Sometimes a mistake so subtle, and yet so hilarious, makes it into a big budget movie like Quantum of Solace. In the case of Daniel Craig’s second James Bond movie, there’s a goof so prolific that fans have talked about it for some time. And thanks to a recent interview where Craig was asked about the infamous man pushing a broom on the docks in the background of one particular scene, we finally have a reaction from the outgoing James Bond himself.
During a clip from the BBC’s Becoming...Bond: A Daniel Craig Special, interviewer Ali Plumb spoke with Daniel Craig about his era of James Bond adventures. Bringing out the genuinely comedic and gracious side of Craig that we’ve seen on his final rounds with the press, Plumb asked the hard hitting question about that time a random bystander was sweeping the air behind 007. Here’s what the No Time To Die actor had to say about this moment in Bond history:
I think he’s actually one of the producers. We gave him a job… It’s pretty special. Is it actually in the movie? You see, that’s the weird thing about movies, isn’t it? Kind of weird things like that stay in.
For as planned out and exacting as the James Bond franchise can be, there’s bound to be little things that stick out to those who are looking hard enough. We’ve seen this before in Casino Royale, as the poker scenes between Bond and Le Chiffre have some cinematic flourishes that have caused casino professionals, and even director Martin Campbell himself, to have a bit of a laugh. Though this is definitely another chuckle worthy moment, it’s for very different reasons.
If you’re looking for the moment in question during Quantum of Solace’s runtime, you should cue up the movie to about 26:10. While James Bond is waiting for Dominic Greene’s henchmen to check his credentials, a man in the background is sweeping the docks. Only, his broom isn’t touching the ground, and it’s still pretty noticeable for a “blink and you ‘ll miss it” moment. Here’s what that moment looks like, courtesy of a screencap from Becoming...Bond shared below:
Considering Quantum of Solace was a production so rushed they started without a finished script, an error like this acting as the film’s claim to fame seems kind of tame. But these are the sorts of things that give everyone a moment of fun reflection on a movie that stands out in the James Bond legacy for its own reasons. Whether you’re a fan of Quantum of Solace or not, we can all agree that a man sweeping the air in front of him is a hysterical occurrence in a major, big budget picture.
People looking to watch Quantum of Solace or Casino Royale are in luck, as both films have been added into the Prime Video library. Pair that with Skyfall’s availability on Paramount+ and Spectre being on the FXNow app, and you can do a quick catch up before seeing No Time To Die for the first or fifth time. And in case you still can’t believe it, yes, No Time To Die is in theaters, or heading there shortly depending on where you are in the world.
