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DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

ZorinIndustriesZorinIndustries
edited October 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 23
EDITED.

Comments

  • Mr_SterlingMr_Sterling
    Posts: 99
    Wow thats quite an article. Do you work lol?
    I could describe Diamonds much more simply...oops we cant swear in here lol.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    Very interesting read @ZorinIndustries . Well thought out and argued.
    Just wonderign your thoughts on the following
    Quoting ZorinIndustries: Guy Hamilton's set pieces are never detached from the narrative so the cuffs and
    collars of the Bond film’s formula requirements do indeed match in this film
    (something Hamilton maybe excels at when you consider GOLDEN GUN and
    GOLDFINGER).
    I do agree with this, but you left out Live And Let Die I assume because the set pieces all too often are detached from the narrative,( a trend that seemed to pick up steam with Lewis Gilbert's later Bond films).
    Why is this do you think?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,723
    DAF is my 5th fav Bond, and Hamilton's TMWTGG is my #1 Bond !!
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    Quoting DaltonCraig007:
    DAF is my 5th fav Bond, and Hamilton's TMWTGG is my #1 Bond !!
    Surely your name should be MooreConnery007 then? ;-)
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    This film is bottom of the heap at #22 for me at the moment.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,479
    A great article Zorin! Loved the thought that obivously went into it. I have always enjoyed DAF and have frequently found myself putting into the player when needing a Bond fix. Top notch stuff!
  • ZorinIndustriesZorinIndustries
    edited April 2012 Posts: 23
    Quoting Mr_Sterling:
    Wow thats quite an article. Do you work lol?
    I could
    describe Diamonds much more simply...oops we cant swear in here lol.
    Charmed I'm sure lol.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Interesting stuff, Zorin… I like it when someone go’s in-depth for a Bond film. Although, like Barry007, its right down the bottom of my rankings, I’m afraid.
  • saunderssaunders Living in a world of avarice and deceit
    Posts: 987
    Fantastic article Zorin, DAF has never been one of my favourites but I recentley watched it and found much to like about the film, funnily enough despite always believing Connery sleepwalked through this film I actually really enjoyed his performance and agree with you totally when you suggest that he appears relaxed in this film and not visibly despising the role.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    edited April 2011 Posts: 1,497
    Excellent Read Zorin! Where have you been all my life! Haha.

    What I think is grossly overlooked is the tone in this film as you articulately lay out. No, it's not an OHMSS follow up, but it never establishes itself to be. All of the elements from the Mankiewicz writing to the Hamilton direction to the characters, sets and cinemetography all mesh together to form a cohesive and even narrative. I give this film top marks. And though, when I measure this film, against say OHMSS, GF or FRWL, I see those as definitive Bond-60's cool + Fleming espionage, and DAF is in another world and perhaps not up to par. But the comparison is not fair. Diamonds stands alone and defines it's own way. So on a good day, DAF is arguable my favorite of the series.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    An interesting read, Zorin! I hope you can cover all Bonds in the same fashion. Then please do it in this thread. You can change the title to Zorin's reviews or something of the kind. ;;)

    As for DAF, I've come to appreciate it as a guilty pleasure film. There's so much in this film that my mind calls rubbish but my heart never fails to warm up for everything else.
  • The_ReaperThe_Reaper
    Posts: 1,092
    I understand both side of the fence with regards to DAF. On one hand, I get the idea that it is supposed to be campy and fun and a wild romp. But then I understand the complaints leveled at it due to its slipshod construction, Blofeld in drag, the moon buggy sequence, etc.

    It's far down my list in rankings but I can put it in and have fun watching it.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    Quoting ZorinIndustries: John Barry’s lounge score is easily one of his best for Bond. Its’ lush violins,
    iconic Bassey anthem and pørn-cinema brass section is as DIAMONDS the film is –
    self-aware but never self-mocking. Cues such as AIRPORT SOURCE/ON THE ROAD and
    THE WHYTE HOUSE are leather-clad lounge anthems and conjure up – as all good
    scores should – characters and atmospheres beyond the script itself.
    The title track also weaves so well with the feel of film; it's almost anthemic for the character of Tiffany Case. I could almost picture her singing it. I always enjoyed the Barry title songs that were an anthem of a character in the film: Goldfinger, The Man With the Golden Gun, and to a degree Thunderball. It's curious that most of these are Guy Hamilton films, which lays testament to the fact that he has very character driven films.
  • Hank_ScorpioHank_Scorpio
    Posts: 68
    I think what I like about DAF is its camp feel. However behind this campiness lies a very dark movie, for most of the reasons Zorin pointed out. However what I like most (as I pointed out in the old forum) is that I have seen most of the locations :), so this makes me feel more connected to DAF than the other Bond movies. However thats just sentimental crap!
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited August 2017 Posts: 9,020
    .
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 3,333
    What's happened to @ZorinIndustries original post? It's been deleted!!

    One thing that's forgotten, or maybe not mentioned very much, is that it was David Picker who personally became a major influence on Diamonds Are Forever, not so much the producers. He got Connery back. He selected Tom Mankiewicz to do re-writes on the script. He almost succeeded in getting the film made in Hollywood where studio supervision would have been even more apparent. Most of all, Picker declared that what he wanted, and what he believed audiences wanted, was more Goldfinger and more humor. Alas, the lighthearted approach was a UA studio response for the lower than expected BO receipts for OHMSS.
  • SeanCraigSeanCraig Germany
    Posts: 732
    And Picker was right - he realized the Zeitgeist and opened the door for the Moore era. Even I don't have DAF on my list of Bond favourites, I totally accept and agree it was the right movie for the 70s and it proofed right with the Moore films.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,169
    bondsum wrote: »
    What's happened to @ZorinIndustries original post? It's been deleted!!

    @ZorinIndustries has edited the post and deleted it himself.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,479
    Benny wrote: »
    bondsum wrote: »
    What's happened to @ZorinIndustries original post? It's been deleted!!

    @ZorinIndustries has edited the post and deleted it himself.

    Too bad as I believe it was beautifully written and well done!
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    thedove wrote: »
    Benny wrote: »
    bondsum wrote: »
    What's happened to @ZorinIndustries original post? It's been deleted!!

    @ZorinIndustries has edited the post and deleted it himself.

    Too bad as I believe it was beautifully written and well done!

    Looks like i missed something here.
  • bondsumbondsum
    edited August 2017 Posts: 3,333
    SeanCraig wrote: »
    And Picker was right - he realized the Zeitgeist and opened the door for the Moore era. Even I don't have DAF on my list of Bond favourites, I totally accept and agree it was the right movie for the 70s and it proofed right with the Moore films.
    You're conveniently forgetting that TMWTGG performed badly, Moore's 2nd Bond, even worse than OHMSS. It's easy to be trite about Golden Gun's lack of success as if it were some casual stocking-filler, but in reality it was as widely anticipated as any of the next Craig Bonds. And yet, it almost ended Moore's run on Bond; the success of LALD considered a one-off. Despite this, Broccoli fought for Moore to be given one more chance; hence why TSWLM was written as a Greatest Hits package including all the best bits of previous movies and given a shiny, new makeover.

    I don't dislike DAF myself, I actually consider it a pretty good Bond movie, despite its muddled storyline and it's preposterous laser satellite. It has a great score, some excellent Bond moments, and has Connery back - a big deal back in 71. Picker might well have been right about a slightly campy Bond in the early 70s, but, just like the success of SP hides an underlying dissatisfaction amongst Bond fans that didn't particularly care for the movie, despite having good BO results, the same could be said of the later Moore Bonds.
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