Live and Let Die

As we move forward from the Connery era in this journey - after the disappointingly dull Diamonds Are Forever - we're met with 1973's Live and Let Die, starring Roger Moore in the main role. 

Researching these films a bit behind the scenes, I find it interesting that the Bond producers were consistently begging Connery to be Bond again and - anytime they're forced to find a replacement - they usually end up with someone who wasn't even on the list. Lazenby seemed to come from no where and wasn't a top choice and based on my [minimal] research, Moore doesn't even sound like he was in their Top 10!

It's a shocking comparison to today where "Bond" is one of the more sought after roles for a male, British actor. For better or worse (mostly for the better these days) it comes to define your career, but it also opens a lot of doors that may not have previously existed. Given that Live and Let Die is the 8th James Bond film at this time (and Connery's huge payday for the 7th), I'm surprised there weren't more actors willing to take the job...or perhaps I'm misinterpreting my research. 

What's immediately apparent to me in Live and Let Die is that Moore feels comfortable in the Bond skin from the get go. He feels distinct from Connery, but not so far that you're unsure of what character you're watching. The smoothness and suaveness is there and his overall demeanor is calm; he seems more laissez-faire than previous Bonds. I've heard some say he's a "goofier" Bond and, while perhaps that's true in later installments, I didn't find that he was any more/less silly here than Connery. There are still plenty of eye-rolling one liners that have defined the character for decades and Moore delivers them with a playful spirit. Given that Moore will be Bond for the next several films, I'm happy that I like him so far whereas Lazenby, while not awful, felt like he was trying to do his best Bond impression. 

That's Jane Seymour?! Wowzers

Scene would have been better if Sheriff Pepper
would have been in front of the boat...

As opposed to the previous Bond films centering (somewhat tirelessly) around a face-changing Blofeld and his quest for oodles of money and world domination, Live and Let Die wisely chooses to scale its story back. Bond is sent to research the death of other agents in the Americas and uncovers a significant drug ring that must be stopped. By the end, it's all fairly pedestrian and there aren't many surprises here in terms of twists, but while somewhat "boring" from a story perspective, it's refreshing to have a smaller scale adventure that's void of SPECTRE for the time being. Throughout the film we're taken to Harlem, New Orleans, and the Caribbean that feel unique to the Bond world, also adding to the "different" feel Live and Let Die presents. There's a heavy focus on African American portrayal here - which led me to do even more research around how the film was received (both initially and aging). The film feels...dare I say...racist with all of the villains being Black and some (fairly obnoxious) stereotypes, but on the other hand it also has your first African American (short-lived) Bond girl who's romantically involved so there's something progressive there. While it's misjudgments on its racial portrayals haven't aged well, it also is explained by being part of the blaxplotation era in which many films were popular but criticized for their stereotypical portrayals. Once again, researching the history of the Bond films proves interesting outside the film itself!

In addition to Moore's Bond we're introduced to several other characters - as these things go - which I found to be a mixed bag. A very young and (damn!) gorgeous Jane Seymour plays our main Bond girl who's more damsel-in-distress than heroine. I thought she did a good job for the role that was written and her character is important to the narrative. I also enjoyed Mr. Big (Yaphet Kotto) as the villain, even if he's a little forgettable as a character. He offers a nice change of pace from Blofeld and feels far more menacing than the drag/cloning nonsense we had in the last film. Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder), while perhaps the strangest Bond villain yet, feels unique as one of Big's henchmen and mysterious as a character (not to mention I remember he was a highly-sought after multiplayer character in Bond videogames of old). A minor character that nearly ruined the movie for me is the "comedic relief" Sheriff Pepper (Clifton James) who was so f**king obnoxious in his delivery and tone that I straight up almost forwarded through an action scene to stop hearing him talk. Maybe I'm alone in making a mountain out of a molehill here, but holy hell did his character annoy me. And he just keeps coming back throughout the course of the boat chase. 

Speaking of the boat chase, it's an exciting - if not overlong - sequence through the swamplands of Louisiana and is the highlight of the film (aside from f**king Sheriff Pepper!). In general, Live and Let Die has "good" action where it's not going to stick with you far after - aside from some tremendous boat jumps - but it's entertaining in the film. Bond's gadgets go a long way here too and I suspect that Moore is perhaps the "gadget" Bond more than Connery was. I've always enjoyed a good gadget (even if they're distinctly designed for a particular scene of a film) so this added another element to the Bond lore that I feel like was somewhat missing in recent installments. Unfortunately, the ending is anticlimactic with a awkwardly staged and stilted "escape" that results in a hilarious death that's so far beyond realistic the only thing you can do is laugh.

A very weird, but effective character

Live and Let Die is also - finally - the Bond film that feels like it evolves the filmmaking to a more modern approach. Put simply, it feels less "old" than the weirdly edited and cut Connery films that are less a product of the filmmakers and more a product of filmmaking techniques at the time. Here we have less edits and a good flow from one scene to the next. It's also complimented nicely with some good cinematography (though Goldfinger and OHMSS are still better here) and a great Bond song + reliance on the theme that dials up the use of the original score, much to my delight. 

After how bored and disappointed I was with Diamonds Are Forever, I'm excited to continue on into the Moore era. I like him as a Bond thus far and I'm eager to see some of the iconic villains I know these films introduce. 

CONS

• Ages awkwardly because of some blaxploitation roots
• Some forgettable action
• Plot is generic and lacks surprises
• Sheriff Pepper is the WORST 

PROS

• I appreciated the smaller scale story. It was refreshing after so much focus on Blofeld and SPECTRE
• Good mix of side characters for the most part. Solitaire is a memorable Bond girl (mostly for her looks) and Baron Samedi is a somewhat iconic side character
• Moore feels comfortable in the role from the get go. I'm excited to see where he takes it and how he makes it his own
• Gadget-heavy Bond film
• Boat chase scene is impressive with some awesome jumps. Other action is fine
• Makes the jump forward to feel more modern in terms of its filmmaking techniques. Well edited and shot
• Emphasis on original score and solid Bond song
• Enjoyable and entertaining - if not somewhat "normal" - first Bond entry for Moore

Retro Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10