James Bond Retrospective: Casino Royale (2006)
Pre-Credits & Theme Song 
Unusually and for the first time in the EON series, the film opens with the iconic gun-barrel sequence at the end of the pre-credits scene rather than at the beginning. Emphasising the point that this if Bond from the beginning, the scene shows Bond achieving his double-0 status, a promotion that requires an agent to make two kills. Shot in stylish black and white, the sequence cuts back and forth between two separate locations as Bond confronts a corrupt MI6 section chief in an office in Prague with flashbacks to Bond brawling with the section chiefs contact in a public bathroom. The scene is a brilliant juxtaposition of the two main attributes of this new Bond; one moment he is fighting a tough, bloody battle and the next he is calmly sitting in an office playing mind games with a superior officer. The scene comes to a close with a twist on the familiar shot of Bond turning to camera and firing into the lens reinforcing the notion that from this point on, this is where Bond begins. 
The pre-credits scene offers a stark contrast to all that have come before in the series and even without a signature opening stunt set-piece it perfectly sets up the new approach of the film that follows leading into one of the best opening credits sequences of the entire franchise. Designed once again by Daniel Kleinmann, the credits are beautifully animated using the cover artwork of the first printing of Flemings Casino Royale novel as inspiration. With the film largely based around a game of poker, a deck of playing cards provides much of the imagery for the credit sequence while also showing a status upgrade for Bond as his double-0 number is confirmed. In another break from the expected iconography, the titles only feature male silhouettes rather than the familiar female figures that have always been associated with the series. 
After providing the scores to the previous three films, composer David Arnold had well and truly established himself as the new keeper of the Bond sound. His John Barry infused scores had remained respectful of the orchestral style associated with the series while still maintaining a contemporary edge. To provide the theme song, the producers chose Soundgarden and Audioslave singer, Chris Cornell. Working in collaboration with Arnold, the resulting song, You Know My Name, was the first since Octopussy not to feature any mention of the films title. The song is filled with the same self-assured arrogance that defines this new incarnation of the character capturing the essence of the series reinvention. The rocky, hard edged track perfectly matches Craigs approach to the role and after Madonnas dreadful theme song for Die Another Day, Cornells is a proper return to form for the series. The Movie After earning his double-0 status, British secret agent James Bond is sent on his first mission to investigate the dealings of a banker named Le Chiffre who has been using his clients money to short-sell stock in successful companies before engineering terrorist attacks to profiteer from the sink in share prices. After Bond stops an attack in Miami at the unveiling of a new airliner, Le Chiffre is forced to find a way to recoup his losses by setting up a high stakes card tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. With the assistance of treasury agent Vesper Lynd, Bond enters the tournament in an attempt to stop Le Chiffre from winning his money back and in turn closing down his operation altogether. 
Within a few minutes of the opening titles, the film jumps into its first real action scene with one of the most impressive sequences of the entire series that sees Bond pursue a bomb-maker through a Madagascan building site. The bomb maker is played by Sebastien Foucan, who happens to be regarded as the founder of the sport of free-running and parkour, a phsyical discipline which involves using obstacles to move as quickly and efficiently as possible between two points. The chase sequence takes full advantage of Foucans abilities as he effortlessly climbs girders, leaps over tables and makes impossible jumps from incredible heights with Bond making a rather less graceful pursuit as he crashes through plaster walls and generally leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. The sun-kissed location, the Bahamas standing in for Madagascar, is beautifully shot with the camera gliding above the action failing to hide the use of stunt doubles in places but as the scene is so exhilarating it really does not matter. It is a superb opening to the film that captures the essence of Craigs Bond; brutal, fast and unforgiving. 
