Live and Let Die (1973, Guy Hamilton)
Live and Let Die is Roger Moore’s first film as 007. To put it mildly, it is not a great debut. Many elements conspire to sabotage Moore’s interpretation. Guy Hamilton directs again, and the film is a clear attempt to return to the franchise’s early days of minimalism. Echoes of both Dr. No and From Russia with Love are abundant throughout the movie. There is a car chase after Bond leaves the Airport (Dr. No), a fight inside a train compartment (From Russia with Love), Bond encounters a reptile in his hotel room (Dr. No), and most of the story takes place in the Caribbean (Dr. No).
Also, there are almost no new gadgets (even “Q” is absent from the film), and the humor and hot babes are kept to the minimum. It is a plot-driven story (there are just a few action sequences). The main problem with the movie is that director Hamilton fails to capture the intensity of the early films. Hamilton was more effective when Bond was done in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Perhaps he was the wrong director for the project. Of course, one could argue that Hamilton got stuck with a below average script – the first third of the movie is good, but it goes downhill after the second half. There are some good things about the film, though.
Jane Seymour looks ravishing in one of her first film roles. She is one of the most beautiful Bond girls! Yaphet Kotto is a sinister villain and his sidekick – a man with metal hook attached to his arm – is equally scary. I liked the supernatural subtext too. I also want to single out Maurice Binder’s superb title sequence. Best of all is the Oscar nominated title song (the first time the Academy nominated a Bond song), written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda.
As for Moore, I think he does an okay job. Moore lacks Connery’s rough sexuality, or Lanzeby’s down to earth charm, but he is indeed the most “British” of all Bonds (he is a constant reminder that Bond is not an American product). Suave and almost too pretty, Moore delivers his lines with great sophistication – I love the scene where he visits Harlem, dressed up like a member of the Royal Family. Unlike Connery (who always looked like he could break anyone like a pretzel), one has a hard time believing that Moore has the skills to fight deadly villains, so suspense is generated from the simply fact that one cannot foresee how Bond will get out of each situation – what looks like a liability, Moore tuns it into an asset.
However, as I said before, Moore had the misfortune of having to deal with a below average script. I have always considered Live and Let Die my least favorite Bond movie with Moore. It is safe to say that it is indeed one of the weakest Bond movies ever.
I have to somewhat disagree with you. What intensity of the early films are you talking about? Unless you are speaking of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. I must admit that the plot for LIVE AND LET DIE is not that hot. I found nothing impressive about Bond discovering that the prime minister of a Caribbean island that use to be a French territory, cutting in on the drug trade. But I believe the movie had its share of intensity – Bond’s confrontation with Rosie, the bayou boat chase, and especially the scene featuring Kanaga questioning Bond and Solitaire about their relationship.
I was more impressed with Moore in this movie than I was in his next film, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
["As for Moore, I think he does an okay job. Moore lacks Connery’s rough sexuality, or Lanzeby’s down to earth charm, but he is indeed the most “British” of all Bonds (he is a constant reminder that Bond is not an American product)."]
I don’t believe that Moore needed Connery’s “rough sexuality”. There were times when I found Connery’s sexuality a little too overbearing and unpleasant. However, I liked his romantic side in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. And Moore had his own sexual charms. He didn’t need to copy Connery.
best bond film ever