00:16:45
Bond and M speaking
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Very);
- Description:
- So, we see perceived contrast. Bond saying it could have been worse, and M giving the impression it was already the worst possible outcome;
- We also see vulnerability and credibility. That is, Bond’s incident makes the 00 program vulnerable to the critics, and it compromises its credibility;
- We also see intent labeling here, when M says “This is an official question – what were you doing there?”. He’s forcing him to reply with an official answer;
- Techniques Present:
- Perceived contrast/spinning (Bond saying it could be worse, M saying not much);
- Vulnerability/credibility (Bond’s incident making the 00 program vulnerable and less credible);
- Intent labeling (M asking Bond his question “officially”);
00:19:35
Eve meeting Bond at his apartment
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- We see escalation of commitment here. First he makes her come to his apartment, and then asks her to obtain information from him. We can also consider the first favor he asked was of the home advantage type (making her come to him). And we can also consider it’s transparency and a justification when Bond is sharing M’s video with Eve, telling her why he’s doing what he’s doing;
- We also see a small obstacle or test by Eve. Challenging the yes. “Why do you think you can trust me?”. Could also be considered accelerating to a justification, making Bond prove why he trusts her;
- Techniques Present:
- Home advantage + escalation of commitment (Bond making Eve come to him and then asking for more favors);
- Transparency + justifications (Bond sharing with Eve why he’s taking those actions);
- Obstacle/test/accelerating to a justification (By Eve, asking Bond why he trusts her);
00:27:05
Bond asking Q to make him disappear
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- So, we see a small type of reciprocity here. Bond accepted the tracker placed by Q, and didn’t complain about it, and now he’s using it as a kind of means of exchange. He’s saying, “Hey, since you already track me, at least do me this favor”;
- It’s also pretty funny the example of tension by Bond. Q is saying, “The tracker won’t work for 24 hours”, and Bond keeps looking at him, without saying anything, and Q corrects, “48 hours after the initial implementation”;
- Techniques Present:
- Reciprocity (Bond asking Q of the favor);
- Tension (Bond holding eye contact while Q is mentioning how the tracker works);
00:34:25
Bond with Lucia
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- So, as we see here, Bond did more harm than good for Lucia, because, as she mentions, by killing him, he killed the only protection she had. Now, there is nobody else to protect her. In a way, her credibility, her appearance depended on one person, and Bond destroyed them by killing that person;
- I also like his reciprocity/code of conduct here. He calls Felix to protect Lucia afterwards, so she’s guarded, either in exchange for the information she gave him, or just because that’s what he does. Either would be realistic here;
- Techniques Present:
- Image/credibility (Bond destroying Lucia’s credibility by killing her husband);
- Reciprocity/code of conduct (Bond getting Lucia protection from the CIA);
00:56:00
Bond speaking with White
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Very);
- Description:
- So, we see a code of conduct here. White disobeyed Blofeld because he was hurting women and children, which is not justifiable – within the mafia world, people are fair game, but outside, they are not;
- We also see a bit of negative reciprocity here, in that Bond says, since they are both enemies of Blofeld, “Why not just tell me where to find him?”. The enemy of my enemy is my friend;
- We also see Bond using adverse transparency. That is, he gives White the gun, putting himself in a vulnerable position, to show that he is trustworthy;
- Techniques Present:
- Code of conduct (White left Blofeld due to him breaching their code of conduct);
- Reciprocity (Bond asking White for help since they are both enemies of Blofeld);
- Adverse transparency (Bond giving White the gun);
01:00:45
M and C in C’s office
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- We see here a pretty funny example of a personal touch. That is, just like persuasion is less effective if it’s not done in person, here M is arguing that killing (or not) is much more effective if done in person, not through automated means. Great parallel;
- We also see C discrediting M, and using Bond to do it, catching him off-guard with the recording of Eve and Bond talking, and Bond being in Austria. Good distraction technique, and good attack move;
- Techniques Present:
- Personal touch (M stating how the killng/not must be done in person);
- Physiological priming (A distraction, by C, catching M off-guard with Bond’s recording);
01:04:35
Bond meeting Swann
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- So, we see that Bond comes to her, which is an interesting home advantage effect. In this case, not to give her power, but to make her feel safer. Or probably, because he couldn’t get to her in any other way, but still, it works;
- Then, we see reciprocity. Bond offering her protection in return for finding The American. We see this persuasion attempt fails, but it was a reasonable try;
- Also, when Q goes to meet Bond, his arguments aren’t very realistic. He says that Oberhauser has been dead for decades, so it can’t be him. But in the previous movies, we’ve seen all sorts of faked deaths, people coming back after presumed deaths (including Bond, more than once), so this is shaky;
- Then, we see Bond extract just one more favor, in terms of analysing the ring. It’s somewhat realistic – if he has one last chance, he may as well ask that favor. Escalation of commitment. And Q’s reaction is pretty funny. When he says, “I hate you now”, he’s pretty much saying that he will do it, albeit against his will;
- Techniques Present:
- Home advantage (Bond coming to Swann);
- Reciprocity (Bond offering her protection in return for The American);
- Escalation of commitment (Bond asking a final favor of Q);
01:26:25
M and C meeting
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Very);
- Description:
- So, we see here C’s strategy. He probably orchestrated an attack on South Africa, the only country not voting for the program, to get them to be scared, and now vote in favor of it. On top of that, it seems like he expedited the thing without even a meeting, or a chance for others to provide counter-arguments;
- Then, we see a little bit of spinning. M calls him a “cocky little bastard”, and C says he takes that as a compliment;
- Through this scene, also notice how we see a bit of the home advantage, and power dynamics at play, as C is moving, and M and Eve are the ones who are chasing him, in a way. When he stops, they stop, and when he starts moving in another direction, they follow him;
- Techniques Present:
- Spinning (M calling C a “cocky little bastard” as an insult, and him taking it as a compliment);
- Home advantage (M and Eve going after C);
01:41:55
Bond and Swann meeting Blofeld
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Somewhat);
- Description:
- For starters, we see value and abundance by Blofeld. Telling a story and talking about the art piece. He behaves as he has all the power and can lose nothing. Not a preoccupation in the world;
- Then, a little bit of spinning, when Bond says he came here to kill Blofeld, and he says that he thought Bond came here to die. Typical trash talking, seeing it from different perspectives;
- Then, we see Bond discrediting Blofeld’s program by reducing it to simple parts. He says, “Oh, it’s not complicated, you just blow up cities and threaten countries so they join your program”. In a way, it’s effort manipulation – introducing structure makes something seem easier and less complex – but it’s also killing mystique and secrecy. Blofeld wants to believe he’s mysterious and secretive, and Bond is killing those effects;
- Then, we see a distraction. Blofeld catching Swann off-guard with the video of her father shooting himself in front of bond. It’s also vulnerability – making her vulnerable;
- Techniques Present:
- Abundance/value (Blofeld taking his time, telling stories);
- Spinning (Bond and Blofeld reframing each other as being here to die);
- Effort manipulation + mystique/secrecy (Bond reducing Blofeld’s plan to simple blocks);
- Distraction + vulnerability (Blofeld showing Swann the video of her father shooting himself);
02:20:20
Bond meeting Q
- Is It Realistic: Yes (Very);
- Description:
- So, we see Bond using effort manipulation here. He wants to ask for one more favor, and he says, “There’s just one thing I need”. Reducing it, and making it seem like it’s just one little thing makes it seem less effortful;
- Techniques Present:
- Effort manipulation (By Bond);
