For most people, Sean Connery was James Bond, secret agent 007. So when Connery decided to leave the role after 1967's "You Only Live Twice", producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had to find a replacement. After searching long and hard, they came upon male model George Lazenby. Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, Lazenby's first film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" turned out to be his only one and the producers were back to square one. The duo scored a major coup getting Connery to return for "Diamonds Are Forever", but after that, Connery said that he was definitely done. So where to from there?
The solution came with the casting of Roger Moore, best known for his role on "The Saint". Moore had first been approached to play Bond way back in the early 1960's; the actor had even been one of Ian Fleming's original choices for the role. Moore would go on to play Bond for a record 7 times, but with his debut, 1973's "Live and Let Die", the actor sought to put an original stamp on the character. The stories became more light-hearted, the gags were multiplied, and the overall tone became more comical. While it's a matter of personal taste as to whether or not this was a positive change, I believe that a good, if inconsistent, balance was stuck with LaLD.
The movie opens with a laid-back pre-credits sequence in which three British agents are murdered in New York, Louisiana, and the fictional Caribbean island of San Monique. Bond is assigned to investigate the deaths; he travels to New York and is immediately a marked man. He soon learns that the architect behind all of this is a mysterious gangster known as Mr. Big, who we find out is actually San Monique's diplomat, Dr. Kananga, both played by Yaphet Kotto. After teaming up with old CIA buddy Felix Leiter and converting Kananga's psychic, Solitaire (Jane Seymour), Bond learns that Kananga hopes to increase the heroin market and make himself a multi-millionaire.
After the convoluted disaster of the last film, "Diamonds Are Forever", the small-scale nature of the plot of "Live and Let Die" is a big relief. Unfortunately, the movie meanders around a little too much in the first two acts and doesn't really get anywhere. The threat of a nuclear holocaust or WWIII is absent and while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, Moore doesn't convey the sense that his life is danger, even when he has a gun pointed at him. Director Guy Hamilton attempts to make up the lack of tension with several action scenes, but, like in all the other Bond films he directed, these come out forced and flat. The exception is the boat chase in the Louisiana bayous--while it's far too long and not terribly exciting, the stunt work is top-notch and it contains the infamous sequence where Bond jumps over the backs of crocodiles to escape certain death.
The worst offenders include a bizarre action scene on an airport runway and the downright terrible finale in some second-rate underground base. The faults with the ending are almost too numerous to list: it feels tacked on, the dialogue is hokey, Kananga comes to possibly the dumbest end in the series, and any sense of adversity is erased as the villain treats Bond like an old chum. Remember, this is after Bond has just ruined Kananga's operation, not to mention the two of them had been at odds since the start. But it's not just the climax that's a disappointment.
Barring the fact that the movie takes little from the excellent novel of the same name, the pace is at times sluggish, with subplots being developed that don't amount to much. The Rosie Carver affair is one such case; not only does it feature horrendous acting from Gloria Hendry, it also doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The fashions and expressions are almost permanently stuck in the 1970's and while every film becomes associated with the time period they were made in, LaLD's bell-bottoms and Afros are distracting. Finally, the character of J. W. Pepper (played by Clifton James) is superfluous, and it gets annoying when attention is placed on some redneck sheriff instead of our favourite spy. So in spite of all these complaints, why do I still rate the film so highly?
Clearly, I'm not a fan of Guy Hamilton's directing; I personally would've campaigned for a change of direction after "Diamonds Are Forever". That being said, "Live and Let Die" is Hamilton's best Bond movie for a number of reasons, chief among them being the low-key nature of the plot. The film doesn't contain any killer satellites or clones; there isn't even any Q. But this of lack of gadgets forces Bond to rely on his own skills, like when he improvises a flamethrower. That's not to say that there are no toys for Bond to play with; there's the usual inventive use of a watch.
Probably the best and most memorable aspect of the film is the title song, performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. The tune is instantly recognizable and so good that Guns'N'Roses even recorded a cover version of it. The supernatural elements are interesting and give the film a distinct feel while the actors/characters are perfect for the setting; Yaphet Kotto makes a menacing Kananga (before the character assassination at the end), David Hedison is one of the better Leiters' (he would later return for "Licence To Kill"), and Jane Seymour is stunning as Solitaire (and gives in a good performance as well).
