The Spectre In The Shadows

The most recent James Bond movie, Spectre, is an easter egg hunt for the James Bond fanatic.
In Spectre, there are plenty of references to prior Bond films as far back as Casino Royale.

For example, there is a scene where Eve MoneyPenny (played by Naomie Harris) visits James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) at his apartment. There, she delivers remnants from the SkyFall mission. One of these remnants, a picture of a man and two boys on a mountain, is a symbol of future events. I won't get too specific. I do not want to spoil the movie. Nonetheless, this latest installment to the long-lasting franchise, is one of the most intellectually stimulating Bond films that I have watched in a long time.

Why you ask? Along with various references to prior Bond films, the villain who is a ghost of Bond's past, is one of the most intelligent and dangerous villains Bond has ever faced. Ironically, the villain named Franz Oberhauser, is played by an equally intelligent actor. Christoph Waltz, the Austrian-born actor who plays Oberhauser, studied method acting under the great Lee Strasberg. Lee Strasberg is well-known for training actors like Al Pacino, Jane Fonda and James Dean. Some of you actors, or theater enthusiasts, know Lee Strasberg as one of the driving forces of method acting--acting that brings forth emotions of the character through the connection of personal events in the actors life.

In addition to being trained by one of the greatest acting teachers in history, Christoph Waltz is fluent in English, French and German. He is probably the only actor who plays villains that I despise for their actions, but respect the intellectual prowess that they possess. If you have watched Inglorious Basterds, you know what I mean when I say that Colonel Hans Landa is one of the most spineless characters in that movie. Yet, he is the only character that goes against the Basterds and lives by bargaining directly with Lieutenant Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt). Franz Oberhauser is no different with respect to his ability to torture his victims psychologically before exacting physical torture.

This film is also filled with symbolic items that foreshadow future events. As I mentioned before, the picture recovered at SkyFall signals a future struggle between Bond and his past. Previous Bond films have neglected to reveal elements of James' childhood to audience members. The reputation of the franchise has been predominantly centered around cool-headed assassins with access to gadgets, fast cars and sensual women. Spectre still incorporates these elements. However, it does so while skillfully revealing more of James' life prior to his employment in MI6. The journey into Bond's psyche, as well as the reference to prior Bond films and the introduction of a formidable, villainous intellect are the ingredients to an instant spy classic.

In summary, I award Spectre a rating of 9.8/10. I recommend this film to not just fans of the James Bond franchise, but any film lover who craves action with substance.

Now I have a question for those of you who did watch the movie. How many references to previous Bond films did you catch? Comment your answer below. Personally, I caught five references.

To wet your appetite, I also included the music video to the opening song of Spectre. It is called "Writings On The Wall" by Sam Smith, courtesy of SamSmithWorldVEVO. Enjoy and remember to like the video here. Until next time......