THE FILMS - 1988 UPDATE
A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
PRODUCTION
Roger Moore's swan song as James Bond opened in May of 1985 and was an immediate hit. A View to a Kill is a fun-filled, action-oriented Bond film, more like Octopussy than, say, For Your Eyes Only, which took itself a little more seriously. A View to a Kill has a good story, but once again comic sequences infringe upon any attempt to create genuine suspense. The film's utmost problem is the miscasting of Roger Moore as Bond. To be frank, the dapper actor's age finally gets in the way of what had been a successful cinematic deceit—creating a credible character able to execute the various action sequences we see performed by stuntmen on the screen. But if the audience can get past this liability, A View to a Kill manages to be entertaining, thanks to an intriguing plot, exciting stunts, and a good supporting cast.
The film cost approximately $30 million to make, and to date it has grossed $65,636,000 in worldwide rentals (according to Variety). It was shot in various locations, including Iceland, Paris, San Francisco, and, of course, Pinewood Studios.
SCREENPLAY
You will recall that A View to a Kill is from an Ian Fleming short story called "From a View to a Kill," which appeared in the FOR YOUR EYES ONLY collection. Why the title was shortened is a mystery; the original certainly makes more sense. But that is hardly an issue, since none of the film remotely resembles the contents of the short story.
For the film, Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson (now also serving as coproducer with Albert R. Broccoli) created an unusual and clever plot for Bond. In the pre-credits sequence, James Bond is in Siberia, frantically searching for the dead body of 003 in the frozen tundra. Bond finally finds the body and retrieves a microchip which was smuggled out of a Russian factory. Bond brings the chip back to England and it is revealed to be an exact duplicate of one that is currently under development at a British microchip production center. The problem is that the microchip is impervious to the effects of a radioactive blast. Normally, in the case of a nuclear explosion, most electromagnetic equipment, including computers, would break down due to the magnetic pulse generated by the blast.
It is quickly determined that the microchip copy is the product of Zorin Industries, the brainchild of one Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), an East German defector who is now based in France. Zorin is a wealthy, brilliant, stylish, shrewd, but ultimately insane young businessman who not only made a fortune in oil, gas, and electronics, but also by breeding and selling prize horses. The man is a staunch anti-Communist and is well-respected by the French government. Agent 007's assignment is to discreetly investigate Zorin and find out what he's up to.
Of course, Zorin's microchip production is only the tip of the iceberg. The madman's master plan, Project Main Strike, is to wipe out his main competition in the microchip industry, thereby providing him with a complete monopoly. He means to do this by setting off a bomb strategically placed in an abandoned mine shaft beneath Silicon Valley, in California. The explosion would cause earthquakes along the San Andreas and Hayward faults, flooding and washing away the entire area.
It's a good plot, although one wonders why the British would become so heavily involved in a situation which has little to do with England.
The script contains several set-piece action sequences around which the plot was built. And although the stunts and second-unit material are immaculately well-done, much of it is superfluous to the story. There is certainly one too many car chase (the fire engine/ police squad sequence in San Francisco, which is more akin to a Keystone Cops comedy than a Bond film), and once again, much of the action is played for laughs.
An interesting subplot involves Zorin and his horses. In a scene at the Ascot racetrack in England (suspiciously similar to a sequence in John Gardner's first Bond novel, LICENSE RENEWED), Max Zorin's horse Pegasus, an underdog, wins the race. It turns out that the horse has a surgical implant in its leg—a hypodermic which releases steroids when triggered by a microchip. Zorin activates the microchip by waiting until the precise moment during the race and pushing a button in his walking cane. An electronic transmitter contained in the cane signals the microchip to do its work. This is a scheme worthy of Ian Fleming.
DIRECTION
John Glen is at the helm for the third time and does his usual slick job. But, as in Octopussy, the balance between humor and suspense is uneven. Whether it's the director's decision or not, the inclusion of a gag at a crucial point in the story of a Bond picture is not always in the best interest of the film.
