Mads Mikkelsen IS Le Chiffre

First major posting, so go easy..!

OK, a lot of deserved praise for Craig and Casino Royale, much merited. I for one think its the best since OHMSS. But I think the performance of Mikkelsen has been overlooked in all the hypocritical Craig gushing.

The guy oozed menace, has a really lasting image in his physical profile. I mean he really plays a beliveable bad guy, no secret hideways or plans for world sterilisation, etc, etc. He's evil but not in an OTT way. Standard evil deformitey but not ridiculous, (Renard - no pain sensation...FFS). His scheme is also kept sane as well although the sabotage of the super-Jet prototype was stretching it somewhat.

Masterful work by casting and wardrobe, especially the hairdo, (he wears bryl-cream! He's evil!) I think he's a character that will last longer in the mind than micro-evil characters from recent films.

Overlooked or what?

Comments

  • Mr MartiniMr Martini That nice house in the sky.Posts: 2,698MI6 Agent
    welcome to the forums Dracos. When it was first annouced that Mads was playing Le Chiffre it wasn't overlooked here. Check it out:

    http://www.ajb007.co.uk/index.php?topic=24894


    That was before the movie opened.

    I agree though, he did have a mean streak in him. And wasn't an over the top villian, like in years past. Hopefully the villians in movies to come will be similar to Le Chiffre.
    Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
  • Moore Not LessMoore Not Less Posts: 1,095MI6 Agent
    I very much enjoyed Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Le Chiffre.

    OK, so Le Chiffre wasn't the typical all powerful Bond villain, he was actually answerable to someone else. This mean't he was always potentially vulnerable. And in terms of physique he was hardly a threat to Bond or anyone else, which is emphasised with his use of the inhaler. But he still carried enough menace and also had the intelligence to gain the command and the respect of those around him. Mikkelsen brought these qualities to the table in fine style.

    Many will say that Le Chiffre was weak. By comparison with the typical all powerful Bond villain, they'd be right. For me though, it was the vulnerability which made Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre one of the more compelling and interesting Bond villains.
  • HardyboyHardyboy Posts: 5,882Chief of Staff
    What do you mean by "hypocritical Craig gushing?"
    Vox clamantis in deserto
  • Dracos_OculistDracos_Oculist Posts: 24MI6 Agent
    Physical weakness is a sign of evilness!

    Klebb - aging lesbo ready for stenna stairlift...evil
    Goldfinger - podgy puffball...über evil
  • delliott101delliott101 Posts: 115MI6 Agent
    It was refreshing to have a more down to Earth villain and Mikkelsen played Le Chiffre REALLY well, BUT I imagine Le Chiffre in the novel (just reread it) as Peter Lorre. Always have. Someone older and toadlike who can call 007 "My dear boy"
  • highhopeshighhopes Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
    Greeting Dracos.
    I'm glad you enjoyed Mads' LeChiffre. I did too, very much. I found him creepy and menacing, and, more importantly, more real than the run-of-the-mill megalomaniacal supervillains -- James Bond-wise -- we've been given over the years. I thought he was terrific.
  • Dracos_OculistDracos_Oculist Posts: 24MI6 Agent
    Hardyboy wrote:
    What do you mean by "hypocritical Craig gushing?"

    Media hypocrisy. Lazy journos and reviewers who slated Craig now lining up for interviews.
  • EagleEagle UKPosts: 261MI6 Agent
    ...which is emphasised with his use of the inhaler...
    It wasn't an inhaler for asthma but for inhaling Benzedrine. Le Chiffre is an amphetamine addict. Still a weakness though, I guess! :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Chiffre
  • Klaus HergescheimerKlaus Hergescheimer Posts: 332MI6 Agent
    I think the brilliant thing about his portrayal isn't that he was menacing (he wasn't), but that it was quite the opposite: he was mortal. This isn't a guy who was the boss, totally in control: this is a guy who is working for someone, and if he doesn't straighten out the mess he caused, that someone will have his head on a platter. (As, eventually, he did) Sure, he was extremely arrogant, but he was brought to shame numerous times, and when he was, the mortality was evident. It was so refreshing to see this side of Bond villain.
  • actonsteveactonsteve Posts: 299MI6 Agent
    I belived in the character and actor which is always a good sign.

