Character Analysis
Assassin's Creed
What homework do you think they require in assassin school? Intro to Neck Wringing? Deadly Venom Lab? A practicum in sneaking? (Students get credit for skipping class and not getting caught.) We ask because Donald Grant appears to have been educated in SPECTRE's elite and deadly assassin academy.
The film sets up Grant as Bond's nemesis by having him kill Bond in the introductory sequence. Of course, the "Bond" he kills is a man wearing a Bond mask, but we're supposed to think that because this man kills a fake Bond (and in record time, too) that he must be a superhuman force. The man in the Bond mask could be any rando they pulled off the street, however, so is this really an indication of Grant's kill skills?
SPECTRE seems to think so. They put him up on SPECTRE Island—yes that's really what their top-secret lair's called—until he's called to duty. Before Klebb recruits him, Grant appears to be spending his days relaxing, sunbathing, and having beautiful women rub massage oil all over his body.
Where do we sign up?
Anyway, operating from the shadows for most of the film, he manages to blackmail the British in Istanbul, kill the man tailing Tania, kill Kerim Bey and Bey's prisoner, and even save Bond during the scuffle at the Romani camp. Why save Bond? He's keeping him alive until he's of no more use. Using people is something everyone in this movie has in common.
Head Case, Meet Briefcase
Grant himself is being used by SPECTRE. He seems to have been specifically recruited because they think he's a "homicidal paranoiac. Superb material." Someone with those traits could be only one of two things: a SPECTRE assassin or a YouTube personality.
Grant's also wicked strong. He takes a brass-knuckled punch to the gut from Klebb without flinching. He's also sneaky enough to board the Orient Express without Bond noticing. He at first pulls off impersonating the British agent that he'd killed. He seems flawless, except for the fact that he orders red wine with fish. This dinner faux pas betrays his true identity to Bond. Bond knows that any proper British agent would never order the wrong wine at dinner.
Despite this mistake, Grant seems to relish the opportunity to pretend to be British. Like Tania, he plays the part convincingly. He even apes Bond's famous catchphrase.
GRANT: Nash, Captain Nash.
Grant wants to out-Bond Bond. He lords his youth, strength, and (pretend) status over Bond, taking any chance he can to subtly shade him, like with his little nickname of choice for 007.
GRANT: You know how it is, old man.
Grant knows how to push Bond's buttons. He thinks he's holding all the cards because he's in possession of some film of Bond and Tania, not to mention in possession of Bond's gun.
GRANT: Here's a roll of film. She'll have this in her handbag. And on you... they'll find this letter. It's from her. Threatening to give the film to the press unless you marry her for helping you get the Lektor.
BOND: What film?
GRANT: Taken in the bridal suite at your hotel. Something else the girl didn't know about. Or you. What a performance!
BOND: Must be a pretty sick collection of minds to dream up a plan like that.
GRANT: Can't you see the headlines? "British agent murders beautiful Russian spy, then commits suicide"?
BOND: Tell me. Which lunatic asylum did they get you out of?
GRANT: Don't make it tougher on yourself.
What distinguishes Grant from Bond is that, although both men have done their share of killing, Grant is sadistic. He makes it clear he's willing to go above and beyond his orders in order to make Bond suffer:
GRANT: My orders are to kill you and deliver the Lektor. How I do it is my business. It'll be slow and painful.
In the end, it's Grant's greed that gets the better of him. When Bond offers to buy him off, he decides to rob 007 of his gold coins and triggers Bond's briefcase trap, allowing Bond to turn the tables. After an extended bare-handed fight, Bond strangles Grant with Grant's own handy watch-garrote.
What we learn from this sequence is that Grant is heavier on the brawn than the brains. All the tricky plans—the letter, the film, etc.— were SPECTRE's ideas. When it comes to carrying them out, though, Grant's impulsiveness and narcissism get the better of him. If he'd just shot Bond right away and not spent time lording it over him, then mission accomplished. At that point, Bond was disarmed and helpless.
But nope, the first gold coins James offers him just ain't enough, and Bond gambles that Grant's greed will make him go after the rigged briefcase.
Grant's the perfect villain: stone-cold, no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Unless you count those abs.