The most blatant example of this unfortunate tendency occurs in the pre-credits sequence. James Bond has just found 003 and the microchip, and is suddenly spotted by the Russian search team. Death-defying stunts ensue as Bond skis away from his pursuers, and we are treated to a wonderful snow scene (they're becoming obligatory). John Barry's music is exciting and rigorous, initiating edge-of-the-seat tension as Bond zigzags through gunfire and executes breathtaking jumps and leaps. The action builds until the scene promises to be one of the best pre-credits sequences in the series. But then the filmmakers blow it with a horrendously out-of-place musical joke. Bond has been knocked off a snow sled by an explosion. All that is left of the sled is a runner the size of a small surfboard. Agent 007 leaps onto the board, skis down a slope, and "surfs" across a small lake. The Russian pursuers attempt to do the same thing on skis, but naturally, they sink right into the water. It's a terrific topper of a stunt. Unfortunately, the musical soundtrack, which was so good up to this point, abruptly begins a rendition of the Beach Boys' "California Girls." Frankly, this alleged "joke" ruins the entire pre-credits scene. All of the excitement and tension created up to that moment is completely lost to burlesque, and the film almost never recovers.
Other action sequences do manage to refrain from jokey juvenility. The Eiffel Tower sequence, in which Bond chases Zorin's assistant and bodyguard/assassin, May Day (Grace Jones), is quite good. May Day has just killed 007's contact in Paris, then escapes to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Then she dives spectacularly into mid-air. A parachute sprouts and carries her to safety. (The jump was actually made by stuntman B. J. Worth.) The photography, the editing, the pacing, the music, and the general feeling of the chase is all in keeping with a Bondian atmosphere.
Another good scene, and possibly the most exciting portion of the film, is the climactic battle on the Golden Gate Bridge at the end of the movie. Bond has managed to tie a mooring line attached to Zorin's magnificent airship to the bridge, halting its escape. Zorin, wielding a hatchet, bravely climbs out of the airship onto the bridge to confront the British agent. The pair slug it out while precariously perched on a narrow ledge. Editor Peter Davies deserves special mention here in successfully blending the shots of stuntmen with those of Roger Moore and Christopher Walken.
ACTORS AND CHARACTERS
Roger Moore, in his last Bond film, is unfortunately miscast. He is simply too old to play the British agent with any credibility. This isn't the actor's fault; reportedly he had threatened to leave the series after each film since Moonraker, but the producers managed to woo him back. As mentioned earlier, it is impossible to believe that the man we see in close-ups is the same person performing the dangerous feats in the story. Even the actor's make-up is poorly executed—his eyeliner is so overdone that it serves only to accentuate the wrinkles.
Nevertheless, Roger Moore still brings warmth, humor, wit, and a great deal of charm to the role, believable as 007 or not. He is a complete professional and can hold his own in the same frame with someone as flamboyant and extroverted as Grace Jones. The method in which he has chosen to play the British agent has undoubtedly been a successful one, for there are many fans who insist that Moore will never be replaced.
The Bond-girl in the film is geologist Stacey Sutton, played by American actress Tanya Roberts. Miss Roberts, a veteran of television (Charlie's Angels) and other genre films (The Beastmaster, Sheena, Tourist Trap), manages to sail through a role
of little substance with a competent and attractive screen presence. But despite the screenwriters' attempts to flesh out Stacey (so to speak) into an intelligent career woman, there really isn't enough there to grasp. When Stacey speaks scientific jargon while she and Bond are sneaking through Zorin's mine shaft, it is a bit laughable. The couple finds a large store of dangerous explosives and a small room with a three-dimensional tabletop diorama of the San Francisco Bay Area. With one quick look, it all becomes clear to Stacey, and she shrewdly explains that Zorin hopes to flood Silicon Valley. "All to coincide with the spring tide for maximum effect!" she announces knowledgeably.
Christopher Walken is an excellent actor, and he brings a wide range of dynamics to the character of Max Zorin. (Reportedly, the producers originally approached David Bowie to play the role, but he refused.) With his hair dyed platinum, Walken plays the madman as a spoiled kid who is having a particularly splendid time being evil. He smiles and laughs constantly, but then abruptly loses his temper and raises his voice. It is quite a manic performance for an actor who is usually subdued and intense (The Deer Hunter, Annie Hall, Heaven's Gate, The Dead Zone), and it is one of the most successful elements of the film.
