The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Writers:

Christopher Wood (screenplay) and
Richard Maibaum (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 August 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

. . . . In The Biggest Bond of All - Everybody's hot for Action - Everybody's hot for Romance

Plot:

James Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads with the help of a KGB agent whose lover he killed.

Plot Keywords:

Big Teeth | High Tech | British Navy | Underwater Fight | Atlantis

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Roger Moore	...	James Bond
Barbara Bach	...	Major Anya Amasova
Curd Jürgens	...	Karl Stromberg (as Curt Jurgens)
Richard Kiel	...	Jaws
Caroline Munro	...	Naomi
Walter Gotell	...	General Anatol Gogol
Geoffrey Keen	...	Sir Frederick Gray
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
George Baker	...	Captain Benson
Michael Billington	...	Sergei Barsov
Olga Bisera	...	Felicca
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Edward de Souza	...	Sheikh Hosein (as Edward De Souza)
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Max Kalba
Valerie Leon	...	Hotel Receptionist

Runtime:

125 min | Sweden:123 min (cut version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Italian | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | South Korea:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Brazil:12 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Ireland:PG | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1977) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Abu Simbel Temple, Abu Simbel, Egypt

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

Harry Saltzman sold his £20 million slice of James Bond during December 1975 while this movie was in pre-production.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the Lotus Esprit drives off the pier and enters the water, we glimpse the exposed underbody of a normal car. After it enters the sea the underbody is sealed (as any good submarine car should be).

Quotes:

[first lines]
HMS Ranger Navigator: Captain wants to keep 500 feet.
Young officer, HMS Ranger: [over PA] Maneuvering, Control. Come in shallow to 500 feet.
Young officer, HMS Ranger: [to crewman] Keep 500 feet
HMS Ranger crewman: Keep 500 feet, sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Disco Beaver from Outer Space (1978) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Piano Concerto No. 21 'Elvira Madigan' Andante

It's Bond... and beyond

The Spy Who Loved Me was the first Bond film to be produced solely by Albert R. Broccoli, after Satzman's decision to sell his share of EON productions to United Artists. Although I think Broccoli was not aware of what Bond really stood for, paying far more attention to action and stunts than story lines and scripting( Moonraker attests to that), he nevertheless managed to produce some outstanding Bond movies. The one under discussion here also features an exceptional performance by Roger Moore, who proved he could really rise to he challenge of playing the world most famous secret agent in his own way.

Despite having a thin plot( which Bond film doesn't?), Spy is still a grandiose adventure, with a romantic edge to it that works wonderfully. The initial section of the film, set in Egypt, though slow-paced, allows for a delightful romance between 007 and Russian female counterpart XXX. There is real chemistry between Roger and Bach,rendering the film believable: they are just the world coolest secret agents, and they naturally fall in love.However, the movie has still its share of thrills and mind-boggling stunts. The Lotus Sprit is perhaps the coolest car to ever grace a Bond movie and the final confrontation on board the Lyparus, a gritty and crisply directed sequence ,remains one of the series highlights. Jaws makes his first appearance , and all of his showdowns with Bond have a real sense of danger to them.

As for Lewis Gilbert, after having crafted the sheer spectacle of You Only Live Twice, he is equally comfortable here dealing with the romantic side of the story, as well as the humorous, light-hearted touches spread throughout the film. (An special mention should go to the priceless scene of the Lotus Sprit emerging from the water before the amazed tourists' eyes).While many so-called Bond fans despise this comic relief, I think it is necessary to balance the moments of seriousness and violence. Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar nominated score effectively helps Gilbert to create the special mood that permeates this film.

But perhaps the most compelling aspect of this movie was Moore's performance, possibly the definitive portrayal of Bond. He is witty and seductive ,but he is ready to kill unhesitatingly if necessary. Check out the Egyptian rooftop fist fight sequence and you will know what I mean. The gesture of coldness and anger of Moore is unforgettable. He obviously wants to kill the guy, but still waits a few seconds to get the information before dropping him.

Where did all this go? Moonraker, for all its entertaining moments, seems a self-parody,not to mention the slapstick in Octopussy. Fortunately, this approach to the character was recovered in For Your Eyes Only, not as brilliant as this movie, but still worth a look.

All in all, this is Moore's best and definitely ranks up there alongside Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice