"It's gone berserk!" ~ Diamonds are Forever appreciation

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Comments

  • I don't think it's a classic either, @Getafix, but I agree about its oddness being a good thing. Misunderstood indeed. I always have a lot of fun with it but there's some darkness to it that makes things even more interesting.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    To me, it's a great stand-alone in the 70's Hamilton trilogy. Outside of Bond cannon as I personally see it, but fun nonetheless.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    I must say the writers must have had a good load of laughs while writing the dialogue of this film. The story may not be perfect, but it's completly insane and some of the one-liners are just instant classics. I dare say it's one of the most quotable Bond movies.
  • Posts: 3,333
    I still have a fondness for DAF. Great villians in Wint & Kidd, great elevator fight, great one-liners, great score, great grappling gun scene outside White House, Bond smells a rat, etc. Yes, the climax is rather flaccid and should've been bigger. But I still like Connery's all macho performance which elevates it to a worthy Bond entry. Still have fun rewatching this which is more than I can say for some Bond pictures.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    I must say the writers must have had a good load of laughs while writing the dialogue of this film. The story may not be perfect, but it's completly insane and some of the one-liners are just instant classics. I dare say it's one of the most quotable Bond movies.

    I want to know what they were smoking. I probably don't need to go into all of the film's peculiarities, but...diamonds stored in a dead man's body? Homosexual assassins (from the book)? An ape running through Circus Circus? An elephant playing slots? Bond in a pink tie??? An escape in a moon buggy? Yeah, there was some trippin'.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,386
    I don't see why people say DAF isn't a proper revenge movie. Blofeld kills Tracy. Bond spends the entire movie trying to kill Blofeld. How is that not revenge? Sure they don't specifically say "Tracy" but they make it pretty obvious that Bond was out for revenge.<br />
    <br />
    M- "Sir Donald has convinced the PM otherwise. May I remind you 007, that Blofeld is dead. Finished! The least we can expect from you now is a little *plain*, *solid*, *work*. "<br />
    <br />
    I always took from that that between OHMSS and DAF Bond was a little sloppy at his job since he was so devastated that his wife was killed. <br />
    <br />
    Love DAF by the way. 2nd Favorite.
    "Sir Donald: You've been on a holiday I understand--relaxing, I hope." "James Bond: Oh hardly relaxing, but most satisfying. Cheers!"

    The advertising campaigns for YOLT touted "Sean Connery IS James Bond'. Then Connery left. Ever since TB Connery had been trying to get more of the massive amount of profits that had been coming in from the Bond movies since GF and was starting to think he'd been given a raw deal by the producers. There were other reasons for Connery leaving as well but this is the only one pertinent to my conclusions. Referring back to that quote now:
    "Sir Donald: You've been on a holiday I understand--relaxing, I hope." "James Bond: Oh hardly relaxing, but most satisfying. Cheers!" I have always thought this exchange was a topical reference to Connery leaving the Bond series partly because of not being able to get the amount of money he wanted and then returning to be paid a record breaking amount for a lead actor at the time. YOLT touted "Sean Connery IS James Bond" & the promotional material for OHMSS largely downplayed the lead actor. One poster just shows a blank shadowed face. OHMSS didn't make as much in profits worldwide as GF, TB, or YOLT so I think this quote is a little in-joke for the audience that the movie OHMSS wasn't really a Bond movie. I get the sense that it's like the writers & producers are saying "forget Lazenby. We all know 'Sean Connery IS James Bond!'". Connery was "on a holiday" which means James Bond was on a holiday because you can't have Bond without Connery. I think it's sort of an in-joke/appealing to what the producers percieved to be the majority of the public's opinions on Bond at the time of release. That's my take on it anyway. As you mentioned, there's no mention of Tracy in OHMSS. That's a bit odd. Moneypenny even asks Bond to bring her back "a diamond....in a ring?" Either Moneypenny is just an incredibly thoughtless & inconsiderate person or....OHMSS hasn't happened yet. For me, the three things that most make me think DAF is a direct sequel to YOLT is the fact that DAF opens in Japan (where we last saw Connery), the very campy tone of DAF which feels to me like a very natural next step to what was done in YOLT, & Blofeld having a neckbrace in the opening of FYEO (despite not having one in DAF). You bring up an excellent point about the PTS of DAF, however. We can definitely tell from Connery's intensity & tenacity in that sequence that Connery is ticked off and I can almost accept the opening as revenge for Tracy until the moment when Connery says "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld" with a smirk. In OHMSS
    Bond's *wife* dies! In the defining moment when you're killing your wife's killer do you look furious and intense or smirk?
    I just don't buy that Bond smirks about that. I choose to believe Bond is ticked in the opening of DAF because he: 1. Is getting impatient with this guy whose diabolical plans he's had to foil for 4 movies now (DN, FRWL, TB, & YOLT). And to make matters worse, in YOLT
    when he does finally get a name and a face to attach to all of this trouble the man escapes!
    I'd be frustrated, impatient, & furious too. and 2. Let's not forget that Blofeld is also indirectly responsible for the deaths of (TB)
    Paula Caplin
    & (YOLT)
    Aki (both women Bond worked with).
    Personally, I like to watch DAF as a direct sequel to YOLT. I guess Blofeld wanted to disguise himself as Henderson? (admittedly Charles Gray being cast again makes very little sense in any scenario). I think OHMSS had the same Bond that was in DN-TB. Lazenby goes through Bond's desk and we see items from prior Bond films, but I don't recall seeing anything from YOLT. I think OHMSS operated like YOLT never happened and M and Bond have simply discovered #1's name. Then when they couldn't get Lazenby back I think DAF operated like OHMSS never happened (but with an in-joke).
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    It's a fun 70's Bond movie, but I think it works better as a stand-alone. It's very disappointing if you watch it after OHMSS, and it's one of those critical continuity problems that makes it hard for me to watch all of the Bond flicks in chronological order. I find that I can appreciate its lighter tone much easier when I watch it by itself.
  • Posts: 1,386
    It's a fun 70's Bond movie, but I think it works better as a stand-alone. It's very disappointing if you watch it after OHMSS, and it's one of those critical continuity problems that makes it hard for me to watch all of the Bond flicks in chronological order. I find that I can appreciate its lighter tone much easier when I watch it by itself.

