he lost or Quantum ensuring their money is taken care of? I don't see any evidence to the contrary.
2. Is the same true for Quantum of Solace? The entire plot is predicated on the Quantum gaining money, and perhaps power (in Bolivia? Meh).
3. What is Vesper's motivation in killing herself?
4. What are the Quantum's goals? For such a powerful organization, are they interested in world domination? What?
Comments appreciated.
10 comments:
That's a helpful summary, and I just bought the digital video disc yesterday. I'm going to see if I can gain any insight here and I'll let you know. I think I've seen Casino Royale twice, about a year ago, and I get especially confused towards the end. We'll see if repeated viewings clears anything up.
Oh, but I forgot to mention that even though I'm pretty confused I like these two new Bond movies more than any other action-thriller flicks besides the Bournes.
I have no idea. I've watched Casino Royale once and was completely confused. So, there ya go. I tried getting into Alias in season three last night...that was also no good. JJ Abrams in his early stages...he was weird. His connections are weird.
As much as I love the movie, Brandon, well, YOU CARE TOO MUCH.
And I meant that in a loving way.
You may be right, Steven.
But I have the weird compulsion to understand movies that
a.) I like and
b.) I believe make sense if you work hard enough at it.
It's why I spend tons of time reading LOST theories. :)
Of course, there's always the chance that the movie or TV show doesn't make sense, and the writers are terrible, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.
I believe it's easier to blindly believe everything and not think about anything. Really.
Easier, sure.
But working it all out is more satisfying to me.
Oh pish. Now everyone thinks I don't think about anything. Now I hate the internet.
I do believe Casino Royale was all about money. I believe Vesper fell out of love with her boyfriend and fell in love with Bond. I believe she killed herself through a combination of hating herself for betraying Bond and being afraid of what Bond might do to her for betraying him. If that makes sense.
As every classic Bond enemy will esteem to do, of course Quantum wants world domination. I believe the Bolivia situation was simply a bad choice on another to gain the money to fund whatever ultimate project they are working on. Which I of course believe is world domination.
Yes, I know I can't write a sentence very well. Thank you anyway.
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