Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever
Director: Guy Hamilton
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman; Stanley Sopel (associate)
Writers: Ian Fleming (novel); Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz
Title Song: Lyrics by Don Black and Sung by Shirley Bassey
Opening Action Sequence: In a mad rage, Bond intimidates many of Blofeld's colleagues, commanding them to give away the location of his wife's murderer. His mission of vengeance finally leads him to Blofeld's hideout, where one of Ernst's subjects is undergoing plastic surgery in order to look just like his superior. A fight ensues between Blofeld and 007, ending with Blofeld in a boiling vat of clay (of course, he survives).
Bond Visits: Cairo, Egypt; United States (Las Vegas, Nevada); Japan; Amsterdam
Film Gross: $43,819,547--United States; $116,000,000--Worldwide
Plot Summary: When the British Government is informed
of an international ring of diamond smugglers that threatens the world market,
James Bond (Sean Connery) is assigned to the case. At first 007 feels
that the mission is going nowhere fast, but then he discovers a plot that
extends far deeper than he had ever expected...
007 (undercover as Peter Franks) teams up with crafty diamond smuggler Tiffany Case (Jill St. John), who is initially unaware that she is working alongside the famous James Bond. Neither 007 nor Ms. Case truly trust one another during their operation, but are forced to work together in order to escape one life-threatening situation after another.
The two discover that Blofeld (Charles Gray) is behind the diamond-smuggling operation and is using the diamonds to make a deadly and powerful satellite, capable of destroying a whole state. They also find that Blofeld is working behind the seemingly harmless guise of reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte's (Jimmy Dean) estates.
But there is more to 007's latest mission than stopping Blofeld. Bond
must also get past hitmen, the Las Vegas police, two homosexual murderers
and a pair of deadly gymnasts!
Review: Diamonds Are Forever brings back two of the greatest
things about the classic Bond film, Goldfinger: Sean Connery
and Guy Hamilton. The result is a flashy, fun, and sometimes farcical
thrill ride through the Western United States and beyond.
The film is smart in that it doesn't abandon the crucial cliffhanger that On Her Majesty's Secret Service left us with. The death of Tracy Bond is a strong issue in the beginning of Diamonds Are Forever, and is understood as Bond's primary motivation for getting rid of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, once and for all.
But the film isn't always quite so dramatic. There are plenty of
great jokes (many with sexual innuendo) and an interesting duo in the mysterious
Mr. Wint 
and
Mr. Kidd, (Bruce Glover and Putter Smith) a pair of gay killers who trade
flirtatious glances and hold hands throughout the film.
As in the last 007 adventure, there is an abundance of memorable chases and brawls. All are fast-paced and lots of fun, particularly the police chase through the streets of Las Vegas and the fist-fight in an enclosed elevator car between the real Peter Franks and his shameless impostor, James Bond.
Unlike Guy Hamilton's Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever has a brighter, more extravagant feel to its direction, much like Las Vegas itself. Bond's enormous hotel room is enough to impress the audience, but the film takes this flamboyance further with a cruise ship, a carnival, and Blofeld's secret base in the middle of the ocean.
The performances are fairly enjoyable, especially if you keep in mind that this is a less somber Bond film than any that have preceded it. The movie is extremely tongue-in-check throughout, and it is relatively obvious that the writers didn't take this one too seriously (it involves a Blofeld clone and includes the "Morton Slumber Funeral Home"!). Still, it's an awfully fun adventure. Now, on to the characters...
Tiffany Case, played by Jill St. John, is intentionally irritating and mind-numbingly clueless as she runs around in her two-piece bathing suit, trying to keep up with 007. Not much else to mention here.
Charles Grey plays Bond's worst enemy, Blofeld, and seems more of a stuffy, pompous character than that of either Pleasance or Savalas. He also has a larger role than either of the two. Unfortunately, he just doesn't seem sinister enough to pull off such an evil and important role. Too bad Telly Savalas wasn't available for this film.
But thankfully, Sean Connery seems refreshed and more charming than in his last 007 outing, and reminds us how cool James Bond actually is. However, on a minor note, his role is much less physical in this movie, and his stunt double is occasionally (and very obviously) over-used.
Don't expect to find the excitement or style of Guy Hamilton's first 007 picture in Diamonds Are Forever, but if you're willing to overlook the intended campiness of this adventure, you can anticipate one wild ride.
Grade: B