Taylor's University Foundation in Natural & Built Environments Semester II: English II - Project 1: Compare and Contrast Essay by Natalie Ki

1. SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: NATALIE KI XIAO XUAN
STUDENT ID NO: 0318918
FILMS SELECTED: James Bond Films: ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Die Another Day’
WORD COUNT: 1,075
ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA
SUBMISSIONDATE: 5TH
DECEMBER2014

2. Foundationin Natural & Built Environments[FNBE 0414 March-April 2014 Intake]
EnglishII (ELG 30205) – Assignment#01: Compare & Contrast Essay
Movies, otherwise known as ‘films’, are a form of entertainment involving visual and audio
effects to portray a story. There are an infinite amount of films in the industry, each unique in
each of their own way, however, they can still be categorized under ‘genres’. This theatrical term
is used to sort types of movies into sections based on their similarities, such as narrative, theme,
mood and format. The most popular and well known genres are: action, romance, comedy,
drama, horror, historical and science-fiction. For this essay, I will be doing a comparison on the
similarities of ‘James Bond films’ from the movies ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Die Another Day’, specifically
targeting the similarities in the genres, music, plot and characters.
The first similarity between the two movies is the genre. As they are both James Bond films,
they fall under the common category of ‘Action’ and ‘Spy’. This means that the primary
elements of the two films are similar. The elements that are expected to remain unchanged in a
movie under this genre is the main protagonist, one who represents the good side and therefore
exhibits the traits of a hero, the fact that the spy is a defender of a place of importance, the main
villain is always pitted against this spy in order to cause chaos, and the main protagonist is
responsible for preventing his enemy’s plan from taking place. This recurring set of elements
have become familiar to many; so much so, that “we already know the Bond formula—it has
already earned our goodwill—so our pleasure revolves form seeing how the film-makers execute
their turn” as stated by Chapman (2002).
As both the films are from the same franchise, the uses of music styles are also relatively

3. similar. For example, the introduction music in both movies is sensual and mysterious, which is
used in order to emphasize the element of espionage in the movies. Other than that, the music
used during the action scenes is of the same genre too. In order to match the mood of the scenes,
both films have used fast-paced music that induces adrenaline when paired with the clips. Along
with the sound effects of machinery and combat, the background music not only shows signs of
similarity in terms of style, but also in effect. Another example of similarities within the use of
music is the type of song chosen for the ending of the two movies, which are dramatic, in order
to signify the end of the movie and a conclusive ending to the overall plot.
One of the biggest similarities in the two films can be found in the characters James Bond and
‘Bond girl’. James Bond, our main character, may be played by different actors in the two films -
in ‘Skyfall’, he is portrayed by Daniel Craig, but in ‘Die Another Day’ he is portrayed by Pierce
Brosnan – but despite the character being conveyed by two separate actors, there is consistency
in the key characteristics that define James Bond. These attributes are: the bravery that he
displays when facing danger, the determination to complete his mission and bring upon justice,
the desire to avenge his pride, the aloofness he displays as an agent, as well as the one unique
characteristic that sets James Bond apart from the stereotypical spy – his bad habit of drinking,
gambling and womanizing. This factor, as quoted by director Martin Campbell, means “there is
no other romantic anti-hero like Bond in existence,” As James Bond is the main protagonist in
both movies, his personality is essential to the storyline, which both Daniel Craig (Skyfall) and
Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day) have managed to keep in both of their movies. Another
similarity in character is the presence of ‘Bond girl’, which is the term that has been created in
reference to the actress who portrays James Bond’s lover and accomplice in the movie of choice.
In ‘Skyfall’, she is Severine and in ‘Die Another Day’, she is Jinx. The identity of ‘Bond girl’

4. may change during every movie, but always remains similar in the sense that she is the main
female protagonist, the counterpart of Bond, possess very attractive physical attributes and is
somehow always related to the story either by aiding James Bond as a sidekick, or as a
mysterious informant with unknown connections to the main antagonist.
The last common element in these two movie genres are the overall plotline of the two films.
The storyline of both ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Die Another Day’ start off with Bond in the middle of an
action scene. He is in a struggle with the main villain with an aid by his side, but ends up losing
the first battle and is declared either captured or supposedly dead. The plots then progresses to
the consequences of the battle, usually told after a significant time-skip and quickly following
the aftermath of Bond’s defeat, the plot changes with the return of our main character. He
quickly learns of the happenings during his absence and after a swift pardon from his guardian, is
set once again to capture the enemy and seek justice. Both plotlines in the movies then lead to
the main mystery. James Bond chases the clues left behind by the antagonist and along the way,
meets ‘Bond girl. Through her partial aid and more hints which he learns through solving minor
issues, he tracks his way closer to the main mystery. By this point, both movies have another
fight scene, where ‘Bond girl’ and James Bond become separated, either permanently (Skyfall)
or temporarily (Die Another Day). As the movie progresses, more of the secrets are revealed,
leaving the audience with a clearer picture of the struggle. James Bond continues his mission,
where he confronts the main antagonist near the end of the movie and engages in an epic battle
scene, involving a lot of physical action and weapons, before James Bond finally defeats his
enemy and completes the mission.
To conclude, the two films do have differences, but ultimately, they are similar in all aspects

5. that make them ‘James Bond films’. These elements have become a solid sequence in movie-
making, “gradually impressing itself on culture until it becomes familiar… through repeated
exposure to the films, we are able to recognize the certain types of characters, locales, and events
of Bond” (Schatz, 2000).

6. References:
Die another day [Motion picture]. (2003). MGM Home Entertainment.
Skyfall [Motion picture]. (2013). 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment :.
Packer, J. (2009). Secret agents: Popular icons beyond James Bond. New York: Peter Lang.
Cork, J., & Scivally, B. (2002). James Bond. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
Bennett, Tony, and Janet Woollacott. Bond and Beyond: The Political Career of a Popular Hero.
New York: Methuen, 1987. Print.
Black, Jeremy. The Politics of James Bond: From Fleming's Novels to the Big Screen. Westport,
CT: Praeger, 2001. Print.
Chapman, James. Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. New York:
Columbia UP, 2000. Print.
Schatz, Thomas. The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era. New
York: Pantheon, 1988. Print.
Rubin, Steven Jay. The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia. Chicago: Contemporary,
1990. Print.
Smith, James. "Defining the Genre Through the Character of Bond." Defining the Genre
Through the Character of Bond. N.p., Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.tkearn.com/fox/genre.html
Jay, Connory. "The Official James Bond 007 Website." James Bond 007. HFilms, n.d. Web. 27
Nov. 2014. Retrieved from http://www.007.com/