APRIL 2015: This was written by Tom Zielinski, one of the publishers of the now-offline Her Majesty’s Secret Servant website.
I’ve just seen the Quantum of Solace credit sequence. If you want to know more about the titles read on, if not, know there may be SPOILERS.
I have sincerely loved Daniel Kleinman’s work on the past five films, and consider each title sequence a highlight of the 007 movie itself. The title sequences of Casino Royale and to a lesser extent Die Another Day (yes, DAD) are likely my favorites. I was seriously disappointed when I learned Kleinman would not be returning for QOS.
That said, MK12 has created visually interesting titles that are mostly in keeping with tradition. I like them, and they work well (mostly) with the song. With what I have heard as to how people feel about the QOS theme however, your mileage may vary.
Title sequence details: Just as Bond says to a bound and bruised Mr. White in a boot, “It’s time to get up”, Jack White’s song kicks in and the credits roll. A silhouetted James Bond fires a gun while the credits fade (in and out) “Daniel Craig… as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007… in Quantum of Solace.”
We follow the (gold) slo-mo bullet as it travels above a desert, through wind and sand. Silhouette-Bond is seen stalking someone (gun drawn) traversing sand dunes, then approaches the camera. A silhouette of a naked woman is seen rising from the shifting sand.
More Bond stalking, a bit more shifting of sand (akin to what Kleinman has done before with oil or water/ice motifs) then LOTS of shifting sand and several shots of silhouettes of naked women. (The lighting here is fairly 
dark unfortunately.) Silhouette-Bond falling, then a graphic that looks to be STRAIGHT from Maurice Binder’s You Only Live Twice work – a circle grid. (You’ll recognize it when you see it.)
Then a ring of many silhouette nudes dancing and cavorting (slow motion) around a blurred sun as silhouette-Bond is depicted falling amongst them (Binder’s grid in background.) LOTS of silhouette Bonds falling, starry night in background.
Two silhouette nudes, back-to-back. Four silhouette-nudes (in high-heels!) dancing as mirror images. (So maybe it’s just the one.) Bond’s Walther falling with him into an iris, then onto the desert.
The gun evaporates into sand. Bond still falling, a cool shot of him firing a gun, again in slow motion. Complete with the depiction of the casing being ejected and gases escaping. “Written by Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade.” (The ampersand has significance as to writing credit.)
We again follow the bullet as Bond walks toward the camera. Interestingly, at the bottom, the beginning of Binder’s “walk-on” sequence begins – small circles move across the screen. “Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli” follows the circles.
More silhouette-nudes, an explosion of sand as the bullet hits its target, “Directed by Marc Forster”, and then into the film proper. (The first few seconds are a red and yellow checkered flag and then what looks like a parade somewhere in Europe.)
I like it. Well done and graphically interesting. The contemporary font used throughout is also appropriate.
Still not up to par with Kleinman’s work though. Or Binder’s. In that comparison, the QOS titles… are a bit cold. Like the creators knew the character, but didn’t well… love the character.
— Tom Zielinski
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Bond movie titles sequence, Daniel Kleinman, Maurice Binder, MK 12, QOS, QOS credits, Quantum of Solace, Quantum of Solace credits | 3 Comments »
Just in case Quantum of Solace left you feeling a little empty, you can enjoy some good Casino Royale nostalgia over at the very cool Art of the Title website, where they have a beautiful — I’m talking beautiful — 720p High-Definition QuickTime of Danny Kleinman’s titles sequence from that film.
The Spy Command 