    He didnt need to be a world dominating meglomaniac because he is setting up the next film and villains. It was his fear of the villains which increased their menace. So when Craig took out Mr White at the end it was more impressive.

    Personally, I think Mads Mikkelsons Le Chiffre is the best villain since Franz Sanchez. Certainly better then anything in the Brosnan era.
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    I quite liked Le Chiffre. I don't think though that he was such a brilliant villain. It's not because he's not a larger-than-life villain (which I actually do prefer with examples being Dr. No, Goldfinger, Blofeld, Kananga, Scaramanga, Stromberg and Drax.) I really only insist that the villain be well-written and well-acted. (I also like Sanchez and Electra.)

    My problem with Le Chiffre was that although Mikkelsen IMO gave a very impressive performance, he didn't seem particularly menacing at times and also struck me as being rather too ordinary at times as well. IMO, while a villain does not need to be larger-than-life, s/he should at least be menacing or at least should appear to be more menacing than the average person on the street. In a few scenes (such as in the hotel room) he didn't strike me as menacig in the slightest. I know that in that particular scene, that was the point, but since Bond had been assigned to go after Le Chiffre, I would have preferred it if he had been more menacing and a little less ordinary.

    I also wish that he had been better written as he seemed a little thin to me. His motivation was perfectly fine IMO. Although I loved Stromberg's motivation, I understand that he might not be appropiate for a more 'realistic' reboot. ;) (Although CR IMO wasn't particularly realistic, but that's not important right now. ;))

    What I liked about Le Chiffre was that he only cared about himself (as the scene with his girlfriend showed) and that he could be quite accurate with a rope. ;) However, as I mentioned there were times (such as in the hotel room) when he struck me as far too ordinary and not as much of a threat. I blame the writers for under-developing him and stopping him from fulfilling his potential as I think that *Mikkelsen did indeed deliver a great performance.

    *With one exception; in the torture scene he came across as rather desperate. Yes, he needed the money in order to survive, but if he was confident that he would be offered sanctuary regardless of what he did to Bond, why be so desperate? :#
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • NightshooterNightshooter In bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
    I dunno, Dan, that rope seemed pretty menacing to me. :D
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    edited February 2007
    I dunno, Dan, that rope seemed pretty menacing to me. :D
    Well, I certainly wouldn't want Le Chiffre to demonstrate his rope-throwing abilities on me. :# :D
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • NightshooterNightshooter In bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    I dunno, Dan, that rope seemed pretty menacing to me. :D
    Well, I certainly wouldn't want Le Chiffre to demonstrate his rope-throwing abilities on me. :# :D

    I'm with you on that one. :# :))
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,239MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:

    *With one exception; in the torture scene he came across as rather desperate. Yes, he needed the money in order to survive, but if he was confident that he would be offered sanctuary regardless of what he did to Bond, why be so desperate? :#

    I agree, I think some of it was cut. Just the second whack and he's having to stand up and take off his tie, he's in such a sweat. This is again where I would have had the fast-forward montage highhopes so quickly rejected when I mooted it for the casino scenes, I fade in and out to show that time has passed, or something like that...

    I actually thought Dryden was really Le Chiffre in all but name, you can totally see him doing the patronising 'cowboys and indians' speech that is in the novel... He would have been a father figure type to the young Daniel, not a nice one mind, but the teacher-pupil type relationship. Mads seemed plausible but a bit low rent for me. His goons were, therefore, even more forgettable and anonymous.
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • delliott101delliott101 Posts: 115MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    *With one exception; in the torture scene he came across as rather desperate. Yes, he needed the money in order to survive, but if he was confident that he would be offered sanctuary regardless of what he did to Bond, why be so desperate? :#

    Because this was his last chance to get the money he needed to pay his "creditors"... they broke into his hotel room and threatened him. He was desperate! He NEEDED that money Bond had so he could live and "die another day" (couldn't resist)
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    edited February 2007
    Because this was his last chance to get the money he needed to pay his "creditors"... they broke into his hotel room and threatened him. He was desperate! He NEEDED that money Bond had so he could live and "die another day" (couldn't resist)
    Yes, but as he said himself, he would be offered sanctuary even if he killed Bond. If he believed that he would be offered sanctuary (which would protect him from the creditors), then it strikes me as odd that he would be so derperate. As NP said, some of it appears to have been cut.
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • highhopeshighhopes Posts: 1,358MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:

    *With one exception; in the torture scene he came across as rather desperate. Yes, he needed the money in order to survive, but if he was confident that he would be offered sanctuary regardless of what he did to Bond, why be so desperate? :#

    I agree, I think some of it was cut. Just the second whack and he's having to stand up and take off his tie, he's in such a sweat. This is again where I would have had the fast-forward montage highhopes so quickly rejected when I mooted it for the casino scenes, I fade in and out to show that time has passed, or something like that...

