Sam Mendes helmed 'Skyfall' to shock and wake himself up

"Skyfall" director Sam Mendes gave a candid interview to The Guardian this weekend about 007, his life, and his career so far.

On the subject of Bond, he said: "Directing depends upon a story's rhythm – a good story should breathe in and out. On the locations, he jokes: "When I said 'yes' to a Bond movie, I pictured South America, the Andes, a tropical island. And what was I given? Fucking London Underground …" The reward for filming there? "Black snot."

How would Mendes answer the question Bond is asked: what do you know about fear? "Quite a lot – I am a good dissembler. So much of this job is to instil confidence. You need to be the leader. If you are scared, you have to hide it – it is not useful." A Bond film is "frightening" because "one's personality could be consumed by the machine". He adds: "I am the opposite to Bond. I'm a physical coward. I don't enjoy firing a gun. And I drive very slowly."

"I did Skyfall to shock and wake myself up. And it has certainly done that – and then some."

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