AH Media Challenge: Inverted GoldenEye opening

Thande

Donor
This is more for fun than anything because it's hard to picture a scenario where it would actually happen, but:

I was watching the opening sequence for GoldenEye again and recalling that it made a powerful impression on me when I saw the film premiere in 1995 at the age of eleven, because it was only then I think that I really realised how bitter and ideological the Cold War had been: though I remember the Cold War, it was towards the end of Gorbachev's power and by that point the USSR was "just that big green country on the map", not The Enemy or even An Enemy.

Anyway, that opening features a couple of powerful scenes where it shows various Soviet symbols and statues being destroyed as a metaphor for the breakup of the USSR (inevitably causing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation to complain ;) ).

The challenge is: what sorts of symbols and statues would have been substituted if the film had instead been made in a world where the Soviets won the Cold War and it was showing the downfall of the West?
 
This is more for fun than anything because it's hard to picture a scenario where it would actually happen, but:

I was watching the opening sequence for GoldenEye again and recalling that it made a powerful impression on me when I saw the film premiere in 1995 at the age of eleven, because it was only then I think that I really realised how bitter and ideological the Cold War had been: though I remember the Cold War, it was towards the end of Gorbachev's power and by that point the USSR was "just that big green country on the map", not The Enemy or even An Enemy.

Anyway, that opening features a couple of powerful scenes where it shows various Soviet symbols and statues being destroyed as a metaphor for the breakup of the USSR (inevitably causing the Communist Party of the Russian Federation to complain ;) ).

The challenge is: what sorts of symbols and statues would have been substituted if the film had instead been made in a world where the Soviets won the Cold War and it was showing the downfall of the West?

Busts of George Washington? Statue of Liberty? Capitol and Whitehouse? Famous paintings shredded: GW crossing the Delaware, Marianne leading the French into battle?
 

Thande

Donor
Busts of George Washington? Statue of Liberty? Capitol and Whitehouse? Famous paintings shredded: GW crossing the Delaware, Marianne leading the French into battle?

The thing is that the Soviets were not necessarily critical of the revolutionary aspects of the USA and France though...

I could see Mount Rushmore, but I think Wall Street would be a more obvious target than the White House and so on, even though it's perhaps less distinctive.

Also, to replace the hammers and sickles being smashed - maybe currency signs, $, £ and so on?
 
The thing is that the Soviets were not necessarily critical of the revolutionary aspects of the USA and France though...
Hmm... Good point that.
I could see Mount Rushmore,
true, very true.
but I think Wall Street would be a more obvious target than the White House and so on, even though it's perhaps less distinctive.
Very much less so. There is just NO 'wall street' image you could show that would be instantly recognisable.
Also, to replace the hammers and sickles being smashed - maybe currency signs, $, £ and so on?
Very good, again.


How about pictures of FDR, Churchill, Degaulle? Posters of John Bull, 'Uncle Sam', etc.
 
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Well, by downfall of the west do you mean Soviet military victory, or just a scenario where NATO dissolves, and the USSR uses the opportunity to further its global political and economic clout? The later scenario (which I think would be the only one where they would still be making Bond films) would likely involve an opening that showed the triumph of Socialism over Capitalist, i.e. the raising of new flags, erection of new monuments etc. The thing is, the USSR made a very conscious effort to portray itself with heavy use of symbolism etc, so they have more of that type of thing to be "destroyed."
 

Thande

Donor
Well, by downfall of the west do you mean Soviet military victory, or just a scenario where NATO dissolves, and the USSR uses the opportunity to further its global political and economic clout? The later scenario (which I think would be the only one where they would still be making Bond films) would likely involve an opening that showed the triumph of Socialism over Capitalist, i.e. the raising of new flags, erection of new monuments etc. The thing is, the USSR made a very conscious effort to portray itself with heavy use of symbolism etc, so they have more of that type of thing to be "destroyed."

