The claim that the “Bourne” films had a big influence on “Casino Royale” has always been a specious one, and more accurately about that franchise’s box-office success than its actual content. The link however could not be denied in “Quantum of Solace” which was far more Bourne than Bond right down to its frantic camera work and the guilt-ridden thuggish rampant killer 007 was turned into.
With the new Bond film “Skyfall” resetting the board yet again back to a more old school approach, various early reviews have cited that the big influence this time around isn’t “Bourne” but rather Christopher Nolan’s work. It’s fitting considering classic Bond has been a big influence on Nolan’s films over the years.
Now, “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes has admitted to The Playlist he was “directly inspired” by Nolan’s work and more importantly its impact on the industry as a whole:
“In terms of what [Nolan] achieved, specifically The Dark Knight, the second movie, what it achieved, which is something exceptional. It was a game changer for everybody…. Nolan proved that you can make a huge movie that is thrilling and entertaining and has a lot to say about the world we live in, even if, in the case with The Dark Knight, it’s not even set in our world.
It felt like a movie that was about our world post-9/11 and played on our fears and discussed our fears and why they existed and I thought that was incredibly brave and interesting. That did help give me the confidence to take this movie in directions that, without The Dark Knight, might not have been possible.
Because also, people go, ‘Wow, that’s pretty dark,’ but then you can point to Dark Knight and go ‘Look at that – that’s a darker movie, and it took in a gazillion dollars!’ That’s very helpful. There’s also that thing – it’s clearly possible to make a dark movie that people want to see.”
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