Monday, November 16, 2015

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)


"Bond is back...with the excitement"



Directed by Guy Hamilton
Produced by Harry Saltzman, Albert R. Broccoli
Screenplay by Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
Based on "Diamonds Are Forever" by Ian Fleming
Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot
Music by John Barry
Cinematography: Ted Moore
Edited by Bert Bates, John Holmes
Production company: Eon Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date: 14 December 1971 (West Germany)
Running time: 120 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: $7.2 million
Box office: $116 million


"Diamonds Are Forever" is an action adventure thriller film directed by Guy Hamilton and written by Richard Maibaum, based on "Diamonds Are Forever" by Ian Fleming. It's the seventh installment of the "James Bond" film series which follows Secret Agent James Bond who is led by a diamond smuggling investigation to Las Vegas, where he uncovers an extortion plot headed by his nemesis, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.


Cast
  • Sean Connery as James Bond
  • Jill St. John as Tiffany Case
  • Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld
  • Jimmy Dean as Willard Whyte
  • Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd
  • Norman Burton as Felix Leiter
  • Joseph Furst as Professor Doctor Metz
  • Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole
  • Bruce Cabot as Bert Saxby
  • Bernard Lee as M
  • Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
  • Desmond Llewelyn as Q
  • Joe Robinson as Peter Franks
  • Sid Haig as Slumber Inc. attendant
  • Leonard Barr as Shady Tree
  • Laurence Naismith as Sir Donald Munger
  • David Bauer as Morton Slumber
  • Ed Bishop as Klaus Hergerscheimer
  • David de Keyser as Doctor
  • Lola Larson and Trina Parks as Bambi and Thumper


The only good piece of news is returning of splendid Sean Connery and that's also the only advantage: neither Blofeld nor the plot can make me rewatch "Diamonds Are Forever" again.


Advantages
  • Sean Connery as James Bond
  • Bernard Lee as M
  • Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
  • Music

Disadvantages
  • Too pretentious
  • Some scenes are overacted
  • Funny special effects

"Strangenesses"
  • Seems like James Bond is absolutely immortal

Clue Moments
  • Several Blofeld
  • Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd
  • Fake diamonds
  • The airport
  • Whyte House
  • The submarine


Soundtracks
  1. John Barry - Main Title: Diamonds Are Forever
  2. John Barry - Moon Buggy Ride
  3. John Barry - Circus, Circus
  4. John Barry - Death At The Whyte House
  5. John Barry - Bond And Tiffany
  6. John Barry - Death Of Wint And Kidd
  7. John Barry - Bond Smells A Rat
  8. John Barry - Tiffany Case
  9. John Barry - 007 And Counting
  10. John Barry - Q's Trick
  11. John Barry - To Hell With Blofeld
  12. John Barry - Gunbarrel/Manhunt
  13. John Barry - Mr. Wint And Mr. Kidd/Bond To Holland
  14. John Barry - Peter Franks
  15. John Barry - Airport Source/On The Road
  16. John Barry - Slumber, Inc.
  17. John Barry - The Whyte House
  18. John Barry - Plenty, Then Tiffany
  19. John Barry - Following The Diamonds
  20. John Barry - Additional And Alternate Cues


Quotations
* * *
Mr. Wint: The scorpion.
Mr. Kidd: One of nature's finest killers, Mr. Wint.
Mr. Wint: One is never too old to learn from a master, Mr. Kidd.
* * *
Blofeld: Well go on, go on, it's merely a lift. Or should I say elevator? In any event I'm sure you'll find it far more convenient than mountaineering about outside the Whyte House.
* * *
Tiffany Case: [reading Bond's ID card planted on the deceased Franks] My God! You just killed James Bond!
James Bond: Is that who it was? Well just goes to show, no one's indestructible.
* * *
Mr. Kidd: If God had wanted man to fly...
Mr. Wint: ...He would have given him wings, Mr. Kidd.
* * *
Mr. Wint: Curious... how everyone who touches those diamonds seems to die.
* * *
M: We do function in your absence, Commander.
* * *
Sir Donald Munger: You have been on holiday, I understand. Relaxing, I hope?
James Bond: Oh, hardly relaxing, but most satisfying.
* * *
James Bond: What do you intend to do with those diamonds?
Blofeld: An excellent question. And one which will be hanging on the lips of the world quite soon. If I were to break the news to anyone it would be to you first, Mr Bond, you know that.
* * *
Blofeld: Good evening, Mr Bond.
James Bond: Blofeld?
Blofeld Double: Good evening, 007.
Blofeld: Double jeopardy, Mr Bond.
* * *
Blofeld Double: You killed my only other double, I'm afraid. After his death, volunteers were understandably... rather scarce.
Blofeld: Such a pity. All that time and energy wasted, simply to provide you with one mock, heroic moment.
* * *
You may see the trailer here.


Plot: 5/10
Entertainment: 6/10
Acting: 6/10
Originality: 5/10
Music and Sound: 8/10


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