Into the Blu

Live and Let Die

Posted on 22. Oct, 2008 by Gino Sassani in 1.85:1, 1080p, AVC MPEG-4, Action, DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 2.0 (Spanish), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French), Drama, MGM, Reviews

Live And Let Die wasn’t Roger Moore’s first brush with James Bond. It wasn’t even his second. When Saltzman and Broccoli first began assembling their team, Roger Moore was their second choice, after Cary Grant, to play the Fleming spy. Moore was doing television at the time and so was unavailable. He did, however, play the spy in a television skit spoofing the character, which is included in the special features of this release. When Sean Connery left the franchise for a second time, presumably for good, the search was on again to fill the role. The producers did not forget their earlier infatuation with Moore, and finally got their man. Moore would go on to play Bond in more films and for a longer period of time than any other actor to this day.

Live And Let Die was a new era for the Bond franchise. It was not only that a new star was stepping into the role. The 1960’s were over, and many of the Bond conventions were pretty much at the end of their run. This movie marked a new Bond for a new time. One of the most memorable things about the film was the Paul McCartney theme song. It was the first of its kind in a Bond film and would lead the way for more frequent pop artists to supply the signature sounds of future films. The song is likely better known today than the film itself. The story also represented new themes that were better suited to the 1970’s. The film looks very much like many of the black exploitation films that were common at that time. Films like Shaft dominated the scene. It’s a bit ironic that as I watched this film I learned of the recent death of Ruby Ray Moore who was well known for those kinds of roles, most notably Dolomite. Live And Let Die is populated by black villains with henchmen who spoke in the stereotypical jive of the times. The film is loaded with terms like honky and jive turkey. Characters greet each other with “Right On” and “What’s happening”. The producers were starting to get so worried about the fact that all of the bad guys were black that they created a Buford T. Justice clone to, in the words of director Guy Hamilton, gave the audience a white character to laugh at. So, Clifton James portrayed the bumbling southern Sheriff JW Peppers, providing those laughs. It seems that the worries were unnecessary and the film did not appear to have problems with its racial portrayals. The story might actually be quite different today.

Like many James Bond stories, this one begins with word that several agents have either gone missing or have been killed. Starting in Harlem where Bond has an unfortunate encounter with a Mr. Big in a black club, Bond sets out on the trail of the agents’ killers. Mr. Big is a highly superstitious man who has a private tarot reader he consults before any action. Of course this fortune teller, Solitaire, is just Bond’s type: attractive. Bond’s investigations take him to first to Jamaica, where he stumbles on Solitaire yet again, this time in the company of Dr. Kananga who is operating a heroin smuggling operation there. Bond’s seduction of Solitaire has the unfortunate consequence of stripping away her fortune telling abilities which will not make either Mr. Big or Kananga very happy. You might say they are of one mind on the subject of Solitaire and James Bond. The trail finally leads to New Orleans, and this time it’s hurricane Bond, James Bond, that causes havoc at every turn. After an amusing boat chase with land jumping speedboats, the whole thing ends up at a voodoo ceremony, and guess who’s crashing the party?

Live And Let Die does what it sets out to do. It introduces us to a new Bond and sets up those new Bond conventions. It’s a good film for what it is, but not really a good example of a James Bond film. Honestly, the character could have been named Steve Smith for all we can tell. Moore brings a slant to the character that, for me, would take some getting used to. There are some great stunts, but the film falls flat in almost every other area. The villain has a very unBond like desire to merely take over a drug business. There isn’t that Bond/Baddie moment where the villain reveals his master plan to an apparently helpless Bond, only to have 007 turn the tables at just the right moment. Certainly Kananga has a plan; it’s just not a very elaborate or engaging one. This sounds like a job for Dirty Harry, not James Bond. The voodoo angle is never really explored and appears merely window dressing to prop up a relatively weak script. The film does contain one of the most amusing pre-credit sequences. I never forgot the jazzy funeral marchers and the agent’s question of whose funeral it was. The bad guy replies that it was the agent’s, and he’s swept into the procession’s coffin. It’s a golden Bond moment that never really develops into anything equally as compelling.