    I actually thought Dryden was really Le Chiffre in all but name, you can totally see him doing the patronising 'cowboys and indians' speech that is in the novel... He would have been a father figure type to the young Daniel, not a nice one mind, but the teacher-pupil type relationship. Mads seemed plausible but a bit low rent for me. His goons were, therefore, even more forgettable and anonymous.

    Which no doubt accounts for your not recognizing that one of them was the guy in whose car Mathis disposed of the African's bodies. ;) Sorry Nape. Couldn't resist.

    As for LeChiffre's remark about sanctuary, I believe that's what's known as "whistling past the graveyard," although he was undoubtedly correct: a guy who could describe in detail the finances of the world's terrorist organizations would be very valuable indeed. Not that MI6 wouldn't be sorry to see one of their agents killed -- they'd probably bestow upon him a nice shiny, albeit posthumous, medal -- but priorities are priorities. That's the "big picture," as Bond notes ruefully. Sounds pretty elementary to me. Very Flemingesque, in fact. And a nice piece of drama. :)
  • Slazenger7Slazenger7 Posts: 62MI6 Agent
    Dan Same wrote:
    Because this was his last chance to get the money he needed to pay his "creditors"... they broke into his hotel room and threatened him. He was desperate! He NEEDED that money Bond had so he could live and "die another day" (couldn't resist)
    Yes, but as he said himself, he would be offered sanctuary even if he killed Bond. If he believed that he would be offered sanctuary (which would protect him from the creditors), then it strikes me as odd that he would be so derperate. As NP said, some of it appears to have been cut.

    That does make sense that some of it may have been cut, since he comes on as being desperate so quickly.

    My take on this, however, was that LeChiffre obviously knew that his situation was extremely urgent and that the longer it took him to get the money back, the more time his clients would have to hunt him down (as we subsequently see with Mr. White). Even though he had an "out" (a poker term LeChiffre would use) in protective governmental custody, that was the last thing he really wanted to do, and he sure as hell seemed to know that he didn't have long to make up his mind.

    And since Bond was able to get under his skin and prevent him from doing what LeChiffre thought would be the best way to save his neck, I think it's understandable that he becomes so unravelled and desperate. I absolutely loved this scene and thought it was brilliantly done! {[]
  • Dan SameDan Same Victoria, AustraliaPosts: 6,054MI6 Agent
    edited February 2007
    Slazenger7 wrote:
    That does make sense that some of it may have been cut, since he comes on as being desperate so quickly.

    My take on this, however, was that LeChiffre obviously knew that his situation was extremely urgent and that the longer it took him to get the money back, the more time his clients would have to hunt him down (as we subsequently see with Mr. White). Even though he had an "out" (a poker term LeChiffre would use) in protective governmental custody, that was the last thing he really wanted to do, and he sure as hell seemed to know that he didn't have long to make up his mind.

    And since Bond was able to get under his skin and prevent him from doing what LeChiffre thought would be the best way to save his neck, I think it's understandable that he becomes so unravelled and desperate. I absolutely loved this scene and thought it was brilliantly done! {[]
    Excellent explanation. {[] I hadn't though of it that way. I do think that his desperation came on a bit too quickly, but your explanation is extremely helpful. -{
    "He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
  • bondtasticbondtastic Posts: 1MI6 Agent
    Following his turn as villain Le Chiffre in the latest Bond instalment, Casino Royale, Mads Mikkelson takes a leading role in Oscar-nominated tragi-drama After the Wedding. The film follows Jacob (Mikkelson) as he is drawn back to Denmark to meet a potential wealthy donor to his failing Indian orphanage. Whilst back in his native country Jacob accepts an invitation to Jorgen’s daughter’s wedding where he finds that complications beyond business have been involved in his return.

    If you liked Mads’ performance as Le Chiffre then After the Wedding might serve as a good introduction to the rest of his oeuvre.
Sign In or Register to comment.