    Agreed. I have yet to find a Bond movie that feels like a satisfying follow up to OHMSS.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited February 2016 Posts: 1,984
    @josiah - There really isn't one. You'll have to settle for DAF and the pre-title of FYEO, since those are the only times that Blofeld appears after OHMSS. DAF's Blofeld is nothing like the OHMSS one in any sense, while the FYEO Blofeld looks more like the OHMSS version but meets his end in a parodically unsatisfying manner. Do you want Blofeld finished off by Connery remotely hammering his bathosub into a wall, or Moore dropping off his begging, delicatessen-offering body into a smokestack? Take your pick.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    The film definitely went beserk but it's a helluva lot of fun
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Good to see the love for Diamonds.

    Apart from Sean's pink tie that ends half way down his shirt I love it.


    Aww damn it, I love the tie as well!
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,009
    DAF was what CR'67 wasn't: the 100% official parody of 007.

    I think all the idea of putting all that wild humor comes from the application of the Marx principle: "History repeats ... first as tragedy, then as farce". They wanted to go from tragedy to comedy: it was deliberate.
    I have a tradition of watching OHMSS and DAF back-to-back as a domestic double feature: first we get serious, then we laugh our ass off.

    IMHO it's the funniest Bond film ever.

    A bit of trivia: many people have discussed here about lines that foreign subs add to the dialogs. In the Catalan dubbing of DAF, Arseni Corsellas (Connery's voice actor in both Castilian Spanish and Catalan drom the early 70s - he dubbed Lazenby on OHMSS, too: both versions) adlibs a line when Connery appears in the background while Wint and Kidd go to kill Shady Tree. As you can remember for sure, Connery stops by two showgirls and briefly chats with them. While in English and Spanish nothing is heard, in Catalan he asks "A quina hora actuen, senyoretes?", which means "What time are you doing your act, missies?".
  • I don't treat it as a follow-up. I treat it as a standalone. And I love it.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Count me in as a DAF fan. Great fun.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I just found this photo online when looking for something to comment on another thread. Were these two an item at any point? This scene is certainly not from the film or from filming (note the glasses in her hand). Unless it's a rehearsal.

    jill-st-john-kissing-sean-connery-diamonds-are-forever.jpg?w=433
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    That's our man!
  • Posts: 4,044
    I always thought that EON were deliberately ignoring OHMSS and that Bond hunting Blofeld is just a follow on from him escaping in YOLT.

    I guess it does help seeing DAF before OHMSS, but I think I'd have enjoyed DAF anyway. Some great one-liners in this.
  • Posts: 1,386
    vzok wrote: »
    I always thought that EON were deliberately ignoring OHMSS and that Bond hunting Blofeld is just a follow on from him escaping in YOLT.

    I guess it does help seeing DAF before OHMSS, but I think I'd have enjoyed DAF anyway. Some great one-liners in this.

    "I'm afraid you've caught me with more than my hands up."
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,392
    Defending Diamonds Are Forever

    It has always been a dirty pleasure for me so I thought I'd bring up some of the neglected positives of Connery's swansong.

    Firstly, the plot. I enjoy following the diamonds as they change hands. It reminds me a bit of the opening bank heist of 'The Dark Knight', a group of criminal come together to do a job, only once they are no longer needed each one is killed. It's simple and effective, and told in a very economical fashion.

    Secondly, I think the characters are quite underrated. Tiffany Case isn't just strong but developed, adapting to survive in her deadly profession. She can be flirtatious when she needs to be to get what she wants, but she also holds her own.
    Won't and Kidd are both underrated henchmen. They are a genuinely memorable duo that I think gets forgotten about.
    Even small characters like Mrs Whistler, Morton Slumber and Willard Whyte bring a certain personality to the film.

