{"id":13074,"date":"2006-11-06T00:00:21","date_gmt":"2006-11-06T00:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/\/?p=159"},"modified":"2006-11-06T00:00:21","modified_gmt":"2006-11-06T00:00:21","slug":"casino-royale-etbscreenwriting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/casino-royale-etbscreenwriting\/","title":{"rendered":"Casino Royale – Power of Reason"},"content":{"rendered":"
Screenwriters Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis moved James Bond into the next phase of 007\u2019s life in the excellent film, Casino Royale. It is a great example of how to transition a character.<\/div>\n
The long-standing James Bond franchise is effectively updated, renewed and refreshed for new audiences.This kind of character evolution is also critical in any long-running television series. The dynamics of an ensemble can change over time, requiring adjustments in a character. Transitioning a new character can help to take advantage of a newly cast actor\u2019s strengths.<\/div>\n
No matter how carefully a new character is crafted on the page he or she must be a character the actor can successfully play. \u00a0Conforming the actor\u2019s character type and his or her fictional character type is much more likely to produce a standout performance. \u00a0All this must be done with real authenticity and a solid emotional foundation.<\/div>\n
James Bond, like Indiana Jones and the more comedic Austin Powers, has always been written and played as a Power of Excitement character. In my view of film and television, there are nine possible emotional engines that drive a protagonist and storyline. \u00a0Stories driven by the Power of Excitement are about getting out of traps and escaping from entangling situations.<\/div>\n
Power of Excitement characters refuse to be confined, corralled or domesticated. \u00a0They flee adult responsibilities and commitments. \u00a0Peter Pan is a classic Power of Excitement character. \u00a0So are the protagonists played by Hugh Grant in his early movies. \u00a0These characters are incredibly charming but basically are kids. \u00a0Their mantra is, “I don’t want to grow up. \u00a0I don’t want to settle down.”<\/div>\n
Mimi Avins, in The Los Angles Times, November 12, 2006 hits the nail on the head when she writes: \u00a0\u201cThere has always been something adolescent about 007. Sure, Britain’s best-known secret agent occasionally bears the fate of the free world on his deltoids. What he hasn’t shouldered, as he’s whizzed from one adventure to another over the last 44 years, is the ordinary responsibilities and commitments of a modern adult male. He’s an eternal lad, with a teenager’s contempt for authority and the ring-a-ding-ding Rat Packer’s attitude toward women that real men outgrow about the time they realize Maxim isn’t seriously meant to be a guide to life.\u201d<\/div>\n
These charming characters\u2019 devil-may-care \u201cI just want to play around and play the field\u201d behavior can be captivating when a character is young. \u00a0But, after a certain age, it grows tiresome and verges on the pathetic. \u00a0That\u2019s why, in his later movies, About a Boy and Brigitte Jones\u2019 Diary for example, Hugh Grant plays this character type’s darker side and shows the emotional toll paid. \u00a0This is a successful character transition that avoids a devastating pitfall: \u00a0Power of Excitement characters and actors playing the boyish scamp or charming playboy have a definite expiration date.<\/div>\n
The incredibly valuable Bond franchise was facing a difficult dilemma in remaking Casino Royale. \u00a0The perennially adolescent Power of Excitement Bond has been around for a long time and might not seem as appealing to the current, more cynical, movie-going audience. \u00a0An expiration date was looming. \u00a0These are darker and less innocent times than when the Bond movies debuted with such flash and fun in the psychedelic 1960\u2019s.<\/div>\n
So how does 007 evolve and grow up? \u00a0What kind of character is the new \u201cmore adult\u201d Bond? \u00a0The producers\u2019 and screenwriters\u2019 answer is to transition the character from a Power of Excitement character to a Power of Reason character. \u00a0I believe they chose wisely.<\/div>\n
Power of Reason stories are about alienation vs. connection. \u00a0They are about order vs. chaos. These characters are distant, sarcastic and can be perceived as cold. \u00a0It\u2019s not that these characters don\u2019t feel things\u2014 the trouble is, they feel things too deeply. \u00a0To avoid being overwhelmed by their emotions Power of Reason characters shut down and withdraw into themselves.<\/div>\n
Power of Reason characters are experts in their field. They are stubborn, tough and opinionated and always believe they know best. \u00a0They are loners and prefer to work alone. \u00a0These characters buck authority because they believe they are best left to their own devices. \u00a0These characteristics lead Bond to clash with M over and over in Casino Royale. \u00a0This new Bond is more resolute and less cavalier than the previous Power of Excitement Bonds. \u00a0Earlier 007s had a devil-may-care attitude of rebellion against \u201cadult\u201d constraints and authority.<\/div>\n
Casino Royale’s flashback to Bond’s early days to show how he became 007 is a stroke of genius. \u00a0This is the perfect film to remake and renew the franchise. \u00a0We see the new Bond prove himself in the field in a bloody, gritty and determined way. \u00a0We watch him fall in love, see his wary cautious heart melt and watch how tragedy then hardens him again. \u00a0Tragedy makes this Bond more cynical and forces him to shut down all human feeling. \u00a0He becomes more distant, disconnected and a cold-blooded killing machine.<\/div>\n
Daniel Craig is an inspired choice to play the new Bond. \u00a0Despite early carping and criticism by fans, his character type is ideally suited to this Power of Reason 007. \u00a0Writing about some of his early stage work a reviewer noted that Craig “contains his violence like an unexploded mine.” \u00a0There is a cool and controlled quality to Craig’s previous roles in Layer Cake and Munich. \u00a0We believe his expertise and ability to disengage and get the job done, despite the internal and\/or moral cost.<\/div>\n
Another excellent example of a Power of Reason story and character is Luc Besson\u2019s wonderful film, The Professional, starring Jean Reno as Leon, a hit man. \u00a0Leon meets a little girl under crisis circumstances and learns to love\u2014 with tragic, but heroic, consequences. \u00a0Television Power of Reason examples include Dr. Gregory House on House and the comedic detective series Monk. \u00a0Even though all these \u00a0characters are individually very distinctive, they each share the same emotional and motivational core.<\/div>\n
When transitioning a character the question is how to recast the same behavior with a compelling new motivation. \u00a0Consistency, authenticity and character type is key. \u00a0Previous 007s killed as sport and barely rumpled their tuxedos. \u00a0They were flip, flash and fun: \u00a0the eternal “lad.” \u00a0This new adult Bond doesn\u2019t avoid obligations and responsiblities. \u00a0He executes them, both literally and figuratively, with chilling and brutal expertise. \u00a0This is a Bond who is bloodied but unbowed. \u00a0He has scars on his soul. \u00a0And he doesn\u2019t give a damn if his martini is shaken or stirred. \u00a0He has darker more adult \u00a0concerns.<\/div>\n

