Quantum of Solace-Art of the Title

The Quantum of Solace, an iconic James Bond movie. Movies like these I, at least, have a habit of simply accepting [as in not questioning its level of awesomeness] what I see on the screen and exclaiming how fantastic the movie was afterwards. At this point in time though, I must break habits and actually think [shocking] about what I'm looking at.

1. COMPUTER INFLUNCE-First thing I notice about the title sequence is that it is not a real image. This was also seen in Cape Fear's title sequence as well but this is done in a different manner. This is difficult to explain so bear with me. In this opening, the whole thing looks fake but deliberately so. Everything is shadowed-faces, bodies, the whole enchilada. What comes to mind would be: a dark [but not nightmare-ish] dream of dolls. Dolls that look like James Bond and his female companions, that is. What I am trying to say, is that the entire sequence is made up of computer generated images that used a great deal of lack-of-light aka: shadows. It gives a dark, questionable feeling to the opening titles that sets up the rest of the movie.

 

 

2. VISUALS-For a title sequence, this is very dream-like. Often at times in the opening sequence you see multiples of the figure currently in the frame. Be it Bond or 'The Female', you can see 3 Bonds-1 in the far distance, one in the middle, and another one in close-up. For 'The Female', you can see multiples in overlay at a certain point. This makes you feel like you're in a dream or it's a hallucination. Both dealing with real vs. not real which is a key enigmatic question for the audience when it comes to James Bond. Incorporating what was said from before, having the dark, computer generated images with the dream-like visuals just adds to the illusion and unwavering character of Ian Fleming's Bond.

3. CHARACTER-Everyone knows James Bond to be the elusive, suave, skilled man that he is. The title sequence to Quantum of Solace actually portrays a lot of his character through the visuals seen. For example, it opens with him and the Sun as he shoots in its direction. To me, at least, this shows how he takes control of his day. The world is his oyster in a nutshell. The sand that is constantly blowing, and shifting remind me of 'the sands of time' and Bond is simply moving through them. This works really well as the sand is occasionally used as a transition to another view. Another thing is when you see the woman come out from the sand, it makes her seem like she is not truly real, but is just a symbol in Bond's life. Women unravel him, is what I would say especially since he starts to look like he's falling after the woman appears.

4. MUSIC-One song is played throughout the title sequence [Another Way To Die by Jack White and Alicia Keys]. In order to summarize it, I would say it is epic walking music. It is the kind of song that makes you look and feel cool. The kind of song you walk to the beat with your head held high and shoulders straight. This song is James Bond. It is dramatic, loud, passionate, and full of coolness. I apologize for my sudden lack of vocabulary. Having this song playing through the sequence with the visual aid of Bond himself just makes it seem like it is jsust you and the man in the suit on the screen.