Grace Jones almost steals the movie as the notorious May Day, but unfortunately, her character is surprisingly underused by the script. She could have been a much more challenging and deadly foe for 007, but instead the filmmakers opted to have the woman change allegiance at the end. When Zonn betrays her, she decides to help Bond save the world—and it just doesn't ring true. For heaven's sake, this is the same woman who murdered French agent Aubergine, Sir Godfrey Tibbett, and CIA agent Chuck Lee in cold blood! This is the same woman who defied death and leaped off of the Eiffel Tower! This is the same woman with the strength of two men! Her change in alliance is just too difficult to swallow. Nevertheless, Miss Jones is always fascinating to watch. She has enough screen presence to fill two motion pictures at once.
Patrick Macnee, a respected British veteran of television (The Avengers) and theatrical films, brings us the best Bond ally in a long time. As Sir Godfrey Tibbett, Macnee is funny, intelligent, and most importantly, believable as a member of the British Secret Service assigned to help 007 (although it seems a bit degrading to force a knighted civil service officer to be a chauffeur and valet to James Bond!). Tibbett is the film's first Obligatory Sacrificial Lamb, and he dies at the hands of May Day inside a car wash.
David Yip portrays CIA agent Chuck Lee, the second Obligatory Sacrificial Lamb. Bond meets Lee in San Francisco, where the CIA agent assists 007 in investigating Zorin's activities in the States. Once again, May Day draws the curtains on Chuck Lee.
As usual, Stacey Sutton isn't the only female companion for Bond during the course of the film. Agent 007 dailies with fellow agent Kimberly Jones (Mary Stavin) at the end of the pre-credits sequence; flirts with Jenny Flex (Alison Doody), Zorin's secretary and public relations officer; and bathes in a hot tub with Pola Ivanova (Fiona Fullerton), a Russian agent who is also keeping tabs on Zonn. It seems that Zorin was working for the KGB when he defected and has since thumbed his nose at the Soviets.
Bond film regulars make their expected appearances: Robert Brown returns as an ineffectual M; Desmond Llewelyn is looking a bit shaky as Q; Geoffrey Keen is the predictably surly Minister of Defense; and Walter Goteil performs his usual role of detente as General Gogol. Lois Maxwell, as the ever-faithful Miss Moneypenny, calls it a series along with Roger Moore, as A View to a Kill contains her final appearance as M's secretary. Since a younger Bond would be cast in the next film, the producers felt that a youthful Miss Moneypenny should then make her debut as well. Miss Maxwell will be missed, for she always brought much wit and warmth to her small but necessary role.
OTHER ASPECTS
In the interest of gadgets, Bond uses a few Q Branch items while he is spying at Zorin's chateau. These include a bug detector inside an electric razor, a pair of sunglasses which enable him to see through darkened windows, a check imprint duplicator concealed in a calculator, and a tiny camera built into a signet ring. Q is also seen working on a "Snooper," an overly cute doglike robot for surveillance purposes. Luckily, the Snooper isn't used much in the film.
A View to a Kill required production designer Peter Lamont to make use of many outdoor locations, and this is one of the most successful aspects of the picture. Both the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower are used extremely well, not only as scenery, but as obstacle courses on which to plot action. Zorin's chateau in France is Chantilly, a historic structure built by Louis de Bourbon. San Francisco's actual City Hall and Fisherman's Wharf were used in the film to great advantage. A City Hall fire was beautifully created with the help of the San Francisco Fire Department.
John Barry's score is merely adequate—certainly not one of his best. He probably put most of his energy that year into the beautiful score for Out of Africa, for which he won an Academy Award. A View to a Kill's main title song was cowritten with and performed by Duran Duran, a popular British rock group. The song was a hit single, but it didn't do nearly as well as the band's other songs. The tune is lively and melodic, but the lyrics don't make much sense. Barry's instrumental versions of the song are lovely, and they nicely underscore the romantic scenes between Bond and Stacey.
After all is said and done, A View to a Kill, successful as it was at the box office, chalks up to being a mediocre entry in the series; but for a couple of hours' worth of escapist entertainment, it works just fine.
