I had the pleasure of sharing more of my work on James Bond at the MeCCSA Postgrad conference at the University of East Anglia this month. http://www.uea.ac.uk/film-television-media/news-and-events/meccsa-network
This time I presented my research into the reasons for Skyfall's success (see abstract below). I was pleased that my fellow academics' engagement with my work caused them to ask me some very useful and thought provoking questions, which have influenced me to continue this research with a stronger emphasis on the nationalist elements of the film; their role in representing an image of the UK to both domestic and foreign viewers and how this is received by both of these audiences.
Some other points that were made to me after my presentation was the negative representation of Scotland as a rather desolate, weary and cold place. What do you think?
Also the fact that Adele won an Oscar for best original song when the melody is based on the James Bond theme tune, therefore making it not so original. Do you agree?
The Success of Skyfall (2012)
‘And we’re back,’ the words used by an enthralled Mark Kermode (2012) in his review of the most recent instalment in the Bond movie franchise, Skyfall. With the critical failure of the preceding film, Quantum of Solace (or ‘Question of Sport’ as Kermode mocked in reference to its rather forgettable title) the producers of Skyfall had to produce something big: not only a commercial success but, essentially, a ‘good’ film, one that justified its big budget and inevitable hype. Skyfall achieved just this, becoming the most successful British film to date by making £94 million at the box office within the first 40 days of its release and, crucially, it received the thumbs up from renowned movie critics such as Kermode. I would like to investigate the reasons for Skyfall’s success.
My research methods have been influenced by Barabara Klinger’s idea of a cinematic ‘histoire totale’: an approach to documenting the impact of film by considering a variety of different sources outside of the film text. Klinger explains that, ‘A totalized perspective thus depicts how social forces invite viewers to assume positions, giving us a range of possible influences on spectatorship’ (1997: 114). That is to say that one can look beyond the film itself in order to determine the reasons for its positive reception. With this in mind, I have analysed related artefacts from the build-up to the release of Skyfall in an attempt to understand the high expectations that were set up for the audience. I have followed this research with a textual analysis of Skyfall so I can see how these expectations have been carried through and met by the film itself. In this way I will effectively be presenting a history of Skyfall, albeit a very limited and specific one, documenting the facts surrounding the film, which may have been responsible for its popularity.
Works cited:
Kermode, M. (2012) ‘Mark Kermode Reviews Skyfall’ from Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review
[Accessed: 1st March 2013]
Klinger, B. (1997) ‘Film History Terminable and Interminable: Recovering the Past in Reception
Studies,’ from Screen, 38(2), pages 107-128
