The Controversial Mathis Death Scene in Quantum of Solace (2008)

Python wrote:

Well, he was "dead". Besides, where's the law that states Fleming would have never let Bond be unshaven?

Where's the law that states Fleming would have never let Bond watch EASTENDERS? It's usually easy to tell whether something is unBondian or not.

The state he was in allowed me to believe he'd leave the stubble while enjoying death. I would believe Bond watched EASTENSERS, if we're talking about Bond from TWINE.

Python wrote:

The dumping of Mathis seemed like a half assed idea to try to show how cold hearted Bond can be, but there really was no reason to do it. It was just pointless. I feel like something got cut, maybe earlier Mathis talked about how the nature of their work makes them disposable, or at least something. I dunno.

'Being dead does not mean one cannot be helpful' - Mathis, Casino Royale.

That actually would have been a nice callback if they did it properly.

Yup, Bond saying 'He once told me that ... ' followed by that line, and a 'Ah, I see' look from Camille, followed by them sharing a sheepish smile. Something like that, anyway.

The real pressing urgent question though is whether Craig-Bond is "edgier and darker" in QoS or SF? Tough call. :scratch:
Finger-slobbering in the shower with Vesper though, I think disqualifies CR. Dark and edgy agents do not finger-slobber all over their women.

That would have required Foster to have read a Bond novel

Lets be real, there's no sense in analysing a scene that was probably made up on the fly because they realized that they had killed Mathis in the street and the next scene didnt address it. They were probably on location and Foster said "Hey, how about he just dumps him in the trash?"

Sounds likely. A lot of this flick is incoherent.

But Olga is one of my favourite Bond girls!!

She ranks pretty low in my books.

I wonder if BOND 24 could do a HIGHLANDER 3 and just ignore the insane events of its predecessor. Okay, HIGHLANDER 3 was a fairly poor film, but it just acted as if the batshit crazy HIGHLADNER 2 was never made.

That does create a few flaws in the Bond series' continuity, but I think it is something that could be addressed: just explain that Quantum was an offshoot of an organisation like SPECTRE, and went rogue as it tried to overthrow the established leadership of SPECTRE, only for Mr. White - a SPECTRE loyalist - to manipulate Bond into quashing the planned takeover.

I don't think Camille was bad, but she wasn't remarkable.

As for Quantum, I would just explain them being dissolved like Fleming did with SMERSH.

Python wrote:

As for Quantum, I would just explain them being dissolved like Fleming did with SMERSH.

I can live with that. C*ntum had its chance to razzle dazzle and blew it.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Yup, Bond saying 'He once told me that ... ' followed by that line, and a 'Ah, I see' look from Camille, followed by them sharing a sheepish smile. Something like that, anyway.

An improvement, but still unforgiveably callous.

"You blew it Charlie." We wanted hi-test and we got the low octane.
Ogla deserved better, a better car at least.

I know I'm late to this argument but here are my thoughts:

I think it's pretty clear that Mathis meant something to Bond. In all of Craig's movies thus far he's seemed to care about only 3 people:

Vesper, Mathis, M.

I think that falls pretty well in line with Bond tradition. That being said, I think he truly viewed Mathis as a friend and, in a few ways, a mentor. I don't like that Mathis died as early as he did, as I think he could've been an excellent ally in subsequent films and had his character fleshed out a bit more, but regardless that isn't what the topic is about.

I think it's clear Bond cares about Mathis. When he dies he stays with him until he dies and you can just tell that he gives a shit. He's risking precious time to stay with a friend as he dies. Putting him in the dumpster isn't disrespectful at all. I think Mathis would have done the same. Bond knows that when you're dead, you're dead.

I think the disposal of the body in the dumpster is in no way disrespectful. Just my personal thoughts. I liked the scene a lot.

I find this scene so cold, and quite jarring. I can't imagine Bond dumping Kerim Bay's Body or Quarrel's into a skip. I think with this they tried to make Bond too Cold. Then again Mathis
himself did say that just because you're dead doesn't mean you can't be useful.