The Opening Scene of Spectre
The opening scene of Spectre is a spectacular, gripping action scene that sees the very best of Daniel Craig as 007. It’s Craig’s fourth outing as Bond and the action really sets the scene for the rest of the movie.
The Spectre opening scene location is Mexico City at the Day of the Dead celebrations that take place in late October/November in Mexico. The people are dressed up as skeletons and other gothic figures to remember and honour their departed friends and family, but with celebration — not sorrow.
The Day of the Dead festival is a centuries old tradition. Traditionally families would gather to create home altars and journey to local cemeteries in order to decorate the graves with beautiful blooms and intricately decorated sugar skulls.
Nowadays, the street celebration has turned into a masquerade festival with many people dressing up as the dead. It looks like a mix between the masquerade in Venice and a zombie film, but it makes for a perfect start to the action in Spectre.
Spectre Opening Scene – Synopsis
The opening scene of Spectre is set at the vibrant yet eerie Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. Amidst a flurry of fireworks and colorful decorations, James Bond embarks on an unauthorised mission to thwart crime syndicate, SPECTRE‘s bombing plot and track down one of their main men, Marco Sciarra.
Disguised in their Day of the Dead costumes, Bond and Estrella share an intimate moment as they go up to her room, just as it seems like she’s about to become 007’s first Bond girl. However, their sweet moment is soon interrupted when he gets up and goes out on his mission.
“Where are you going?’ she asks. He simply tells her that he won’t be gone long before climbing out the window and running along a few rooftops to take out henchmen with his sniper rifle and retrieve Sciarra’s ring that he needs for his investigation.
Bond takes perfect aim through the scope, but they spot him and return fire. With well-placed shots he quickly takes out several enemies, only for a major explosion to cause chaos in their midst – collapsing the building around them, including the rooftop opposite that Bond was standing on.
Watch the spectacular Spectre opening scene
Amidst the carnage, Bond spots Sciarra and takes off after him through the densely packed streets of Mexico City. In the heart of the Day of the Dead festivities, Sciarra calls for his helicopter which quickly arrives among the crowds in Zocalo to take him away.
There’s a flurry of fireworks, skeletal figures, and vibrant decorations, but Bond manages to barge his way through the crowd and jumps aboard with Sciarra and the pilot. The helicopter takes off and immediately Bond engages in an intense fight alongside Sciarra with their aim being capture and ground themselves safely.
However, their battle quickly escalates as they tumble into the front of the copter. The pilot tries to help Sciarra escape by sending the helicopter further out of control but gravity soon forces both men outside its outer edges where they hang on desperately by its skids. The aircraft is spinning faster and faster towards its deathly plunge while their fight continues to intensify.
Bond regains control, grabs Sciarra and forcefully retrieves his ring before kicking him down below amid thousands of horrified revellers watching on. With Sciarra now dead, 007 turns his attention towards the pilot – seizing him from behind and strangling him as they race downwards into a screaming crowd before suddenly soaring skyward in an alarming direction.
As the helicopter rises, Bond is thrown to the rear of the cabin giving him no time to brace himself for an unexpected halt in the engine. The helicopter backflips and dives towards the unsuspecting crowd below.
Fuelled by courage and agility, Bond takes control of himself and undoes the pilot’s seat-belt before kicking him out. He wrestles against gravity and the careening aircraft trying desperately to keep it airborne and away from its intended crash site. Showing remarkable fortitude, he just manages to pull it up before it plunges into an unsuspecting mass of onlookers below.
With his mission almost complete, Bond seizes control of the helicopter and swooshes off into a dusty sunset in search of his next mission, and with it he brings to a close the dramatic opening scene of Spectre.
Spectre Opening Scene sets the movie up perfectly
The Spectre opening scene is full of gripping action and unbelievable manouvres that Bond somehow manages to make believable.
Set in Mexico City at the Dead of the Dead celebrations. Bond takes out his first target in style, but is almost killed a few times as the helicopter almost crashes into the thousands of revellers below.
It’s one of the best opening scenes of any Bond movie, and really gets viewers ready for the next couple of hours viewing.
