Mis-en-Scene: Skyfall

Bond movies are pretty much the only films that I will make an effort to go see in a theater. Skyfall wasn't my favorite (Casio Royale wins this title,) but the scene where Bond goes after the assassin in the Shanghai hotel is pretty stunning. 

As Bond tries to decipher what the assassin Patrice's motives are, the lights from other buildings dance, play and shimmer on the various glass doors. The lights are soothing, which contrasts with the mirror effect of the windows and the silhouettes. With this play on light, shadows and reflection, we feel anxious about what is going to happen — this emulates how Bond feels in the moment. 

Director: Sam Mendes

Director of Photography: Roger Deakins
Production Designer: Dennis Gassner
Makeup and Wardrobe: Jany Temime
Stunt Coordinator: Gary Powell
Special Effects: Chris Corbould
Visual Effects: Steve Begg
Second Unit Filming: Alexander Witt


From the Skyfall Wikipedia:

Mendes confirmed that China would be featured in the film, with shooting scheduled to take place in Shanghai and "other parts" of the country.[10] John Logan described that production deliberately sought out locations that were "in opposition" to London with an exotic quality that made them "places for Bond to be uncomfortable".[72] Many scenes were not filmed on location in Shanghai. Instead, the Virgin Active Pool in London's Canary Wharf acted as Bond's hotel pool in Shanghai,[67][72] and the entrance to London's fourth tallest building, Broadgate Tower, was also lit up to look like an office building there; for the aerial footage of Shanghai, the crew received rare access to shoot from a helicopter on loan from the Chinese government.[72] The interior of the Golden Dragon Casino in Macau where Bond met Sévérine was constructed on a sound stage at Pinewood, with 300 floating lanterns and two 30-foot high dragon heads lighting the set.[72] Additional scenes were filmed at Ascot Racecourse, standing in for Shanghai Pudong International Airport.[83][84] The first official image from the film was released on 1 February 2012, showing Daniel Craig on set at Pinewood Studios, within a recreation of a skyscraper in Shanghai.[85]

The only information I could find on the filming of this scene is that it was actually shot in London at the Broadgate Tower on Primrose Street. To make this scene work, there had to be quite a collaboration between the Stunt Coordinator, Gary Powell, Special Effects Coordinator Chris Corbould, and Visual Effects Coordinator Steve Begg. The fight scene almost looks like a choreographed dance that melds with the neon lights.