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MI6 investigates the definition and literary roots
of the newly announced title for the 22nd James Bond
film "Quantum
of Solace"... |
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Origins Of Solace
28th January 2008
On Thursday 24th January
2008, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced that
James Bond's 22nd screen adventure would be entitled "Quantum
of Solace". The press
conference gathered the world's media, and after
an initial intake of breath, many journalists were
left with a puzzled expression as much of the mythology
surrounding the title was lost on those unfamiliar
with Ian Fleming's work. MI6 delves into the history
of this classic title...
Literary Roots
In 1960, and after a run of successful James Bond
adventures, Ian
Fleming's eighth Bond publication was released
to the world. "For
Your Eyes Only" was a Bond adventure with
a twist - a short story anthology - encompassing
a range of five of Fleming's experimental tales.
"From
A View To A Kill", "For Your Eyes Only", "Quantum
of Solace", "Risico" and "The
Hildebrand Rarity" were the titles that appeared
in this first Fleming anthology. However, "Quantum
of Solace" was
first published in the May 1959 edition of Modern
Woman magazine.
The story draws on a tale told to
Fleming by Blanche Blackwell, one in a string of
short term flings for the spy-writer. When Fleming's
not-so-fictional story was published, he gifted Blackwell
with a Cartier wrist watch as thanks.
For many, the title draws connection
instantly to Fleming's work - a linguistic twist
of French and Latin - but for others "Quantum
of Solace" is a tongue-twisting, almost forgettable
title. The story is one loosely based on a true story;
an anecdotal tale that sees 007 invited to dinner
with the Governor of the Bahamas, a seemingly stale
old man but with a twisted story to tell.
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Dictionary Digest
Quan-tum (n. pl.) - a portion, or quantity; one that can be measured; the smallest discreet quantity
Sol-ace (n.) - Comfort in sorrow; grief or misfortune |
Above: Ian Fleming at his Jamaican
estate, GoldenEye, posing with a copy of his first short
story collection"For Your Eyes Only" |
"Quantum of Solace", like several
of the stories in the anthology, encompasses none of
the usual Bond formula; instead Fleming fans are treated to some
of
his skilled
and varied penmanship. There are no villains, no Bond girls,
but there remains plenty of mystery. The title given by Fleming
is an appropriate one in context - the story within deals with
themes of human compassion (or lack thereof), greed, spite and
revenge. Once understood it is no doubt a catchy and memorable
affair, with a deep significance to the plot.
"When the other person not only makes you feel insecure but actually seems to want to destroy you, its obviously the end. The Quantum of Solace stands at zero."
| "Quantum
of Solace" Datastream |
| Villains: |
N/A |
| Plot: |
Governor's anecdote regarding his dinner guests |
| Bond Girls: |
N/A |
| Allies: |
Phillip Masters, Rhoda Masters, The Governor |
| Locations: |
Nassau, Jamaica |
| Highlights: |
Final twist revealing dinner guest's identity |
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Short
Story Synopsis
Bond, following a mission in Cuba, is stuck at what seems a
boring dinner with the Governor of the Bahamas and his dull
guests. However, Bond eventually leaves very interested, realising
that there is more to the world than his spying. The governor
told him a story of a man who once worked for him and got married,
but shortly after his wife had a well-known affair making him
the laughing stock of Bermuda's British community. But the
governor's old friend managed to ruin her socially and financially
before divorcing her and leaving the island. The story ends
with a nice twist when Bond discovers the identity of one of
the dinner guests. |
Better Late Than Never
"Quantum of Solace", among the few other unused Fleming
titles, has been rumoured time and time again as the various 007
screen adventures are announced and produced. From as early as "Licence
To Kill", "Solace" was anticipated to make a
screen appearance, yet it has taken a redirection for the franchise
and a more Fleming faithful mindset for his third short story title
to make it to the big screen.
Above: Michael G. Wilson, Judi Dench,
Marc Forster and Barbara Broccoli at the Q&A |
Michael G. Wilson, co-producer of the James
Bond films, commented early in the filmmaking process that Bond
22 would not be firmly based on any particular literary work,
however inspiration would be drawn on from all corners of the
literary canon. "You're always looking back at Fleming
for inspiration, all the writers do. Without getting specific,
maybe there will be references to certain episodes. The approach
to it is that Fleming is very much in the fabric of it."
Daniel Craig has hinted that the title also
is connected to an element of the villain's scheme. With the
death and betrayal of Vesper in "Casino
Royale" and the mystery surrounding the terrorist's
organisation, Bond will no doubt face greed, deal with revenge
and be forced to face the little compassion he has left.
"If you don't have that quantum of solace then there's not much worth fighting for. It's a lot to do with where he's at from the end of the last movie. He's had his heart broken and he's going out to find the guy who is responsible. He hasn't had that closure in his life." - Daniel Craig on the title selection
Translation
The most literal translation of "Quantum of Solace" could
be assumed to mean "Quality of Sorrow", but out of context
this is quite inaccurate. It can most accurately be described,
as Fleming might have dictated, "the smallest unit of human
compassion".
Briefing
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon
Productions), QUANTUM OF SOLACE was released in the
UK on October 31st 2008 and is directed by
Marc Forster. Principal photography started on January
3rd
2008 at
Pinewood Studios and around the UK, and foreign locations
including Italy, Panama, Chile, Peru and Austria.
Paul Haggis completed the script based on a first draft
screenplay developed by regular scribes Neal Purvis & Robert
Wade, with later polish by Joshua Zetumer. The story
is a direct continuation of the events of Casino
Royale. 007 faces off against
villains Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene), Anatole
Taubman (Elvis) and Joaquin Cosío (General Medrano).
Olga Kurylenko (Camille) and Gemma Arterton (MI6 Agent
Fields) play the Bond Girls. Dame Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey
Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Mathis)
reprise their roles as Bond's allies. It is British
actor Daniel Craig’s second outing as James Bond,
following his debut film Casino Royale released November
16th 2006.
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