Ricky Church continues his countdown to Spectre with a review of Roger Moore’s first outing, Live and Let Die…
Live and Let Die is the start of a new era for James Bond as Roger Moore takes on the role of the famous super agent. The film introduces Bond to a lighter, more comedic Bond with many slapstick elements following him. In Live and Let Die Bond investigates a link between a powerful mobster and diplomat after the deaths of several British agents and what it may have to do with the heroin trade.
In an interesting bit of fate, Roger Moore was sought for James Bond even before Sean Connery in Dr. No and again before George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but could not do so because of his lead role in the British spy television series The Saint. Moore didn’t want to simply recreate his role as Simon Templar or copy Connery’s performance which is one reason why his depiction of Bond is so different from what came before.
Moore isn’t exactly cheery in his portrayal, but he’s certainly campy. Whereas Connery had a dry wit in his performance, Moore’s Bond is quite humourous, spouting several puns any chance he’s given. It takes some getting used to Bond’s constant humour, but there are moments where Moore displays some of 007’s deadly skill and cunning. He takes out henchman very quickly and decisively, but these moments are soon followed by one his quips which can take viewers out of the moment. There’s no real balance between the comedic and serious moments with the character in this film, making it a rather tough transition to accept Moore.
The main villain likewise suffers from an overreliance on camp. Mr. Big/Dr. Kananga, as played by Yaphet Kotto, is underdeveloped and not very intimidating. This is in stark contrast to his portrayal in the original book; Mr. Big was quite an imposing and cold figure, but much of his portrayal in the film is almost cartoonish, particularly when Kananga puts on his mask as Mr. Big. The two interesting aspects about him is the fact he’s not bent on world domination and his fascination and belief in the occult, making him stand out among Bond’s many villains in that regard. Even his death is played for laughs since it’s so over-the-top and unrealistic.
Jane Seymour made her international debut in Live and Let Die as Kananga’s tarot reading prophet Solitaire (and is one of the few Bond girls to have a successful career after the film). Seymour’s good in the role and is memorable for her ability to see the future, but she doesn’t have too much of a role beyond that. Instead, she’s simply reduced to a damsel in distress that Bond must rescue over and over again. This marks the turn in the Bond franchise where the girls largely become damsels as opposed to some of the stronger, independent women of Connery’s and even Lazenby’s films.
While there’s a fair amount of dark material here, those moments are sporadic and often hampered by cheesy elements, of which there is a lot. The strongest example in this film is Sheriff J.W. Pepper of the Louisiana police. During the boat chase through the swamps of Louisiana, the scene cuts back to Pepper’s determined chase to catch Bond and Kananga’s henchmen in an attempt to provide comic relief, but his whole shtick is so forced and takes away any tension the chase provides.
While its not a bad film per se, Live and Let Die lacks many of the aspects of James Bond that made the character famous by including many campy and slapstick elements. Moore gives a good performance of Bond, but he’s still too campy in the role most of the time. The film also would have been better severed had they gone with Mr. Big’s portrayal in the novel rather than lighten it so much. Moore’s introduction to the franchise is a good, if flawed, film, but if you enjoy the darker interpretation of 007 you’ll find this film wanting.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=C_zu6XuI_g4
Originally published October 10, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
