MovieChat Forums > The World Is Not Enough (1999) Discussion > Perhaps I'm just really dense....

Perhaps I'm just really dense....

posted 10 years ago by MrSosotris
6 replies | jump to latest

...and, believe me, that could very well be the reason, haha, but did anyone else find the conversation with the Swiss banker in the pre-credits sequence maddeningly complicated?

I mean, I love complex films, but the dialogue happens so quickly that it's taken me years to figure out just what's going on.

Here's what I've pieced together so far. (ahead, there be spoilers)
-Sir Robert King paid for a report that was important to his business (who did he pay?)
-The amount that he paid, minus banker's fees, is the same amount as Elektra's ransom money, meant to send a message to M.
-A 00 agent was killed for that report (before King paid for it?)
-King is getting the money back (because he never got that report?)
-Bond is attacked in the banker's office because they don't want to answer Bond's questions about who killed the 00 agent (is it a corrupt Swiss bank, or are these people working for Renard and posing as bankers?)
-The money he gets is actually soaked in urea and is part of a plot to assassinate King.

I still don't feel like I'm 100% sure what happened. The rest of the movie makes sense, and all is good, but the fact that a scene in a Bond film perplexes me more than the entirety of an Aronovsky film like The Fountain is a bit troubling. :)

Am I just overthinking this?

-"They call it a Royale with cheese."

[–] vestdennis 10 years ago

It's a tad complicated for sure...

[–] jack-upland 9 years ago

It's very complicated and it doesn't make sense.

I think he did get the secret report because M had it in her office. It was supposed to be about sabotage of his pipeline, but apparently it wasn't. So the person who stole the report very kindly agrees to return the money. That seems incredible.

The amount of Elektra's ransom money was US$5. King's money is £3,003,003 or something like that. Bond works out it is equivalent to US$5, and therefore is a signal. This doesn't make sense as the exchange rate changes all the time.

The Swiss banker is a go-between. That makes some kind of sense. Renard is the client. He has provided the secret report to King anonymously. And now he is returning the money.

The money returned to King is actually explosive. This is an extremely complicated way to kill him.

Why did they introduce the complication of the report? Why didn't they just have Bond retrieving the ransom money? It's a very strange plot line.

[–] ActionJunkie007 9 years ago

Why did they introduce the complication of the report? Why didn't they just have Bond retrieving the ransom money? It's a very strange plot line.

Someone answered this one on a different thread. The reason the report and MI6 agent are included in the plot is because that's the only reason Bond(or any 00) is going to be assigned to the case. If there was no MI6 agent killed, there would be no vested interest for her majesty's secret service to retrieve the money for King. He would just have to do it himself.

But why didn't they just have King receive his own money and kill him more cleanly? Well, that's because Renard/Elektra were also seeking revenge on M and MI6. It can be a tad complicated, true, but the film does answer it's own questions, you just have to find them throughout the mission. It's actually one of TWINE strong points too! The film is a true spy thriller with a very interesting plot to explore!

Oh I travel, a sort of licenced troubleshooter.

[–] jack-upland 9 years ago

No, sorry, it makes no sense.

[–] ActionJunkie007 9 years ago

Suit yourself :)

Oh I travel, a sort of licenced troubleshooter.

[–] millsey72 (10935) 5 months ago

Yea, you are both dense and over thinking it. You just perfectly explained the opening sequence, yet you aren't able to comprehend your own words. It was a very uncomplicated scene and plot