What we've got to remember is that Bond movies work best when they entertain, and "Live and Let Die" definitely does that. Aside from the inevitable faults, the film's style fits Moore's interpretation and while the actor was just finding his footing, the movie is still entertaining to watch. 7.5/10
The solution came with the casting of Roger Moore, best known for his role on "The Saint". Moore had first been approached to play Bond way back in the early 1960's; the actor had even been one of Ian Fleming's original choices for the role. Moore would go on to play Bond for a record 7 times, but with his debut, 1973's "Live and Let Die", the actor sought to put an original stamp on the character. The stories became more light-hearted, the gags were multiplied, and the overall tone became more comical. While it's a matter of personal taste as to whether or not this was a positive change, I believe that a good, if inconsistent, balance was stuck with LaLD.
The movie opens with a laid-back pre-credits sequence in which three British agents are murdered in New York, Louisiana, and the fictional Caribbean island of San Monique. Bond is assigned to investigate the deaths; he travels to New York and is immediately a marked man. He soon learns that the architect behind all of this is a mysterious gangster known as Mr. Big, who we find out is actually San Monique's diplomat, Dr. Kananga, both played by Yaphet Kotto. After teaming up with old CIA buddy Felix Leiter and converting Kananga's psychic, Solitaire (Jane Seymour), Bond learns that Kananga hopes to increase the heroin market and make himself a multi-millionaire.
After the convoluted disaster of the last film, "Diamonds Are Forever", the small-scale nature of the plot of "Live and Let Die" is a big relief. Unfortunately, the movie meanders around a little too much in the first two acts and doesn't really get anywhere. The threat of a nuclear holocaust or WWIII is absent and while this isn't necessarily a bad thing, Moore doesn't convey the sense that his life is danger, even when he has a gun pointed at him. Director Guy Hamilton attempts to make up the lack of tension with several action scenes, but, like in all the other Bond films he directed, these come out forced and flat. The exception is the boat chase in the Louisiana bayous--while it's far too long and not terribly exciting, the stunt work is top-notch and it contains the infamous sequence where Bond jumps over the backs of crocodiles to escape certain death.
The worst offenders include a bizarre action scene on an airport runway and the downright terrible finale in some second-rate underground base. The faults with the ending are almost too numerous to list: it feels tacked on, the dialogue is hokey, Kananga comes to possibly the dumbest end in the series, and any sense of adversity is erased as the villain treats Bond like an old chum. Remember, this is after Bond has just ruined Kananga's operation, not to mention the two of them had been at odds since the start. But it's not just the climax that's a disappointment.
Barring the fact that the movie takes little from the excellent novel of the same name, the pace is at times sluggish, with subplots being developed that don't amount to much. The Rosie Carver affair is one such case; not only does it feature horrendous acting from Gloria Hendry, it also doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The fashions and expressions are almost permanently stuck in the 1970's and while every film becomes associated with the time period they were made in, LaLD's bell-bottoms and Afros are distracting. Finally, the character of J. W. Pepper (played by Clifton James) is superfluous, and it gets annoying when attention is placed on some redneck sheriff instead of our favourite spy. So in spite of all these complaints, why do I still rate the film so highly?
Clearly, I'm not a fan of Guy Hamilton's directing; I personally would've campaigned for a change of direction after "Diamonds Are Forever". That being said, "Live and Let Die" is Hamilton's best Bond movie for a number of reasons, chief among them being the low-key nature of the plot. The film doesn't contain any killer satellites or clones; there isn't even any Q. But this of lack of gadgets forces Bond to rely on his own skills, like when he improvises a flamethrower. That's not to say that there are no toys for Bond to play with; there's the usual inventive use of a watch.
Probably the best and most memorable aspect of the film is the title song, performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. The tune is instantly recognizable and so good that Guns'N'Roses even recorded a cover version of it. The supernatural elements are interesting and give the film a distinct feel while the actors/characters are perfect for the setting; Yaphet Kotto makes a menacing Kananga (before the character assassination at the end), David Hedison is one of the better Leiters' (he would later return for "Licence To Kill"), and Jane Seymour is stunning as Solitaire (and gives in a good performance as well).
What we've got to remember is that Bond movies work best when they entertain, and "Live and Let Die" definitely does that. Aside from the inevitable faults, the film's style fits Moore's interpretation and while the actor was just finding his footing, the movie is still entertaining to watch. 7.5/10