There is always the risk with such a strong opening that the rest of the film might fail to provide anything as good for the remainder of the running time, see The World Is Not Enough, but thankfully that is not the case with Casino Royale. Within forty minutes we are treated to another memorable action sequence set in Miami Airport as Bond attempts to stop a lone terrorist. The set-piece is brilliantly choreographed starting as a game of cat and mouse in the airport terminal, building the tension before developing into a race against time pursuit across the runways of the busy airport. The scene features an unrelenting battle between the two men on a fuel truck as it speeds towards its target, a new airliner. Bond is battered and bruised in a way that no previous Bond has ever been. The chase ends with a great payoff which sees the Bond prevent the attack while making sure the terrorist becomes the only victim of the bomb. The expression of Craigs face at the end of the sequence as he gives a sly smile as the terrorist explodes off camera is the perfect summation of his approach to the character; he takes immense pleasure in his job and has no qualms about killing. 
With a large portion of the film set in the Casino Royale itself, these scenes could potentially have upset the balance of the film after two strong action sequences during the first act, however the excitement levels are maintained throughout. While not just ramping up the tension of the confrontation between Bond and Le Chiffre, the casino scenes are broken up by two intense moments of action and peril. Firstly, a stairwell fight between Bond and two Ugandan militants with whom Le Chiffre had been dealing after losing their money on the stock markets. The scene is another unrelenting battle this time involving fists and machetes in a bone-crunching fight to the death; however it is the reaction to the aftermath of the fight that marks it out as being an important moment in the Bond series. In the past, little time is spent detailing what it means to kill and the effect this can have on a human being but shortly after the fight there is a tender scene where Bond discovers a distraught Vesper sitting in the shower fully clothed. As he joins her in the shower there are no one-liners or the usual throwaway lines of the series past, instead there is a real sense that these are two people deeply affected by what has just happened showing a completely new side of Bond's character. 
As the card game continues another moment takes the action away from the poker table when Bond is poisoned and needs to seek medical attention before going into cardiac arrest. His life is saved by an on-board defibrillator installed in the dashboard of his Aston Martin DBS (discussed in more detail in the gadgets section). The scene is a rare moment of genuine vulnerability for Bond and it is a situation that even he is unable to survive without the last minute assistance of Vesper. 
With Casino Royale, director Martin Campbell reinvents the character by taking him right back to his original roots. The film remains respectful of all that have come before while giving the series a much needed fresh start. While the iconography and expected elements of Bond are still in place, the film takes pleasure in subverting some of the more familiar aspects of the franchise such as Bonds reaction to being offered a shaken or stirred drink; Do I look like I give a damn. In Daniel Craig, the producers have discovered a Bond who could be relevant, believable and more in tune with Flemings novels than ever before, making Casino Royale possibly the most faithful and satisfying of all the films in the series so far.
Unusually and for the first time in the EON series, the film opens with the iconic gun-barrel sequence at the end of the pre-credits scene rather than at the beginning. Emphasising the point that this if Bond from the beginning, the scene shows Bond achieving his double-0 status, a promotion that requires an agent to make two kills. Shot in stylish black and white, the sequence cuts back and forth between two separate locations as Bond confronts a corrupt MI6 section chief in an office in Prague with flashbacks to Bond brawling with the section chiefs contact in a public bathroom. The scene is a brilliant juxtaposition of the two main attributes of this new Bond; one moment he is fighting a tough, bloody battle and the next he is calmly sitting in an office playing mind games with a superior officer. The scene comes to a close with a twist on the familiar shot of Bond turning to camera and firing into the lens reinforcing the notion that from this point on, this is where Bond begins. Classic Line
Dryden: How did he die?
James Bond: Your contact? Not well.
Dryden: Made you feel it did he? Well, you neednt worry. The second is
(Bond shoots Dryden)
James Bond: Yesconsiderably.
