Shakespeare, Akira Kurosawa, and “ The Dark Knight ” in one of the masterpieces of the “ Skyfall ” series

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2019.01.13Atsunobu Ushizu

A fragrant Shakespearean essence

It's not just Kurosawa films. This time, Sam Mendes, a famous actor in the theater world, is at the helm, so it has a distinctive Shakespearean atmosphere. Mendes himself said that he felt there was something in common with Shakespeare's works when depicting the characters that have been passed down from generation to generation in the series (*2), and Ben Whishaw, who plays Q, said something similar (*3). Furthermore, Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, and Rory Kinnear, who plays M's assistant, are all known as Shakespearean actors who have played the role of Hamlet, and in the DVD commentary, Mendes can be seen calling the scene where the three of them appear together the "Three Hamlets." It's a really trivial scene, but if you pay attention to it, it looks completely different in style.

In this way, history and tradition, well-honed dialogue, sudden humor, dramatic developments, and each character who tries to resist their fate all combine to produce a level of elegance that was previously unimaginable. That is the greatness of "Skyfall."

The story goes deeper, like "The Dark Knight"

Meanwhile, when this film was released, the phrase "The Dark Knight of 007" was often heard. In other words, the fact that it delves into the darker side of 007 compared to the previous film was similar to Christopher Nolan's masterpiece " The Dark Knight " (2008).

2012 was also the Olympic year for the UK, and the year saw the release of Nolan's latest film, The Dark Knight Rises , followed by a spin-off of 007 directed by Danny Boyle, in which a real-life version of Her Majesty appeared at the Olympic opening ceremony. Then in October of the same year, the long-awaited film Skyfall was released. In this context, James Bond and Batman, heroes with long histories alike, were in a position where they were easily compared.

It later became clear that the reaction of "it's similar" was not entirely off the mark, as director Sam Mendes himself acknowledged the influence of The Dark Knight(*4).

Mendes is full of praise for Nolan's masterpiece, saying, "It was The Game changer for everyone." He said that Nolan proved that a blockbuster that combines entertainment and a Arrival can be properly established in the film industry. In addition, "The Dark Knight" is a work that commercially proved that the audience will follow even if the content is dark. This gave Mendes great confidence in moving forward with "Skyfall."

*2 … "BBC" https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-18525498

*3 … "INDEPENDENT" https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/ben-whishaw-playing-q-in-skyfall-was-a-bit-like-doing-shakespeare-8364146.html

*Four … This was originally an article from "Playlist," but the original URL seems to have disappeared, so I have included two articles that reprint the quoted parts.

https://screenrant.com/skyfall-interview-sam-mendes-james-bond-dark-knight/

http://collider.com/sam-mendes-skyfall-the-dark-knight/

What The Dark Knight and Skyfall have in common

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