Message to media: For your eyes only
The premiere of the so-called "grandest foreign movie debut in China" this week brought with it all the trappings of a Hollywood gala ceremony. There were big movie stars walking down the red carpet, spotlights beaming in the sky, thousands of adoring fans and a hungry media horde ready to grab a few quotes from Bond star Daniel Craig himself. However, the carefully orchestrated event also brought another Hollywood gem.
Daniel Craig in Beijing this |
All through the ceremony's two parts the press conference and the red carpet parade that lasted four hours, the super agent maintained a golden silence, as did his real-life girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell, Bond girl Eva Green, the blockbuster's producers and director Martin Campbell (Golden Eye).
The press conference started with a 10-minute performance by a troupe of dancing Bond girls wearing black dresses and dark sunglasses, followed by a preview of Casino Royale. Two Chinese PR men then introduced the Bond movie as Craig watched on, wearing a black-leather jacket and a confident smile.
Was it Bond's turn to speak? However as about 200 Chinese and international journalists fired up their tape recorders and switched on their TV cameras the show promptly ended. "Thank you. Let's call it a conference," said a PR host.
The frustrated media pack followed the Bond team to Star City Cinema where the 007 posse was scheduled to "meet and communicate" with fans and media on the red carpet.
The first Chinese stars, who strolled down the red carpet, claimed to be 007 fans and gave affectionate declarations of how they liked the series and the new Bond. The background information of the 007 series was recited again, and the fans took more photos.
The word "shining" was rattled off numerous times to describe the female stars, who flew into Beijing to help the promotion. Bond and the gang finally showed up, and like an undercover agent under the cover of darkness, quickly disappeared into the night. However he did smile and sign autographs for the physically strong fans who managed to muscle their way to railings guarding the red carpet.
According to the Chinese distributors, who organized the ceremony, the Bond crew had already given interviews to a select group of media.
For the rest of us, we only could watch the passing parade.
The promotional message to the media was simple, the new 007 had nothing to say.
James Bond was for your eyes only.
(China Daily 02/02/2007 page18)
