Continuity mistake: In the opening chase scene 007 rides his bike against the wall of the bridge. The bike bounces back, but in the next shot it is catapulting over the wall, tumbling over and over. (00:06:15)
Continuity mistake: In Istanbul, Bond goes to the mosque. When he approaches the mosque, the exterior shot is of the Sultan Ahmed mosque or "Blue Mosque" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque). When Bond is inside, the interior is actually of the much older, nearby "Hagia Sophia" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia). (00:04:35)
Continuity mistake: When Silva's henchmen arrive at Skyfall, the Aston Martin is visible on the left side of the wall around the house. When Silva commands the Aston Martin to be shot at later, it has moved to the right side of the wall around the house without any time to move it. (01:50:45 - 01:57:45)
Continuity mistake: When Bond runs out of the London Underground Station, he is covered in dust. The dust is still there when he runs into the Houses of Parliament and still there when he drives off with M. Yet the dust has disappeared when Bond and M find the Aston Martin. There was no time to clean up the dust since he was driving. (01:36:05 - 01:39:35)
Continuity mistake: After meeting Q, as Bond says, "And youth is no guarantee of innovation", the direction of Bond's head changes between cuts. (00:38:00)
Continuity mistake: When M goes to see Mallory at the start of the film, he pours her a drink and places the bottle on the table with the label facing the camera. The label is off centre and more to the left - when M leaves the bottle has not been moved and the label is still facing the camera, but the label is now more to the right. (00:17:15)
Continuity mistake: When Bond and Patrice begin fighting on the train, Patrice picks up a piece of chain. This chain was not there in a wide shot shown two shots previously. (00:09:30)
Continuity mistake: In the museum, Bond is sitting down and Q sits next to him. Note part of Bond's coat goes over the edge of the seat. Where in the next shot, that part of the coat over the edge is now back on the seat. (00:37:05)
Continuity mistake: Whilst Bond and Eve are chasing Patrice in the jeep, Eve smashes one of the wing mirrors and she then says, "Wasn't using that one either." After this line, the expression on her face changes between shots. (00:02:45)
Continuity mistake: When Bond leaves the Istanbul hotel, there is an extra visible to left side of the door walking on the sidewalk. The shot cuts and there is suddenly no sign of the extra. (00:02:10)
Continuity mistake: When Q shakes Bond's hand after meeting him, he starts smiling. The shot cuts and he suddenly is not smiling. (00:38:25)
Continuity mistake: When Bond returns to MI6, when Bond stops exercising and Tanner leaves the room, Bond has both his arms against the weights. In the next shot, one of his arms is against the weights whilst his other shoulder is now against the other side of the weights. (00:29:05)
Continuity mistake: Whilst Bond and Eve are in the Macau hotel, Bond's bullet wound noticeably alternates in size and shape throughout the scene. (00:49:50)
Continuity mistake: In a hotel room at the start, Bond finds Ronson bleeding. Note the amount of blood on his chin coming from his mouth. In the shot where Bond opens Ronsons's jacket partway to see the blood, there are a bit of dripping blood going down his chin. In the shot where Bond leaves the room, there is suddenly a huge blob of blood on the left side of the Ronson's lips that wasn't there before. (00:01:35)
Continuity mistake: After Silva shoots Severine, he never puts his gun down. As Bond begins shooting the henchmen, Silva can briefly be seen, gun in hand, running backwards away from Bond. When Bond kills the last of the henchmen, and turns to Silva, Silva is unarmed.
Continuity mistake: During the yacht scene, Severine and Bond are standing looking out to the island. Severine is barefoot. Once on the island, she is wearing black heels. If she knew that she would need shoes to walk on the island, which is filled with rubble, she would already have them. She would have to walk back to her room on the yacht to get them. This is highly unlikely given the fact that they are being held hostage, and she could use her heels as a weapon.
Continuity mistake: During the pre-credits car chase Eve drives really fast and knocks a group of parked motorbikes that wobble, about to fall. From the immediate opposite angle the bikes remain undamaged and stand perfectly still.
Continuity mistake: During the first car chase right before Eve gets stuck in the traffic jam a shot inside the car shows that the right lane has barely no cars. Half a second later from an angle shot from outside the right lane is jammed.
Continuity mistake: While Eve drives and swerves to avoid cars, before she encounters the red truck two yellow taxis drive by and then a black car does. When the angle changes the second yellow taxi is driving by again.
Continuity mistake: During the motorbike chase, Eve gets stuck in a traffic jam and drives in reverse, damaging a yellow car's hood. In the next angle the hood is undamaged.
Answer: Silva's objective was not just to kill M - if it was, he could have blown up her office with her in it when he hacked into MI6 the first time. He wanted to humiliate and terrify her by showing he could get to her again and again, whatever measures were put in place to protect her.
Sierra1 ★