I'm ever so slowly collecting only those Bond films that I have any vestige of enthusiasm for. I'm very ambivalent about James Bond: some days I think he's the coolest action hero, other days I can't stand the guy. It depends a lot on who's playing him.
So, on the weekend, I bought and watched the remastered edition of Live and Let Die. This was one of the first Bond films I ever saw as a kid on TV, and for its time it blew me away. Roger Moore was the kind of dashing, debonair "gentleman" Bond I liked best. Moore could have it that way, and yet still play the ruthless "licence to kill" Bond when he needed to.
Live and Let Die remains a favorite Bond movie for a number of reasons. It is a refreshing change from the constant Cold War feel of the Connery years; instead, Live and Let Die gives us a sense of 70's black culture in America. For a Bond film, that's extraordinary. It's the fish-out-of-water scenario with Moore's Bond being the wet, white fish. What I like is how Moore remains unflappable through it all.
Then there's that memorable, classic speedboat chase through the waterways of New Orleans. I love the sustained duration of this sequence - it's not some big loud stunt that lasts for just a couple of minutes. Also, how about Clifton James as the redneck sheriff? Unquestionably the most hilarious character ever to appear in a Bond film!
But the thing that really pushes Bond into new territory (some might say over the top) is that he goes up against the forces of the occult. I wonder if hardcore Connery fans were displeased by this direction of the "franchise."
Me, I loved it: Bond vs. Voodoo Magic! I thought the character of Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) was awesome, even though as a "villain" he was rather useless. And Yaphet Kotto was a powerhouse as Kananga - he played the role with such great verve.The only character I didn't have much feeling for was Solitaire (Jane Seymour). The Connery films occasionally featured some strong women (particularly in Thunderball, IMO) but for the start of the Moore era, we're given a female lead who seems entirely too submissive. Granted, her character was at the mercy of some pretty powerful men, and yes, I understand that she was meant to have a kind of "virginal" quality. I have nothing against Seymour, of course. It's just that after Solitaire is "bereft" of her powers of foretelling, she's kind of useless...um, like Samedi.
But overall, I'd say Live and Let Die is one of the best Bond films ever.
