james bond 007: casino royale - JB backstory!

" Now you can tell all your friends that you died scratching my balls!"

- James Bond

updated: 23nov'06 (1:30am)

salam 2 all my readers..

ajami just balik tgk 'james bond: casino royale' dan inilah rebiu ajami psl 'screenplay' kolaborasi oleh:

- Neal Purvis
- Robert Wade
- Paul Haggis

sblm tu pls baca quote dr buku Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee (pg.103 & 104)

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CHARACTER ARC: Taking the principle further yet: The finest writing not only reveals true character, but arcs of changes that inner nature, for better or worse, over the course of the telling.

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CHARACTER REVELATION

The revelation of true character in contrast or contradiction to characterization is fundamental to all fine storytelling. What seems is not what it is. People are not what they appear to be. A hidden nature waits concealed behind a facade of traits. No matter what they say, no matter how they comport themselves, the only way we ever come to know characters in depth is through their choices under pressure.

..there have been nearly twenty Bond films. Bond goes on and on because the world delights in the repeated revelation of a deep character that contradicts characterization. Bond enjoys playing the lounge lizard: Dressed in tuxedo, he graces posh parties, a cocktail glass dangling from his fingertips as he chats up beautiful women. But then story pessure builds and Bond's choices reveal that underneath his lounge lizard exterior is a thinking man's Rambo. (comparing to Rambo's flat pattern to James Bond) This expose of witty super-hero in contradiction to playboy characterization has become a seemingly endless pleasure.

Taking the principle further: The revelation of deep character in contrast or contradiction to characterization is fundamental in major characters. Minor roles may or may not need hidden dimensions, but principals must be written in depth - they cannot be at heart what they seem to be at face.

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ajami bukanlah 'die-hard-fan' James Bond's francise films. tapi Casino Royale mengajar teknik menulis 'perwatakan' dlm sesebuah skrip. sblm ini saya 'kurang selesa' dgn watak super-duper-mega-hero JB coz dia sgt ego, gilakan pompuan, minum wain yg mahal2, bermewah-mewah dgn kereta & wardrobe-nya, ada gadget yg canggih-mangih, brutal killer/assasin, muka selamba & buat dek control macho/hensem dia! yalah! coz dia kan JB mesti extra-vaganza-avanza punya hero kan? dah azali dia mcm tu!.. then saya tgk Casino Royale which is the prekuel dpd JB2 yg lain sblm ini. pd pndpt saya, ia adalah backstory of who is JB seblm dia bersifat/perwatakan spt di atas tadi. sebabtu saya respek dgn kolaborasi Neil Purvis, Robert Wade & Paul Haggis yg berjaya menggarap screenplay Casino Royale yg menarik itu, yg sepatutnya menjadi the 1st JB film yg tidak dpt dibuat dahulu krn sebab2 rights dr novel Ian Fleming yg pertama. Casino Royale ialah muqadimah kisah2 JB utk sekuel seterusnya. (pls baca cerapan internet berikut)

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ref: http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/16/style/fmreview17.php

"Casino Royale," introduced Bond to the world; it was made into a 1954 live- television drama with the American actor Barry Nelson as Jimmy Bond and, in the following decade, into a ham-fisted spoof with David Niven as the spy and a very funny Peter Sellers as a card shark. For reasons that are too boring to repeat, when Ian Fleming sold the film rights to Bond, "Casino Royale" was not part of the deal. As a consequence, the producers who held most of the rights decided to take their cue from news reports about misfired missiles, placing their bets on "Dr. No" and its missile- mad villain. The first Bond film, it hit in October 1962, the same month that Fleming's fan John F. Kennedy took the Cuban missile crisis public.

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apa yg ajami kaitkan juga dgn McKee's character arc di atas is Casino Royale ialah kisah JB yg perlu diambil sbg rujukan how character arc dibuat dlm sesebuah skrip. 1 lagi unsur dlm skrip yg dilakukan dlm Casino Royale ialah spt cerapan 1 lagi tulisan McKee:

An IMAGE SYSTEM is a strategy of motifs, a category of imagery embedded in the film that repeats in sight and variation, but with equaly great subtlety, as a subliminal communication to increase the depth and complexity of aesthetic emotion.
- Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee (pg.401)

main storyline Casino Royale is about 'perjudian' JB utk memenangi Poker Game melawan Le Chiffre dan 'perjudian' cintanya pd Vesper Lynd juga 'perjudian' utk disahkan menjadi 007 oleh M.. ajami dpt mengesan juga scenes spt apa yg McKee maksudkan secara symbolism/semiotics psl 'perjudian' iaitu:

1. budak 'bermain' pinball

2. laga ular-tedung vs ferret (musang - agaknyalah???)

exposition juga ditulis dgn baik dlm Casino Royale dimana setiap arahan dr M atau Mi6 HQ diterangkn kpd JB tanpa kita rasa boring. exposition yg saya suka ialah semasa JB & Chiffre 'menambah pertaruhan chip' dimana Mathis asyik menerangkan (exposition) kpd Lynd 'berapa nilai penambahan wang' yg mereka taruhkan?

kesimpulannya, Casino Royale ialah bhn rujukan scriptwriting yg bagus sambil berhibur dgn letupan, ciuman, pukulan etc.. cuma korang prasan tak, JB asyik 'berlari' ke hulu-hilir mengejar penjahat yg mengingatkan ajami pd Forest Gump! ahaks! "Run! JB Run!.."

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"No villains in hollowed out volcanoes but more pain and danger for our hero. " - Yarborough (blog)

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"Kamu spy atau sepai?" - Ajami Hashim

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"Aku Jefri.. Jefri Zain!" - Jefri Zain (jebon org kita)

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"You Know My Name" - Chris Cornell (klik to dengar lagu nih!)
If you take a life do you know what you'll give?

Odds are, you won't like what it is

When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me?

By the merciless eyes of deceit?

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights

But you yourself are nothing so divine

Just next in line

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you

The odds will betray you

And I will replace you

You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you

It longs to kill you

Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins

You know my name

If you come inside things will not be the same

When you return to the night

And if you think you've won

You never saw me change

The game that we all been playing

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men

Than you yourself

But if you must pretend

You may meet your end

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you

The odds will betray you

And I will replace you

You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you

It longs to kill you Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand

Forget how to feel

Forget how to feel

Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel

Spin of the wheel

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you

The odds will betray you

And I will replace you

You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you

It longs to kill you

Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins

You know my name

You know my name

You know my name

You know my name

You know my name

You know my name

You know my name