Written By Sason Bishope Parry
Ah, Bond, James Bond! The notorious M16 intelligence 007 agent has become
an icon of intrigue, excitement, and devilish fun, celebrating over 60 years. Ian Fleming created the fictional British service agent in 1953, and to date, it has become one of the longest- and biggest-running film franchises of all time. Casino Royale, the 21st film in the series
and arguably one of the best, was brought to new heights on Thursday, February 8, by the SF Symphony. Fans arrived early, filling the grand Davies Symphony Hall and dressed in their best
James Bond Tuxedo’s and sexiest bond girl outfits. The bars were busy, and like Duke’s in London, Fleming’s favourite bar, they were skilled in mixing 007 favourite cocktails like scotch and soda and dry whiskey martinis, shaken, not stirred, of course. As the bells in the orchestra rang, fans rushed to their seats. Then it was all Lights, Camera, and Music as conductor Nicholas Buc took over the stage, and we got ready for an action-packed journey. Buc spoke eloquently about the history of James Bond and the magnificent and award-winning composer David Arnold’s incredible score. Arnold has composed the music for a whopping five films in the 007 franchise — Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), and Quantum of Solace (2008).
As the opening credits began, Arnold’s music elevated audiences with the incredible title track
“You Know My Name,” which was written and performed by the late, great rock songbird Chris Cornell. Being a massive Cornell fan, I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy and emotional, hearing his once-in-a-lifetime voice light up the big screen. Wow, what a voice! But as soon as the film began, it was an adrenalin roller coaster ride from start to finish, as Buc guided the orchestra’s every note.
Casino Royale was Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond in 2006 and was lauded as an intelligent and nuanced reinvention of 007. Initially, many fans baulked at filmmakers for casting Craig as Bond, stating he was a far cry from the majesty, charisma, and looks of Sean Connery or the magnificent Roger Moore. However, Craig surprised audiences by redefining the bond role and bringing his own rugged and quit-witted acting appeal to the character. Looking back now, it is easy to see what brilliant casting Craig was, portraying a haunted and hunted man with a lethal streak and an ability to keep you on the edge and engaged with his every move. In Casino Royale, we follow Bond as he earns his 007 status and must tackle his antagonist, global villain Le Chiffre, played with evil and quiet malevolence by Mads Mikkelsen. Watching blood drip from the eye of Le Chiffre is one of those film moments you will never forget. Of course, the Bond film is never complete without the chief of MI6, code name M, played by the incredibly talented Dame Judi Dench. M instructs Bond to defeat Le Chiffre – and therefore deny the terrorists of all their resources – at a single high-rollers’ card game in Montenegro.
One of the film’s biggest twists comes when the beautiful Eva Green plays Bond’s love interest, Vesper Lynd. Bond confesses his love to her and resigns from MI6 so that they can have a normal life together. But later, he learns that she had been a double agent working for his enemies, and in a heart-wrenching scene, he watches her drown and is unable to bring her back to life. An ending suited to debut Craig’s darker version of Bond and cement the film as a classic. As always, bond succeeds in taking down the villains and saving us all from doomsday.
The film ended with a thunderous roar and was another epic night for San Francisco’s best orchestra. James Bond films and musical scores are perfectly made for concerts and couldn’t be more satisfying. We hope the SF Symphony continues with more Bond films in the near future, as it’s the perfect match of live music and film.
For more info on SF Symphony go to: www.sfsymphony.org
