Ricky Church continues his countdown to Spectre with a review of The Living Daylights…
The Living Daylights brought James Bond back to his darker roots as Timothy Dalton took on the role of the famous secret agent, bringing a level of seriousness that had not been seen for quite some time. It was also a return to a more traditional espionage story, much like the early Sean Connery films, and put a large focus on character development over spectacle.
Bond is assigned to protect General Koskov, a Russian defector, after being requested personally by him to see him over the border. While the mission was successful, something doesn’t quite sit right with Bond, especially after Koskov is captured mere hours after being rescued. This launches Bond on an investigation into Koskov’s true motives, connecting him with the general’s girlfriend Kara Kilovy.
Timothy Dalton is absolutely great in his first outing as Bond, especially considering Dalton had been courted for years to play Bond after George Lazenby left and Roger Moore looked like he’d depart at any moment in his later years. He’s a breath of fresh air after Moore’s cheeky portrayal, returning the character to the dark seriousness he’s known for. That said, Dalton is also very charismatic in the role and when he does joke, he does it well without going over-the-top. Bond’s development reflects this as well; at the beginning of the film, which is actually based off one of Ian Fleming’s short stories with the same title, he’s told to shoot Kara, but upon realizing Kara is not anywhere near an actual assassin, he instead scares her off, telling his superior he only kills professionals and can “stuff your orders”. This cold professionalism was rarely glimpsed at in Moore’s set of films and it is a welcome return.
Even with his coldness, though, Dalton shows a vulnerable side to Bond that also hadn’t been seen in a while. Lying to Kara throughout most of the film takes a toll on him that visibly shows. However, his chemistry with Kara and actress Maryam d’Abo isn’t always the greatest either. D’Abo is a little weak in certain scenes and her character doesn’t have a whole lot of development or characterization. She needs Bond’s help a lot and is fairly gullible, though it must be noted that Kara, despite being Koskov’s lover, is a complete outsider to the espionage business and has no experience fending for herself in these highstakes situations.
Koskov, played by Jeroen Krabbe, also makes an interesting and dynamic villain because, unlike the majority of other Bond villains, he’s not physically imposing or overtly threatening. In fact, for the most part Koskov is somewhat a coward when it comes to fights, preferring to duck for cover than engage in battle with Bond. He is, however, one of the more intelligent villains by pitting so many people against the other and getting rich off it in the process. Andreas Winsniewski makes up for Koskov’s lack of physical intimidation by playing assassin Necros, being more than a physical match for Bond even if he’s not quite a memorable henchmen. Jon Don Baker (who would later play one of Bond’s allies in Pierce Brosnan’s films) has a few scenes as Koskov’s eccentric partner obsessed with war and weapons, but is in too little of the film to make a great impact.
Though The Living Daylights brought the franchise back to a serious level, there are some elements in the film that didn’t work, such as Bond car’s unhinging a whole log house to drive on the icy lake or his and Kara’s escape in her cello case down the snowy road. Those over-the-top scenes didn’t mix well with the grounded reality the film was set in. Overall though, Dalton’s first Bond film is one of the better entries in the series thanks to the renewed focus on seriousness over campy value.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Ricky Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=W04aXcyQ0NQ
Originally published October 23, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
