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Sam Mendes – Skyfall and Spectre
Ever since Terence Young and Sean Connery released the British MI6 spy known as
James Bond (codename 007) to the world of movie-making in 1962, there have been several
different directors and actors over the years that have put their own spin on the franchise.
Today’s 007, played by actor Daniel Craig, is now acting under the perspective of the award-
winning director Sam Mendes. Together, they have both isolated 007’s most recent films, Skyfall
and Spectre, from all the others prior, and brought him up to modern day.
Sam Mendes, who also directed American Beauty (1999) and Road to Perdition (2002),
has became recently well famed for directing the two newest James Bond films, Skyfall (2012)
and Spectre (2015). Mendes was born in Reading, U.K. into a family of writers and publishers.
While growing up surrounded by his medium, he was heavily influenced to study English at
Cambridge University. Not only that, but he also spent some time studying Theatre Productions
as well. After his graduation, he took up his first theatre job in West Sussex County. His career
kickstarted when he was offered a fill in position during the production of a comedy at age 25.
Ever since then, he has been thriving in the filmmaking industry, winning both the Academy and
Golden Globe award for Best Director in 2000, and many more.
To this day, Sam Mendes has been credited as either the director, producer or executive
producer in 15 different films over the course of 16 years. Over these years, he has developed his
own persona in the studio and on the set. As Highsnobiety states in their online article titled
“Sam Mendes – Behind the Camera,” “He is known in the theater world for having a relaxed
persona, always contemplating before making directions and decisions, and consistently building
wonderful rapport with everyone involved in the production.” Alongside the persona that he has
acquired, he has also developed some aesthetic and thematic characteristics that have appeared in
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most of his productions. One thematic trait particularly interesting about Sam Mendes contrary to
other popular directors is that instead of directing or producing under one specific genre, such as
Steven Spielberg being known for science fiction, adventure, and historical drama, Mendes does
not seem to follow one specific genre. Since his directing became famed, he has directed many
different styles of films, including dramas, a war film, comedies, and most recently, two James
Bond action films (Palmer, “Culture Warrior: What Makes a Sam Mendes Film?”).
Alongside Mendes’s spontaneous choice in genre, there are other traits that he has made
himself and his films known for. Some of the strongest emotions felt by the audience in all of
Mendes’s films is the connections between the actors and their characters. He decides to express
his interpretations of the story through the character’s emotions replicated by the actors in his
films. Often times, before production of a film even begins, Mendes will host several prior
rehearsals in order to create a sense of teamwork and unity amongst himself and the cast. More
importantly, Mendes sees the rehearsals as an opportunity for the actors to push themselves
towards fully understanding their characters and developing an attachment to them. Something
more that helps the actors relate to the story as well as their characters is the fact that Mendes
shoots his films in sequence, despite it’s rarity in modern films.
Mendes’s visual style in films stems from simplicity. One of the biggest concepts
involved in Sam Mendes’s aesthetic personality is naturalism. Mendes likes to set all his films in
the real world, away from fantasy and make-believe worlds or environments. His films tend to
derive from reality and Mendes makes sure that the realism in his films are as precise as the
reality we experience every day. If there is to be any fantasy elements in the film, it will serve
only as a brief sequence (perhaps a dream or thought). So, with Mendes’s aesthetic and thematic
Sam Mendes – Skyfall and Spectre
Ever since Terence Young and Sean Connery released the British MI6 spy known as
James Bond (codename 007) to the world of movie-making in 1962, there have been several
different directors and actors over the years that have put their own spin on the franchise.
Today’s 007, played by actor Daniel Craig, is now acting under the perspective of the award-
winning director Sam Mendes. Together, they have both isolated 007’s most recent films, Skyfall
and Spectre, from all the others prior, and brought him up to modern day.
Sam Mendes, who also directed American Beauty (1999) and Road to Perdition (2002),
has became recently well famed for directing the two newest James Bond films, Skyfall (2012)
and Spectre (2015). Mendes was born in Reading, U.K. into a family of writers and publishers.
While growing up surrounded by his medium, he was heavily influenced to study English at
Cambridge University. Not only that, but he also spent some time studying Theatre Productions
as well. After his graduation, he took up his first theatre job in West Sussex County. His career
kickstarted when he was offered a fill in position during the production of a comedy at age 25.
Ever since then, he has been thriving in the filmmaking industry, winning both the Academy and
Golden Globe award for Best Director in 2000, and many more.
To this day, Sam Mendes has been credited as either the director, producer or executive
producer in 15 different films over the course of 16 years. Over these years, he has developed his
own persona in the studio and on the set. As Highsnobiety states in their online article titled
“Sam Mendes – Behind the Camera,” “He is known in the theater world for having a relaxed
persona, always contemplating before making directions and decisions, and consistently building
wonderful rapport with everyone involved in the production.” Alongside the persona that he has
acquired, he has also developed some aesthetic and thematic characteristics that have appeared in
, 2
most of his productions. One thematic trait particularly interesting about Sam Mendes contrary to
other popular directors is that instead of directing or producing under one specific genre, such as
Steven Spielberg being known for science fiction, adventure, and historical drama, Mendes does
not seem to follow one specific genre. Since his directing became famed, he has directed many
different styles of films, including dramas, a war film, comedies, and most recently, two James
Bond action films (Palmer, “Culture Warrior: What Makes a Sam Mendes Film?”).
Alongside Mendes’s spontaneous choice in genre, there are other traits that he has made
himself and his films known for. Some of the strongest emotions felt by the audience in all of
Mendes’s films is the connections between the actors and their characters. He decides to express
his interpretations of the story through the character’s emotions replicated by the actors in his
films. Often times, before production of a film even begins, Mendes will host several prior
rehearsals in order to create a sense of teamwork and unity amongst himself and the cast. More
importantly, Mendes sees the rehearsals as an opportunity for the actors to push themselves
towards fully understanding their characters and developing an attachment to them. Something
more that helps the actors relate to the story as well as their characters is the fact that Mendes
shoots his films in sequence, despite it’s rarity in modern films.
Mendes’s visual style in films stems from simplicity. One of the biggest concepts
involved in Sam Mendes’s aesthetic personality is naturalism. Mendes likes to set all his films in
the real world, away from fantasy and make-believe worlds or environments. His films tend to
derive from reality and Mendes makes sure that the realism in his films are as precise as the
reality we experience every day. If there is to be any fantasy elements in the film, it will serve
only as a brief sequence (perhaps a dream or thought). So, with Mendes’s aesthetic and thematic
