There seems to be no stopping the rise ofDenis Villeneuve. The critically acclaimed Canadian filmmaker, known for masterpieces such asArrival(2016) andBlade Runner2049(2017), as well as theDuneseries, has now beenselected to direct the next rebootof the long-running and globally belovedJames Bondfranchise, whose rights were recently purchased by Amazon and MGM Studios. It’s hardly surprising that Amazon has passed the torch of the Bond franchise to Villeneuve, as he has practically built a career out of adapting pre-existing source material, such asBlade RunnerandDune,with his own stylistic flourishesto wildly successful results.
Now that Villeneuve has arguably reached the zenith of filmmaking prestige in joining the James Bond franchise, it is the perfect time to look back at the Oscar-nominated film that first put him on the international filmmaking map 15 years ago:Incendies(2010). Based on the play of the same name by Wajdi Mouawad (which was loosely based on people and events from the Lebanese Civil War),Incendiestells the story of twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) Marwan and their mother Nawal (Lubna Azabal).
After Nawal’s sudden death, Jeanne and Simon learn that, in her will, she has requested that they travel to the unnamed Levantine country where she grew up and deliver letters to their father, whom the twins long thought to be dead, and their brother, whose existence they were unaware of. Their search leads them to confront their mother’s horrifying past and discover the dark secrets that she had kept from them during her life.
In addition to being Villeneuve’s most mature and emotionally compelling work to date,Incendiesmay also give us some idea of the direction Villeneuve will take with James Bond.
‘Incendies’ Is a Gut-Wrenching Portrayal of War and Generational Trauma
Incendiesis told in a non-linear structure, jumping between Jeanne and Simon’s present-day investigation and flashbacks depicting their mother’s life story as the twins learn more about it. Although the audience knows from the start that Nawal survived the war, this knowledge does not diminish the visceral intensity, suspense, or emotional impact of the flashbacks.
Indeed, Nawal experiences unimaginable levels of suffering and fear during her life, including the murder of her lover by her own family as a teenager, a massacre on a bus (of which she is the sole survivor), and later being kidnapped and tortured — including sexually — by the same terrorist group herself. At the same time, the film makes it clear that Nawal is no mere damsel in distress. Even in the most horrific circumstances, she displays impressively quick thinking and an unbreakable will to survive, which makes us admire her as much as we feel sorry for her.
However, Nawal is not the only character who endures an emotional and psychological rollercoaster over the course of the film. Even in the relative physical safety of the present day, Jeanne and Simon experience their mother’s suffering vicariously as they meet people from her past in her war-torn homeland. Each new bit of information about their mother makes them more terrified of learning the truth about her life and her relationships with their brother and father, even as they draw nearer to it. Their journey culminates in quite possiblythe most disturbing and heartbreaking twist in film history, in which Jeanne and Simon learn that their own existence is more tied to their mother’s traumatic past than they had assumed.
Some of the Most Controversial War Films Ever Made
The following war movies are imprinted on the mind of the audiences because of how controversial they still are.
But the purpose of this twist is far deeper than just shock value. In fact, it ties together all the film’s thematic threads, including the dehumanization inherent to war, the destruction of families, generational trauma, and the moral ramifications of nature and nurture, into one moment. Even more importantly, it sets up the film’s surprisingly tender and humanistic conclusion, in which forgiveness takes center stage.
Will Villeneuve’s James Bond Film Be Like ‘Incendies’?
In many ways,Incendiesmakes Villeneuve the ideal choice to continue the James Bond franchise.Although it’s not exactly a “spy film” per se, it bears many of the same hallmarks of the franchise, particularly the previous five entries starring Daniel Craig, which have been noted for their markedly darker and more mature tone. These hallmarks include gritty depictions of geopolitical conflicts and characters with multiple identities and ambiguous loyalties.
In addition, Nawal shares many characteristics in commonwith the so-called “Bond Girls,“especially the ones from the more recent entries in the franchise. Like several of them, she can be either a helpless victim or a stone-faced aggressor, depending on the circumstances. For instance, after the massacre on the bus, she joins a radical Muslim militia group. She goes undercover to assassinate one of the leaders of the Christian Nationalist group who perpetrated the attack.
Her quest for revenge mirrors that of Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) inQuantum of Solace(2008). Afterward, Nawal is captured and tortured by the Christian terrorists, which is similar to the fate of Solange Dimitrios (Caterina Murino) inCasino Royale(2006). It’s certainly not unreasonable to wonder if the Bond Girl of Villeneuve’s film will be a kindred spirit of sorts of Nawal.
Amazon’s James Bond Bet Is Already Paying Off With the Most Exciting Director in Over a Decade
Director Denis Villeneuve is likely to attract fans who are skeptical about Amazon MGM’s taking control of the James Bond franchise.
On the other hand, it’s equally possible thatIncendiesistoodark to be considered a reliable preview of Villeneuve’s James Bond debut. While Daniel Craig’s Bond films are undoubtedly far more tonally mature than their predecessors, even their most disturbing moments mostly pale in comparison to those ofIncendies. This makes sense, as James Bond is a blockbuster franchise whose success depends largely on mass appeal to a general audience, which is definitely not the case forIncendiesandmany other Villeneuve films. We will just have to wait and see whether Amazon wants to continue the trend of darker Bond films or change course. But if they do decide on the former, they have definitely picked the right director to do it well.
Incendiesis not available for streaming, though it can be rented on various platforms, includingYouTube,Fandango at Home, andAmazon Prime Video.
