While Spectre wasn’t terrible, its aggressive mediocrity was put into harsher light because it had the unenviable task of following up one of, if not the, greatest Bond movies of all time – Skyfall.
All things considered, Spectre was contrived and hugely underwhelming. But it was still a movie with Sam Mendes at the helm – it was well made and well shot.
Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Día de Muertos tracking shot and subsequent chase that opens the movie.
That being said, the film’s most memorable moment, and its finest sequence, is Bond’s infiltration of the Spectre meeting.[1]
Christoph Waltz’s casting as ‘Franz Oberhauser’ was hugely exciting. The man was born to play a wickedly charming Bond villain.
The meeting sequence was our introduction to his character, and what an introduction it was.
The scene is drenched in eerie anxiety. As Bond makes his way into the belly of the beast, the lighting, music and the atmosphere all fuse together to forge a palpable sense of tension; it’s what drives the scene.
The scene is bathed in a warm orange glow but the atmosphere is one of dread.
That tension ratchets up several notches with the arrival of Waltz. He’s shrouded in shadows, obscured by darkness.
We can’t see him, and neither can Bond. And that’s what he is – an ephemeral being, a ghost who sees everything but cannot be seen.
He’s the big bad – the author of all of Bond’s pain.
When he finally comes into the light, Bond and we see him at the same time - a menacing grin adorns his face, malice trickling from his every word.
Welcome, James. It's been a long time... and, finally, here we are. What took you so long?
This 5-minute sequence is a masterclass in sustaining tension and an ominous atmosphere.
Unfortunately, Waltz's performance and character all went downhill from here. After that sinister introduction, the writing for Waltz’s character took a sharp nosedive.
The utter waste of Christoph Waltz’s talents will always be Spectre’s most egregious sin.
But, we’ll always have that meeting.
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