\"casino-royale-etb-screenwriting\"

The film effectively updates, renews and refreshed the James Bond character for new audiences. This kind of character evolution is also critical in any long-running television series. The dynamics of an ensemble can change over time, requiring adjustments in a character. Transitioning the character can help to take advantage of a newly cast actor\u2019s strengths.<\/p>\n

James Bond, like Indiana Jones and the more comedic Austin Powers, has always been written and played as a Power of Excitement character. Stories driven by the Power of Excitement are about getting out of traps and escaping from entangling situations.<\/p>\n

Power of Excitement characters refuse to be confined, corralled or domesticated. \u00a0They flee adult responsibilities and commitments. \u00a0Peter Pan is a classic Power of Excitement character. \u00a0So are the protagonists played by Hugh Grant in his early movies. \u00a0These characters are incredibly charming but basically are kids. \u00a0Their mantra is, “I don’t want to grow up. \u00a0I don’t want to settle down.”<\/p>\n

Mimi Avins, in The Los Angles Times, November 12, 2006 hits the nail on the head when she writes: \u00a0\u201cThere has always been something adolescent about 007. Sure, Britain’s best-known secret agent occasionally bears the fate of the free world on his deltoids. What he hasn’t shouldered, as he’s whizzed from one adventure to another over the last 44 years, is the ordinary responsibilities and commitments of a modern adult male. He’s an eternal lad, with a teenager’s contempt for authority and the ring-a-ding-ding Rat Packer’s attitude toward women that real men outgrow about the time they realize Maxim isn’t seriously meant to be a guide to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

These charming characters\u2019 devil-may-care \u201cI just want to play around and play the field\u201d behavior can be captivating when a character is young. \u00a0But, after a certain age, it grows tiresome and verges on the pathetic. \u00a0That\u2019s why, in his later movies, About a Boy<\/strong> and Brigitte Jones\u2019 Diary<\/strong> for example, Hugh Grant plays this character type’s darker side and shows the emotional toll paid. \u00a0This is a successful character transition that avoids a devastating pitfall: \u00a0Power of Excitement characters and actors playing the boyish scamp or charming playboy have a definite expiration date.<\/p>\n

The incredibly valuable Bond franchise was facing a difficult dilemma in remaking Casino Royale<\/strong>. \u00a0The perennially adolescent Power of Excitement Bond has been around for a long time and might not seem as appealing to the current, more cynical, movie-going audience. \u00a0An expiration date was looming. \u00a0These are darker and less innocent times than when the Bond movies debuted with such flash and fun in the psychedelic 1960\u2019s.<\/p>\n