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987)
PRODUCTION
Since 1987 was Eon Productions' twenty-fifth anniversary, Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson decided that it was time to send James Bond in a new direction. Along with new actor Timothy Dalton, the producers chose to present James Bond in a more serious vein, something akin to the early films and certainly more faithful to the spirit of Ian Fleming. It was a decision that was applauded by almost every Bond fan worldwide.
The Living Daylights,which premiered in London in June and in America in July, is the best James Bond film since the sixties. This is due to a number of factors: an excellent script by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson which emphasizes character and plot more than action scenes; colorful locations; a good supporting cast; sophisticated rather than juvenile humor; and a smashing performance by Timothy Dalton.
Principal photography on the $32-million production began on September 29, 1986, and wrapped February 4, 1987. Locations included Gibraltar, Vienna, the Austrian Alps, Tangier, Ouarzazate in Morocco, and other locations in England and Italy.
Featured in the Vienna sequences are the exquisite Hotel Im Palais Schwarzenberg, a late Eighteenth-Century palace destroyed in World War II which is now a lavish hotel, and the world-famous Wiener Prater, the internationally renowned amusement park (which was also seen in Carol Reed's classic, The Third Man).
In Morocco, the casbahs, rooftops, and villas of Tangier were used, as well as the magnificent Forbes Museum, owned by wealthy American publisher Malcolm Forbes. The museum contains the world's largest private collection of miniature soldiers and military memorabilia covering centuries of land warfare; hence, the building was used as the headquarters for the principal villain, General Brad Whitaker.
The rugged area of Ouarzazate, located between the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert, doubled for Afghanistan. The film crew spent ten days at an Ouarzazate airfield staging a realistic battle between heavily armed Russian troops and the mujaheddin (Afghan freedom fighters). Moroccan soldiers played the Russians, while local horsemen were drafted to portray the Afghan rebels.
SCREENPLAY
The Living Daylights, Eon's fifteenth production, was one of the few remaining Ian Fleming titles that had not yet been filmed. You will recall that the short story was originally written for and published by the London Sunday Times in 1962, and was later included in the OCTOPUSSY anthology when it was published in 1966.
The basic situation of the short story is re
tained in the film. In the cinematic version, James Bond is on the east side of the Czechoslovakian/Austrian border, where his assignment is to shoot and kill any potential snipers that might attempt to assassinate a certain Russian defector. Bond meets his contact, an agent named Saunders (Thomas Wheatley) at a concert hall, where he first spots the pretty blonde cellist (Maryam d'Abo). The defecting Russian is General Georgy Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe), a high-ranking KGB official. When the sniper turns out to be the cellist, Bond senses that the girl doesn't know what she's doing; and with a split second's decision, he shoots the rifle out of her hands. Despite Saunders' dismay and anger with 007 for disobeying orders, General Koskov is transported to England safely. During a meeting with M and the Minister of Defense, Koskov reveals that the new KGB head, General Pushkin (John-Rhys Davies) has masterminded a plot called "Smyert Spionam" (the original Russian contraction meaning "SMERSH" in the novels) to eliminate several Western agents. M has no choice but to send Bond to find Pushkin and eliminate him. But 007 smells a rat—a Russian one. Curious about the cellist/sniper, Bond makes inquiries and learns that the girl, Kara Milovy, is an innocent musician who was General Koskov's girlfriend. But before Bond makes much progress, Koskov is seemingly recaptured from the British safe house by the KGB in a daring ruse which involves an assassin who disguises himself as a milkman. Koskov is actually taken to Tangier, where his partner in crime, General Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker) lives in a "fortress." Whitaker, a fanatical right-wing American mercenary turned arms and drug dealer, staged the kidnapping operation so that Koskov would be free to live a life of crime. Together, they have formed an elaborate scheme to make a lot of money by a) selling high-tech arms to Russia; b) using the down payment to purchase diamonds on the Western black market; c) trading arms and the diamonds for raw opium from the mujaheddin (freedomfighters) in Afghanistan; and d) selling the heroin to various conduits around the world.
The James Bond Bedside Companion Page 53