    I also love the setting and how it is used. Las Vegas is the perfect, backdrop to the smuggling operation and we really get to see it! We go through car chases in the streets, scale buildings at nightfall, hit the casinos. I Love it! It's one of the few Bond film's where I actually get a sense of being there and hanging out with Bond.

    The humour- I know many see it as over cheesy, but I think the humour really fits the Vegas setting. There are some absolute crackers in DAF, my favourites being 'I didn't know there was a pool down there', 'provided the collars and cuffs match', 'named after you father perhaps'. I think people quite often remember laughing AT the film, so they forget that there is genuinely funny material in the mix. I you want a laugh, DAF is a safe bet.

    Finally, I love when Bond finds Whyte and the true intention of the diamonds is revealed in the satellite. It's corny, maybe, but it works. Whyte rings his guys just as the satellite becomes operational, all hell breaks loose, Barry excellent score kicks in, amazing!

    If it weren't for the random oil rig finale that comes out of nowhere, it'd be a top 10 Bond film in my eyes. Sadly as it is it will forever be a dirty pleasure.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    DAF is also the only film in which, if you are looking closely, features a fully visible nipple. HeeHee.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    josiah wrote: »
    vzok wrote: »
    I always thought that EON were deliberately ignoring OHMSS and that Bond hunting Blofeld is just a follow on from him escaping in YOLT.

    I guess it does help seeing DAF before OHMSS, but I think I'd have enjoyed DAF anyway. Some great one-liners in this.

    "I'm afraid you've caught me with more than my hands up."

    This is the greatest one-liner of all time, no question.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 4,044
    Plus the music is fab. 007 And Counting is fantastic, as is Wint & Kidd's theme. The great eerie music as Bond scales the Whyte House and of course that ballsy Bond To Holland cue.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    vzok wrote: »
    Plus the music is fab. 007 And Counting is fantastic, as is Wint & Kidd's theme. The great eerie music as Bond scales the Whyte House and of course that ballsy Bond To Holland cue.

    =D>
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    RC7 wrote: »
    josiah wrote: »
    vzok wrote: »
    I always thought that EON were deliberately ignoring OHMSS and that Bond hunting Blofeld is just a follow on from him escaping in YOLT.

    I guess it does help seeing DAF before OHMSS, but I think I'd have enjoyed DAF anyway. Some great one-liners in this.

    "I'm afraid you've caught me with more than my hands up."

    This is the greatest one-liner of all time, no question.
    If only we can get quality subtle lines and delivery like this again. One can only hope. Perhaps it won't translate well into Mandarin or whatever, but please let's try. Sure beats Mickey Mouse.
    TripAces wrote: »
    vzok wrote: »
    Plus the music is fab. 007 And Counting is fantastic, as is Wint & Kidd's theme. The great eerie music as Bond scales the Whyte House and of course that ballsy Bond To Holland cue.

    =D>
    Agreed. Bond to Holland is superb and almost mirrors the sound of the Hovercraft. Breezy. I miss Barry.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Even if DAF never will leave the bottom of my Bond ranking, the score and the one-liners belong to the very best in the series, no doubt.
    Overall, this movie is way to campy for me, and way to cheap looking (fake explosions etc).
    But I appreciate it anyway, because it is a Bond film and still miles better than most of the crap that gets made today.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    DAF is hands down the most hilarious Bond movie. Connery is simply legendary in this film, he seems to have the time of his life being in the middle of the outrageous events for 2 hours. The quality of the one liners have not been equalled in the franchise since 1971. The soundtrack is off the charts.
  • As others had say, the best one liners are in this film.

    I don't think Connery is that overweight, and besides, didn't Bond like his food; so he's probably about right. Having said that, he looks older than his years and his shabby appearance mirrors the film, which feels sloppy and lower budget compared to previous entries.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    All this DAF talk is watering my mouth.

    Tonight is the start of my new Bondathon.

    It'll be a double feature!

    1. Spectre (my No 1)
    2. Diamonds Are Forever (my No 24)

    this will be interesting!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    1. Spectre (my No 1)
    I can respect the hell out of anyone who rates SP that highly!
    \m/
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2016 Posts: 23,883
    That whole scene up in Whyte's penthouse is a highlight for me, including the score on the climb up, the drop in the toilet seat (admittedly undignified for Bond) and the encounter in the penthouse with the Blofelds, including kicking the cat and shooting the wrong Ernst. Slick work.

    Bond: "Right idea Mr. Bond."
    Bond: "But wrong pussy."


    I'm also a huge fan of the finale on the ship.

    Bond: "That's pretty potent. Not the cork. Your after-shave. Strong enough to bury anything. But the wine is quite excellent. Although for such a grand meal, I would have expected a claret."
    Wint: "Of course. But unfortunately, our cellars have run out of clarets."
    Bond: "Mouton Rothschild is a claret. And I've smelt that after-shave before, and both times I smelled a rat."

    ---
    What this film demonstrated to me more than anything else was that an overweight, out of shape Connery with a bad toupee is still the original and the best.
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