The pre-credits scene offers a stark contrast to all that have come before in the series and even without a signature opening stunt set-piece it perfectly sets up the new approach of the film that follows leading into one of the best opening credits sequences of the entire franchise. Designed once again by Daniel Kleinmann, the credits are beautifully animated using the cover artwork of the first printing of Flemings Casino Royale novel as inspiration. With the film largely based around a game of poker, a deck of playing cards provides much of the imagery for the credit sequence while also showing a status upgrade for Bond as his double-0 number is confirmed. In another break from the expected iconography, the titles only feature male silhouettes rather than the familiar female figures that have always been associated with the series. After providing the scores to the previous three films, composer David Arnold had well and truly established himself as the new keeper of the Bond sound. His John Barry infused scores had remained respectful of the orchestral style associated with the series while still maintaining a contemporary edge. To provide the theme song, the producers chose Soundgarden and Audioslave singer, Chris Cornell. Working in collaboration with Arnold, the resulting song, You Know My Name, was the first since Octopussy not to feature any mention of the films title. The song is filled with the same self-assured arrogance that defines this new incarnation of the character capturing the essence of the series reinvention. The rocky, hard edged track perfectly matches Craigs approach to the role and after Madonnas dreadful theme song for Die Another Day, Cornells is a proper return to form for the series. The Movie After earning his double-0 status, British secret agent James Bond is sent on his first mission to investigate the dealings of a banker named Le Chiffre who has been using his clients money to short-sell stock in successful companies before engineering terrorist attacks to profiteer from the sink in share prices. After Bond stops an attack in Miami at the unveiling of a new airliner, Le Chiffre is forced to find a way to recoup his losses by setting up a high stakes card tournament at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. With the assistance of treasury agent Vesper Lynd, Bond enters the tournament in an attempt to stop Le Chiffre from winning his money back and in turn closing down his operation altogether. Within a few minutes of the opening titles, the film jumps into its first real action scene with one of the most impressive sequences of the entire series that sees Bond pursue a bomb-maker through a Madagascan building site. The bomb maker is played by Sebastien Foucan, who happens to be regarded as the founder of the sport of free-running and parkour, a phsyical discipline which involves using obstacles to move as quickly and efficiently as possible between two points. The chase sequence takes full advantage of Foucans abilities as he effortlessly climbs girders, leaps over tables and makes impossible jumps from incredible heights with Bond making a rather less graceful pursuit as he crashes through plaster walls and generally leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. The sun-kissed location, the Bahamas standing in for Madagascar, is beautifully shot with the camera gliding above the action failing to hide the use of stunt doubles in places but as the scene is so exhilarating it really does not matter. It is a superb opening to the film that captures the essence of Craigs Bond; brutal, fast and unforgiving. There is always the risk with such a strong opening that the rest of the film might fail to provide anything as good for the remainder of the running time, see The World Is Not Enough, but thankfully that is not the case with Casino Royale. Within forty minutes we are treated to another memorable action sequence set in Miami Airport as Bond attempts to stop a lone terrorist. The set-piece is brilliantly choreographed starting as a game of cat and mouse in the airport terminal, building the tension before developing into a race against time pursuit across the runways of the busy airport. The scene features an unrelenting battle between the two men on a fuel truck as it speeds towards its target, a new airliner. Bond is battered and bruised in a way that no previous Bond has ever been. The chase ends with a great payoff which sees the Bond prevent the attack while making sure the terrorist becomes the only victim of the bomb. The expression of Craigs face at the end of the sequence as he gives a sly smile as the terrorist explodes off camera is the perfect summation of his approach to the character; he takes immense pleasure in his job and has no qualms about killing. With a large portion of the film set in the Casino Royale itself, these scenes could potentially have upset the balance of the film after two strong action sequences during the first act, however the excitement levels are maintained throughout. While not just ramping up the tension of the confrontation between Bond and Le Chiffre, the casino scenes are broken up by two intense moments of action and