By John Brackett
It’s official, the title to the new Bond film is Quantum of Solace. There had been rampant rumors that the film would be titled after the one of the few remaining Fleming short stories that had not been used. These included Quantum of Solace, Property of a Lady and Risico, which had story elements lifted for the 1981 film “For Your Eyes Only”. An additional rumor was floated that it would simply be entitled “007”, since this would be Bond’s first official mission as a double 0.

Quantum of Solace is the title of an Ian Fleming short story first published in the 1960 collection of short stories, For Your Eyes Only. I recently read this book and have to say that Quantum of Solace is a very different story than one would expect from Fleming, and certainly from the film adaptations of his work. Here, Bond is not a mission, but simply the bored guest at a fancy dinner party in Nassau. The Governor host of the evening enters into a private conversation with Bond and begins to tell a story involving a man his tumultuous relationship with a beautiful “Air Hostess” that ended up destroying his life. Towards the end of the story Fleming exposes the title, “Whatever her sins, if she had given him that Quantum of Solace he could have never have behaved to her as he did.”


I won’t give way the entire story, because it’s well worth the read. The movie likely has little to do with the story. Craig did say in an interview today that the title does play a role in that Bond is looking for "a degree of comfort" (what Quantum of Solace means) in the betrayal and loss of Vesper. In Bond's case his Quantum of Solace is revenge.  At the press conference this morning at Pinewood Studios in London reporters were treated to a minute of the film and behind the scenes views of the sets.


The story is a continuation of Casino Royale. Bond is out for revenge as he uncovers the truth about Vesper. Instead of The casino rooms of Montenegro, the action takes him to Austria, Italy, and South America. New Bond girl Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko, leads Bond to a ruthless business man, played by Mathieu Amalric, who is currently starring in the Oscar-nominated "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." This only brings Bond closer to the mysterious organization he fought in Casino Royale.

Quantum Of Solace will be released in November 2008.