Reporting For Duty
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
"It's gone berserk!" ~ Diamonds are Forever appreciation
This is a film that takes a lot of flak from people, and deservedly so I suppose. But behind the shenanigans are some excellent Bondian moments that raise the film at least a few notches out the series' lower echelons. Barry's score, Connery's assured and tongue in cheek performance with just a touch of deadly cool, the witty dialogue, Adam's sets and the dusty ambiance of 70s' Vegas all have more to offer than many if not most of the films that followed. There is no excusing the final act, however.
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
While it will never be one of my favourites, if I watch it on it's own merit rather than judging it as part of the ongoing series I find it's two hours of great escapist entertainment and any Bond film with Sean Connery in it has to worth savouring for that very reason alone.
i like DAF,i also like LALD i dont know why maybe cause i want to see Bond in USA or some other big city with lot of lights and tall buildings ;)
1.) Klaus
2.) Hergesheimer
All kidding aside, It's the Bond movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. And I don't think Wint & Kidd get their due in the history of the series' henchmen.
What I like about DAF is not only its exploitation of the benign bizarre but the way it tempers the camp and fantastical with genuine danger and suspense. Its like Batman or Uncle, but with real danger. The Mankiewicz dialogue is another hi-lite. I love all three of the extended Bond/Blofeld face to face tete a tetes, especially the stand-off in the Whyte House penthouse. The scene serves as a salute to these two larger-than-life antagonists and their long and violent history. Suitably the initial civil, even friendly tone of the exchange, finishes with deadly action from Bond, jolting Blofeld from his reveries and back to the dangerous business at hand.
DAF mixes some of the best elements of the Bond series- escapism, the fantastical, girls guns and glamour, with a darker undertone, and balanced by real and palpable danger. Wint and Kidd expertly combine extravagant camp with deadly menace.
Sean, very much at ease as Bond, just reaches back into his repertoire, and lets the movie play out around him. Sean manages to keep the whole thing grounded, by bringing the danger and tension needed to temper the more fantastical elements.
The series IMO needs a DAF film about now. And Craig is an actor who could pull it off. Surround him with a similar film in style and tone and like Sean, he'd find a way to bring the wry humour, but not at the expense of the necessary danger and suspense elements.
The good actors can do this without degenerating into smirking and wink wink.
I think all the Bond films are worthy of appreciation but we all seem to appreciate our own favourites, a whole bunch. :)
It's still Sean in the role, fat and bored as he is at times.
For example Connery's first four films very much developed the Bond character and then Sean kinda parked it, in terms of character development. Some might interpret this as bored or less enthusiastic in the role.
However I like that Sean seemed to have considered the character fully developed for the screen, and then drew on his repertoire for his final two films. Lazenby and Moore pretty much stuck with the character that Sean developed as well. The Lazenby and Moore Bond were quite familiar in terms of their attitudes and tastes and general temperament.
It was post Moore, that we saw attempts from the new actors to re-invent the character somewhat, most notably with Dalton and Craig. Brozzer too, but I think Babs was directing developments moreso than Brozzer. Same can be said for the very character driven Craig era.
Me I like the Connery character created in the 60's. Even though the character is rooted in both the 50's and 60's, I think the screen character as established by Sean is timeless and not at all anachronistic, however there is a natural tendency as time marches on to try and "update" the character. This I think is folly. The core Bond character need never change. All he need do is address the reality of any given present day.
For example Bond is not pc in any era. He is essentially apolitical and motivated primarily by duty.
Bond is also a bit of a square. He's no hipster. In this sense he is conservative, but not in the political sense. Contemporary Bond I think is as disinterested in the Tea Party railings against big government as he would be the leftist peace activists. He's beyond the fray which makes Craig's Haggis inspired pithy political musings so tedious and out of character.
Bond didn't like the Beatles in 1964 but now he would at least respect their acheivements, but not much more. Bond does not strike me as a fan of rock n roll of any era. He's got other things that interest him. He's got more "mature" tastes. The modern Bond, like his predecessor I think would show the same disdain towards todays youth music, as 60's Bond showed toward the mop topped Beatles.
So those of us that like character development in the lead role would no doubt be more impressed with the Craig films than others.
Me, I prefer a character mainteance - advancing the core character as established by Fleming/Connery/Terrence Young (and I think I should toss in Guy Hamilton who helped apply the finishing touch in GF)through the decades and well into the future, and long after all of us have expired.
I like to see the familiar Bond dealing with extraordinary and new adventures. I like to see how familiar Bond faces the new challenges that each adventure brings as opposed to films that develop the actual Bond character. Bah. Bond is Bond.
He brings the same stoic fight and Bondian attitudes to any era and any film, whether he be asked to battle Blofeld and his army in a hollowed out volcano rocket base, or engage more grounded challeneges with the likes of Le Chiffre at the casino tables.
Having said that, I still like the film. But how he looks, acts, etc, lowers my like for it a great deal. Better to have Laz have another shot at the role instead of Sean coasting through the motions.
One can never give Sean too much credit. He shall be revered till the end of days.
Yep of course he came back for the money and earned every penny of it. ;-)
@Luds Good to know Luds. You are a man of wealth and taste. Set your hogleg down and come on in and join Bond and the Blofelds in Whyte's meeting room. Duck though, when Sean makes his "wrong pussy" move.
I would also like to mention that DAF, for me, has the best Bond score Barry could have given us.
Was Moore unavailable for Diamonds Are Forever by chance, anyone know?
Luckily for us, The Persuaders never made it in the USA, and was dropped allowing Sir Rog to make seven Bond films.
Doubt it though ;)
Grab a drink, bring some popcorn, just get comfortable in your couch, turn up the volume, and DAF should skyrocket through your ranking ! ;-) Bring some friends too, and your viewing should be top notch.
Then I saw the light of this polished turd.