Briefcase trick in FRWL
SeanIsTheOnlyOne
Posts: 724MI6 Agent
I recently heard a comment about the briefcase trick in FRWL: "If Grant allows Bond to open his case, one can imagine he would also let him repeat the operation a few seconds later with the other one. Then Bond's effort to save his life would have failed. All of this seems too convenient plotwise."
Does anyone here agree with that ? I just don't.
Bond handles Nash's case very quickly on purpose, making Grant suspicious enough to take the case and open it himself. Of course the whole trick is built on bluff, but that's what makes the scene so great. And it works perfectly.
Comments
No, I don't agree either. As you say, Bond deliberately appears eager to open the second case so that Grant will become suspicious and want to open it himself.
I also agree with your comments. In addition, before Bond joins Grant and Tatiana in the restaurant car he opens Nash's case and sees that there is a gun inside. So, even if Grant did allow Bond to open the second case, Bond would have been able to pull out the gun inside.
That's a good point. But would Bond have been fast enough to pull out the gun at the bottom of the case (under a whole pile of clothes) and then shoot Grant? Perhaps, perhaps not.
Anyway, I love this scene. The way it's filmed is very subtle and I can understand why one can be confused, but there's no doubt for me: Bond deliberately moves the case quickly to play with Grant's paranoia and make him suspicious enough to open it himself, leading to the fight we know. It's brilliant writing !
I agree with Barbel. Bond is manipulating Grant and playing his cards by q well.
This scene also seems contrived to me, but for completely different reasons. Why doesn't Grant kill Bond and then open the case at his leisure?
Grant wants to humiliate Bond before he kills him. In his mind, the job doesn't simply consist in getting rid of 007. His sadistic temper is obvious. Every single second before pulling the trigger must be fully enjoyed, otherwise there's no fun. Grant genuinely wants Bond to be submissive, and Bond's request is a wonderful opportunity for that. It's much more fun than opening the case himself just after killing Bond.
But Grant's weakness is the fact he's both paranoid and greedy. He wants Bond to open his own case before him because he suspects a lie and has no warranty the item is not a booby trap. Keeping pointing his gun while not taking his eyes off Bond opening the case is a warranty his opponent won't try anything against him. Once Grant gets the proof the sovereigns are real, his greed makes him want more. That's why he asks Bond about Nash's case. But this case is right next to Bond, and James deliberately executes a sudden move with it, betting on the fact Grant now believes the case is not booby-trapped but also on the fact his paranoia will lead him to open it himself.
I think the whole concept works incredibly well.
I think you both make good points: you're right that it's his greed which makes him open the case, and Manxman is right that he really should have killed Bond first, but as you say his greed was too great. Basically he makes a mistake, but we knew that! :D
Grant is paranoid, greedy and sadistic, exactly like in the novel. From this point, everything in that scene perfectly works imo. The whole concept of a Bond villain relies on sadism and an excessive sense of power, which explains why Bond always find out how to reverse the trend.