peril. Firstly, a stairwell fight between Bond and two Ugandan militants with whom Le Chiffre had been dealing after losing their money on the stock markets. The scene is another unrelenting battle this time involving fists and machetes in a bone-crunching fight to the death; however it is the reaction to the aftermath of the fight that marks it out as being an important moment in the Bond series. In the past, little time is spent detailing what it means to kill and the effect this can have on a human being but shortly after the fight there is a tender scene where Bond discovers a distraught Vesper sitting in the shower fully clothed. As he joins her in the shower there are no one-liners or the usual throwaway lines of the series past, instead there is a real sense that these are two people deeply affected by what has just happened showing a completely new side of Bond's character. As the card game continues another moment takes the action away from the poker table when Bond is poisoned and needs to seek medical attention before going into cardiac arrest. His life is saved by an on-board defibrillator installed in the dashboard of his Aston Martin DBS (discussed in more detail in the gadgets section). The scene is a rare moment of genuine vulnerability for Bond and it is a situation that even he is unable to survive without the last minute assistance of Vesper. The films only real link to the films of the past is the casting of M, played by Judi Dench in her fifth time in the role. Her character continues in a similar vein to her appearances in the Pierce Brosnan era Bond films; She has softened slightly from her initial frosty relationship with Bond developing into a more maternal kinship which fits in with the idea that this is Bond starting out on his journey to become the character we already know from the previous films. Another character that has appeared in films throughout the series is CIA agent, Felix Leiter. Played by Jeffrey Wright, here we discover how Bond and Leiter first meet and form the friendship that will see them work together many more times in the future. Before Leiter is revealed, Bond is associated with Rene Mathis who fulfils a similar role to Leiter in that he offers assistance and advice to Bond before he undertakes his mission in the Casino Royale. Played by Giancarlo Giannini, Mathis is portrayed as an ally before later being discovered as having connections to Le Chiffre and like a number of characters in the film, his story is developed further in the following film.Classic Line
James Bond: (Returning to the card table after surviving being poisoned) Im sorry. That last hand.nearly killed me.
The films climactic scenes set inVenice initially focus on the love story between Bond and Vesper. Not since On Her Majestys Secret Service has the series shown Bond in such a believable relationship, going so far as to tender his resignation from MI6 to be with Vesper. Her eventual betrayal is even harder hitting as a result and the final action sequence set in a sinking Venetian building offers an inevitable end to their romance. Using a combination of scale models and a full size 90 ton set built on a rig capable of lowering the building into a water tank to give the impression that it is sinking into the Venice canals, the final set piece features shoot-outs with mysterious assassins and sees Vesper trapped underwater in a lift cage. The scene shows both the relentlessly brutal and the tender side of Bond as he fights his way through the building in an attempt to rescue Vesper despite her apparent deception. The conversation that follows her death, between Bond and M is taken straight from the pages of Flemings novel revealing Bonds cold heart and could be taken as explanation of his treatment of women from this point on.Classic Line
M: you dont trust anyone, do you?
James Bond: No.
M: Then youve learned your lesson.
Classic Line
James Bond: The jobs done and the bitch is dead.
The last scene of the film sees Bond catch up with Mr. White who has remained on the sidelines throughout the film and will be revealed to play a much larger role in the following film. As Mr. White walks from his car to a large mansion house he is shot from a distance in the leg forcing him to crawl to the door of the house. As he reaches the steps Bond emerges holding a submachine gun and ends the film with the characters most famous line; The names Bond....James Bond. The line has never had so much impact.
With Casino Royale, director Martin Campbell reinvents the character by taking him right back to his original roots. The film remains respectful of all that have come before while giving the series a much needed fresh start. While the iconography and expected elements of Bond are still in place, the film takes pleasure in subverting some of the more familiar aspects of the franchise such as Bonds reaction to being offered a shaken or stirred drink; Do I look like I give a damn. In Daniel Craig, the producers have discovered a Bond who could be relevant, believable and more in tune with Flemings novels than ever before, making Casino Royale possibly the most faithful and satisfying of all the films in the series so far.