Finally, the one place the film excels at beyond stunts is in the cast. Yaphet Kotto, known to Homicide: Life On The Streets fans at Lt. Gee plays the dual bad guy Mr. Big/Kananga with more flair than the character originally appears to have had written into it. He manages to overcome the rather tired stereotypes of the characters around him and bring more than a drug dealer largesse to the role. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea’s David Hedison takes on the constantly recast role of Felix Leiter and is the best to have taken on the role so far. Unfortunately he is underused here. Long before she was administering medical aid to the Western frontier, Jane Seymour was introduced to the world as Solitaire. She’s one of the more sophisticated of the Bond girls, relying more on her own grace than mere physical attributes. She may not be anywhere near the “hottest” Bond Girl, but she certainly is one of the best. She’s allowed to play a range of emotions rarely given to the traditional role. When she realizes she’s lost her ability, you get real acting instead of merely a pout and a revealing bustline. It’s no surprise that she’s been one of the more successful actresses to have played a Bond Girl.

Video

Live And Let Die is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. You get a splendid 1080p image out of the AVC/MPEG-4 codec. Most of the film delivers a solid 30+ mbps bit rate. The time has finally come to see these films in a way that hasn’t been possible maybe even in the theaters during their original releases. This benefits from not only a wonderful HD transfer, but the recent 4k restoration from the camera negatives. This image might be one of the most dated of the Bond films. There is a distinctive 70’s look to it overall. Colors are softer and not near as vibrant as the previous Bond films. Black levels are still strong, and detail is the highest I’ve seen for the film. You get a real appreciation for that, with the crocodiles in those scenes at the crocodile farm.

Audio

The DTSHD lossless 5.1 track is somewhat better than the image. I’m actually pretty happy that there wasn’t a footloose effort to overengage the surround mix. Most everything is up front, and that’s actually pretty fine by me. The quality of the sound is all there, however. From the opening moments of the familiar Bond theme to the dialog, you’re going to get everything you came here for. The dynamic range is considerably stronger than previous releases have provided. Not as much sub as I would have liked, but it pleases just enough. It’s an overall strong presentation, providing audio at 1.5 mbps. McCartney’s rocker title song comes across quite well here.

There is an audio commentary featuring many cast and crew participants, but it is a hosted affair. None of the participants were at a screening. It was put together from various archive interviews and such. It’s informative, but sounds too much like a documentary lecture.

A second track is available featuring screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz. He’s not very forthcoming and spends far too much time in silence.

There is an additional commentary by Roger Moore. This one is far more entertaining. He does tend to talk about himself a bit much, but there are some rather amusing anecdotes to be found along the way.

Special Features

Most of these features are imported from the last edition of the films.

The extras are grouped under menu headings that I will provide underlined:

Declassified – MI6 Vault:

Bond 1973 – The Lost Documentary: Like many of these vintage pieces, the footage is in pretty rough shape. Some of it is in color; other parts are black & white. Moore hosts much of the piece that deals with his taking over the role.

Roger Moore As James Bond Circa 1964: I mentioned that Moore played the part in an old television skit. Here it is. It’s pretty funny.

Conceptual Art: This is a collection of early ideas for the film’s poster art.

Mission Control: These are direct scene access bookmarks for particular subjects like Women, Villains… and so on.

Mission Dossier: These are the only HD extras

Inside Live And Let Die: This is another half hour feature with Patrick McNee again narrating the piece. Obviously a lot of time is spent on Moore’s introduction to the part and the differences between them. I think many of the participants shortchange Connery in this thing. The many setbacks and injuries are covered, which led many of the cast and crew to take that voodoo stuff way too seriously. There’s even a private tarot reading for Roger Moore.

On Set With Roger Moore – The Funeral Parade: It appears that Moore’s Mum was a huge Richard Dix fan, so Moore arranged for his son to have a cameo in the picture. He plays the first agent who is made a victim of the funeral gang.

On Set With Roger Moore – Hang Gliding Lessons: This 4 minute piece is hosted by hang glider expert Bill Bennett, who taught Roger Moore how to use the hang glider for that particular stunt. It appears Moore flew the thing himself.

Ministry Of Propaganda: This is a collection of trailers, TV spots, and radio ads for the film.

Image Database: A collection of still galleries.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately the title song is the best part of the film. McCartney delivers the most energetic and memorable Bond theme to date. I would have actually enjoyed seeing more about that connection in the extras, but the subject is largely ignored. Moore does address his interactions with McCartney and the Beatles from the 1960’s in his commentary. The film itself is too clichéd and features less interesting characters than we’ve come to expect out of James Bond. It performed well at the box office but has not enjoyed the staying power of other Bond films. Still, the Bond elements exist enough to make it worth watching again if you can rent the Blu-ray. The action is exhilarating. The locations are lush and exotic. The women are “quite revealing”.