Big Scene development post 9: The completed Salt Mine fight sequence --> And what's next?

Woo hoo! The scene that's been in my mind ever since I started this project has now been fully animated and a rough edit assembled. 

The climactic Bond V Blofeld fight, playing to a John Barry track that was only briefly heard in the climax of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).

Although I wanted to make it more fast paced, in the vein of the Bond VS 006 fight in Goldeneye (1995), I feel was able to make it work enough as a suitable climax to the film (and Bond's multiple films arc of fighting SPECTRE and its criminal leader).

In the end, it was another case of having to deal with the limitations of the Moviestorm animation software to produce a satisfying sequence.

I suppose in a sense the pace works for two reasons.

1. Both Bond and Blofeld are probably exhausted from the earlier chase (see my last post for that sequence). 

So while they're trying to throw themselves at each other in animalistic fashion, they don't have the energy to keep up the pace at every second.

2. I don't personally see Blofeld as much of a physical fighter, despite the physicality that Telly Savalas had in the role for OHMSS. 

His main focus is just to escape and outwit his opponent, and for the most part he's only fighting Bond when he feels he's cornered or sees a good opportunity.

Now, I should admit that a bit of artistic licence was used in this scene. Obviously there likely aren't multiple set of salt mounds at the real location, nor is there an incomplete footbridge towering above a salt granulator.

However, for the sake of increasing the dramatic potential of the scene, I thought having the fight take place high up to end with Blofeld properly falling into the crusher works nicely.

The reaction from Bond after he has finally killed Blofeld was partly inspired by a similar scene in Licence to Kill (1989). 

After Bond sets Sanchez alight and the villain is consumed in the explosions of the oil tanker, Timothy Dalton chose to play this moment with sincerity; as if Bond is totally exhausted but also relieved since a huge weight has been removed from his shoulders.

If you've just defeated your arch-nemesis, who took so much away from you, and you've been ruthlessly engaging in a no-holds-barred beatdown with them, then a reaction like this makes total sense.

Another thing to add, is that the final shots of Bond looking up to see Felix Leiter and Marc Ange Draco arriving in a Huey Helicopter was actually a last minute addition. As I originally wrote the scene, it just cuts off after Bond observes the bloodied mound of salt below him that Blofeld has been reduced to.

However, in Tom Mankiewicz's original script for Diamonds Are Forever, Blofeld's death in the crusher was in fact followed by a short scene of Willard Whyte landing his helicopter next to Bond, with this dialogue:

Whyte: Where is that bastard, Blofeld?
Bond: Bastard? He is the salt of the earth.

For those of you who don't know, this one-liner is a pun on the phrase 'to be the salt of the earth', which means to be a very good and honest person. 

I didn't think this joke would work well for Bond in Diamonds Reimagined, since Bond is hardly likely to compliment the man who killed his wife, deceased or otherwise.

However, I thought it a decent gag nonethless, so I've saved it for a separate epilogue scene where a different character says it in more jovial circumstances.

Either way, clearly Mankiewicz thought it wouldn't be right just to cut away without giving some indication as to how Bond was able to make his way back to the US from this Mexican salt works. 

It's a fair point, which is why I altered my script to include the Unione Corse Helicopter flying overhead.

So what's next for the project?

With the salt mine climax in the can, I intend to carry a long series of re-shoots of previously finished scenes. 

Though I may have been satisfied with some of them at the time, I've learnt a lot of new ways of animating and set-building within the Moviestorm software over time.

The Las Vegas Country Club sequence for example, which replaces the Circus Circus scene in the original film, used very small sets and backdrops to bring the location to life. Looking back at it, I find that it struggles to convince because of this. 

The heavy use of greenscreen to add more characters and the geography of the action just look cheap, so I essentially have to redo most of it from scratch.

Still, as soon as all the re-shoots have been completed I can get straight back to work on new scenes! This will include scenes set in Willard Whyte's Penthouse, of which I have partially completed re-creating the Ken Adam set for.

Then with most of the sequences set in America finished, I'll begin working on new material for the pre-credits sequence...

Till then!

- The Retro Captain

Many thanks again to the commander007.net website for their analysis of Mankiewicz's original script for DAF at https://www.commander007.net/2016/diamants-eternels-scripts-originaux/