Wednesday night saw director Marc Forster take to the stage at the BFI for a frank and open discussion about his directing career so far, with a special emphasis on Quantum Of Solace. Given the technology fetishism that is an integral part of Bond films his conversation followed an exclusive high-definition screening of his mean and moody addition to the ubiquitous franchise, in an effort to promote the upcoming DVD and Blu-Ray release.
Judging by the post-conversation audience Q&A it seemed that hardcore Bond fans outnumbered general film buffs in attendance, but Forster’s track record, as impressive as it is, may not be the type to attract those hardcore cinephiles who believe in the auteur theory. This is a shame, as Forster revealed himself as a genuine and passionate moviemaker, evidenced by his frequent use of the phrase ‘personal vision’ whether discussing his adaptation of bestseller The Kite Runner or “taking on this giant” that is the Bond franchise.
Forster revealed he was initially incredulous however, answering “not really” when his agent asked if he was interested in furthering the screen career of the UK’s best loved secret service man, a stance understandable from some one who clearly loves smaller personal projects – “I thought, if I make a big blockbuster and it fails, it may ruin my career and affect me making the smaller films I want to make in the future.” – presumably films like his previous Will Ferrell starring Stranger Than Fiction, which many saw as Charlie Kaufman-lite but I personally enjoyed as a slice of clever Hollywood fantasy. Once he accepted the Bond gig, Forster thought he may have had to deal with meddling producers given the huge budget ($200 million) but he said “the only thing they asked is that Bond shouldn’t kill anyone innocent, which I thought was fair…other than that they gave me free hand”, which shows in the film. Like it or not, Quantum Of Solace is one of the most dark and involving Bond films yet, and will surely continue to stand out in a series often known for its frivolity.
Forster was open on his doubts and what he sees as possible flaws in his personal take on 007. Despite not being a “car person” he said he wanted to make the breathless opening Italian car chase “disorientating and confusing”, and he succeeded, as I found this and many of the other action sequences to be a little too over-edited. He also mentioned the multiple hands involved in the script stages which included amongst other himself and Crash scribe Paul Haggis, although Forster also said there were other un-credited scriptwriters, which would account for Quantum’s convoluted plot. He also revealed that access to films in his upbringing in Switzerland was scarce, so it wasn’t until his adult years that he apparently had a “weekend Bond marathon” that sounded like it’d put Alan Partridge to shame.
Forster also talked about his roots and his perceived outsider status. He was born in Switzerland (where he humorously said “you learn to yodel before you learn to talk”), raised in Germany then schooled in New York, a varied upbringing reflected in his globetrotting films, including the US death sentence drama Monster’s Ball, the Scottish set Finding Neverland, and the multi-lingual Kite Runner. However he simply said he “observes cultures objectively” to make his eclectic yet convincing films. As for the future, Forster explained that he’d “like to do something smaller now”, before slyly adding “I’ve been looking to create a franchise for myself actually”.
Finally, when prompted by a fan to talk about the audience reception to his Bond film, Forster stated “if you start looking at blogs, you start catering to fans…I believe in personal vision, and this can alter that”. That phrase personal version appearing again reassured me that whatever Forster may tackle in the future, Bond or otherwise, at least his films will continue to have integrity and vision, despite his eclectic auteurist baffling output, and that the dark and occasionally bewildering Quantum Of Solace will remain testament to this.