So how does 007 evolve and grow up? \u00a0What kind of character is the new \u201cmore adult\u201d Bond? \u00a0The producers\u2019 and screenwriters\u2019 answer is to transition the character from a Power of Excitement character to a Power of Reason character. \u00a0I believe they chose wisely.<\/p>\n

Power of Reason stories are about alienation vs. connection. \u00a0They are about order vs. chaos. These characters are distant, sarcastic and can be perceived as cold. \u00a0It\u2019s not that these characters don\u2019t feel things\u2014 the trouble is, they feel things too deeply. \u00a0To avoid being overwhelmed by their emotions Power of Reason characters shut down and withdraw into themselves.<\/p>\n

Power of Reason characters are experts in their field. They are stubborn, tough and opinionated and always believe they know best. \u00a0They are loners and prefer to work alone. \u00a0These characters buck authority because they believe they are best left to their own expert devices. \u00a0These characteristics lead Bond to clash with M over and over in Casino Royale<\/strong>. \u00a0This new Bond is more resolute and less cavalier than the previous Power of Excitement Bonds. \u00a0Earlier 007s had a devil-may-care attitude of rebellion against \u201cadult\u201d constraints and authority.<\/p>\n

Casino Royale<\/strong>‘s flashback to Bond’s early days to show how he became 007 is a stroke of genius. \u00a0This is the perfect film to remake and renew the franchise. \u00a0We see the new Bond prove himself in the field in a bloody, gritty and determined way. \u00a0We watch him fall in love, see his wary cautious heart melt and watch how tragedy then hardens him again. \u00a0Tragedy makes this Bond more cynical and forces him to shut down all human feeling. \u00a0He becomes more distant, disconnected and a cold-blooded killing machine.<\/p>\n

Daniel Craig is an inspired choice to play the new Bond. \u00a0Despite early carping and criticism by fans, his character type is ideally suited to this Power of Reason 007. \u00a0Writing about some of his early stage work a reviewer noted that Craig “contains his violence like an unexploded mine.” \u00a0There is a cool and controlled quality to Craig’s previous roles in Layer Cak<\/strong>e and Munich<\/strong>. \u00a0We believe his expertise and ability to disengage and get the job done, despite the internal and\/or moral cost.<\/p>\n

Another excellent example of a Power of Reason story and character is Luc Besson\u2019s wonderful film, The Professional<\/strong>, starring Jean Reno as Leon, a hit man. \u00a0Leon meets a little girl under crisis circumstances and learns to love\u2014 with tragic, but heroic, consequences. \u00a0Television Power of Reason examples include Dr. Gregory House on House<\/strong> and the comedic detective series Monk<\/strong>. \u00a0Even though all these \u00a0characters are individually very distinctive, they each share the same emotional and motivational core.<\/p>\n

When transitioning a character the question is how to recast the same behavior with a compelling new motivation. \u00a0Consistency, authenticity and character type is key. Previous 007s killed as sport and barely rumpled their tuxedos. \u00a0They were flip, flash and fun: \u00a0the eternal “lad.” \u00a0This new adult Bond doesn\u2019t avoid obligations and responsiblities. \u00a0He executes them, both literally and figuratively, with chilling and brutal expertise. \u00a0This is a Bond who is bloodied but unbowed. \u00a0He has scars on his soul. \u00a0And he doesn\u2019t give a damn if his martini is shaken or stirred. \u00a0He has darker more adult \u00a0concerns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Screenwriters Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis move James Bond into the next phase of 007\u2019s life in the excellent film, Casino Royale. It is a great example of how to transition a character.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48,58],"tags":[438,439,440,27,28,31,186,32,33,215,441,187,37,39,40,442,443,41],"class_list":["post-13074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies-character-development-screenwriting-screenplay-script-blog","category-power-of-reason","tag-438","tag-casino-royale","tag-daniel-craig","tag-emotional-toolbox","tag-etb","tag-films","tag-james-bond","tag-laurie-hutzler","tag-movies","tag-power-of-excitement","tag-power-of-reason","tag-quantum-of-solace","tag-screenwriting","tag-scripts","tag-scriptwriting","tag-skyfall","tag-spectre","tag-tv"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-768x576.jpg",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"ttshowcase_normal":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",125,94,false],"ttshowcase_small":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",75,56,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",960,720,false],"Image Size 500x500":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n.jpg",500,375,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-600x450.jpg",600,450,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/30710870_10211699141895539_4496568718662303744_n-100x100.jpg",100,100,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Laurie Hutzler","author_link":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Screenwriters Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis move James Bond into the next phase of 007\u2019s life in the excellent film, Casino Royale. It is a great example of how to transition a character.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13074"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13074"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13074\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13074"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13074"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etbscreenwriting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13074"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}