As I said in the OP I realise it's rather unrealistic to posit that Bond films would still be made if the OTL situation was inverted, but it's a just-for-fun scenario.

You have a point about Soviet triumphalism, but the theme of the movie was that with the Cold War over and the enemy gone, what is the purpose of Bond...come to think of it, a better way of framing this would be to say there's a set of Soviet spy films analogous to Bond and this is the first one made after they win the Cold War, hence asking the question of what is his purpose now capitalism is defeated.

As I say this is a very artificial question, I was just curious to see what sorts of symbols people would consider embody the West in this setting, given that ideologically it was much less coherent than the Communist bloc during the Cold War.
 
Busts of George Washington? Statue of Liberty? Capitol and Whitehouse? Famous paintings shredded: GW crossing the Delaware, Marianne leading the French into battle?

Err... absolutely no! After initial frenzies Soviets had rather much interest in saving cultural artefacts. In fact, if USA came under Soviet control it would be likely that the country's history would be written in a way that there would be the American Revolution with it's great heroes, but it was betrayed, the Civil War, where Lincoln would be hero but betrayed by capitalists etc.

As on the symbols, it's possibly corporate signs which would be broken alongside luxyry items. Then again, after incorporation of East Europe Soviet Union kept succesfull corporate logos for their use (Zeiss, Skoda etc.). And naturally Pentagon, where militarists together with capitalists hold their secret meetings with left-handed and other evil people...
 
As on the symbols, it's possibly corporate signs which would be broken alongside luxyry items. Then again, after incorporation of East Europe Soviet Union kept succesfull corporate logos for their use (Zeiss, Skoda etc.).

Well Mcdonalds, Burger king, and Levies dont have as much military use as Skoda so i think they would be fair game.
 
Well Mcdonalds, Burger king, and Levies dont have as much military use as Skoda so i think they would be fair game.

East German brands which were continued during communism included such firms as Merkel, making very fine hunting weapons etc. Communism aimed at consumer society so Levi's might well continue. Hamburger chains might not, however.
 

Sachyriel

Banned
Women would move suggestively around a pyramid with an all seeing eye and a dollar sign; a bald eagle feather becomes engulfed in flames to light a cigarette for a woman to breath smoke. Running silhouettes against an American flag with the stars falling off it and the stripes turning vertical to be dripping blood.

Any good?
 
Women would move suggestively around a pyramid with an all seeing eye and a dollar sign; a bald eagle feather becomes engulfed in flames to light a cigarette for a woman to breath smoke. Running silhouettes against an American flag with the stars falling off it and the stripes turning vertical to be dripping blood.

Any good?
oh my. Very. I can just see it.
 
Women would move suggestively around a pyramid with an all seeing eye and a dollar sign; a bald eagle feather becomes engulfed in flames to light a cigarette for a woman to breath smoke. Running silhouettes against an American flag with the stars falling off it and the stripes turning vertical to be dripping blood.

Any good?

Focus on dollar is good, but I don't see a reason why American Eagle or the US flag would be changed even if USA was communist. Then again, Pentagon breaking into myriad splinters might be good...
 
Women would move suggestively around a pyramid with an all seeing eye and a dollar sign; a bald eagle feather becomes engulfed in flames to light a cigarette for a woman to breath smoke. Running silhouettes against an American flag with the stars falling off it and the stripes turning vertical to be dripping blood.

Any good?

The best post you've ever typed :)
 

Sachyriel

Banned
:D

oh my. Very. I can just see it.
Now add in a M16 being loaded with an outline of a magazine, but it's really a clear dance cage.

Focus on dollar is good, but I don't see a reason why American Eagle or the US flag would be changed even if USA was communist. Then again, Pentagon breaking into myriad splinters might be good...

One of us is doing this wrong.

The best post you've ever typed :)

...

I know it's supposed to be praise, but it's not.
 
Very much less so. There is just NO 'wall street' image you could show that would be instantly recognisable.
800px-Wall_Street_Sign.jpg
 
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