Episode 83
In this episode Bond has beaten Le Chiffre with a straight flush. Le Chiffre walks off in disgust and Bond tells Leiter, ‘he’s all yours.’ Bond and Vesper then trot off for some dinner and Vesper gets a text message saying that the Americans have made contact with Le Chiffe.
The restaurant is actually inside The Grand Hotel Pupp, the same hotel that doubles as Hotel Splendide in both the novel and the film.
From the Blu Ray commentary:
He’s beaten the other two characters and he’s thinking about how Bond is going to get out of this and he said there is only one possible solution, only one possible set of cards that he will have that will beat it. Initially when he turns it over, initially it doesn’t look like a great hand, but when it’s laid out as a straight flush you realize he has the best hand.
In order to telegraph that to an audience the sound of applause was laid over this shot in order to tell everyone he’s won he’s done it. Phil Meheux – Director of Photography
Filming at home at Pinewood has a certain comfort, and filming in Czech republic was responsible in some small way for the look of the picture. Certain crews and certain ways affect the feel of the picture , it gave the film a crisper darker look to it which is in large part to Phil Meheux, it made it look like a different film, originally we lit the restaurant scene for all the other poker players to be sitting and eating after the meal. But Craig had the idea that what he done is bought the restaurant out so that he could have a quiet meal with Vesper. David G. Wilson Assistant Producer
Photos courtesy : Thunderballs.Org
