Why Does Diamonds Are Forever Seem To Be Hated So Much?

BIG TAM

Back in 1984 ITV showed DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER again & I was hooked. A terrific Bond movie. It's now been displaced in my listings as I lean towards the more 'serious' films of the early Sixties. But I still have a fondness for it. Like DIE ANOTHER DAY, it seems to have an impassioned level of dislike aimed towards it.
Now I agree totally that the film has a dull last act. The stuff on the oil rig is monotonous & nobody seems motivated by any sense of urgency. Blofeld's scheme by this point has turned into a 'so what?' escapade & his so-called demise is poorly handled. But up till then everything chugs along quite nicely.
Connery appears cheery & relaxed in the role. Wint & Kidd are terrifically bizarre baddies & there's an appealing sense of black comedy about it all. Plus, Bond's attempted cremation is easily one of the best & creepiest attempts to kill off our hero. And some of Tom Mankiewicz's dialogue has a nice line of urbane richness to it. I particularly like Blofeld's "Jealousy? From You, Mr. Bond? I'm flattered."
I have a sense I may be in a complete minority on this but DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER deserves reappraisal. It's not classic 007 but has enough going for it to warrant a bigger fan base.

Smiert-Spionam

I have to admit that Diamonds Are Forever is one of my guilty pleasures. Sure it's silly but there are some moments that would fit in perfectly with the earlier Bond flicks (the elevator fight springs to mind immediately along with the fantastic finger clamp device). Wint and Kidd are fantastic henchmen, bizzare and original but also weirdly menacing.

I think there are, however, alot of things that let DAF down. Charles Gray's portrayal of Blofelds is the weakest by far, far too charming to really convince me he's a 'proper' Blofeld. I'm also not entirely convinced Donald Pleasence or Telly Savalas would resort to dressing up in drag 8-) . Connery at this point has piled on the pounds and is far less convincing in the role as in earlier films. I also carry a huge dislike for Tiffany Case as the main Bond girl. She starts off okay but by the end of the film she acts like a completely useless bimbo (firing a machine gun and falling into the sea, swapping the cassette back etc). By far the worst Bond girl in the series IMO.

However despite the quibbles I thoroughly enjoy it for what it is, a camp, comedic bit of fun, a prelude of what was to come from the Roger Moore films really.

Golrush007

Diamonds Are Forever is very near the bottom of my Bond ranking, I really do think that it is one of the weakest Bond films. That said, it is good fun and I have a good time whenever I watch it. I find that it does require me to switch my brain off while watching it, which I don't like so much.

In my opinion, the weakest element is Charles Gray's Blofeld. I find him completely lacking in menace. I think Blofeld is a great character in FRWL and TB. When he is fully revealed in YOLT, I feel Donald Pleasence's portrayal was far too campy. Then Telly Savalas brought it back to a more menacing portrayal in OHMSS which I liked. But here, Charles Gray brings back the campiness which is a big negative for me. I think Bond films are very heavily dependent on a good villain, and here is a major failing of the film. And yes, the climax of the film on the oil rig is a letdown.

But the film has strengths as well. I enjoy the Las Vegas setting and the plot of the diamond smuggling pipeline has great promise. Wint and Kidd are interesting but they are also annoying. I found these characters better in the novel than in the film. The fight in the elevator recalls the brutality of the FRWL train fight. Also Jill St John makes a hot Bond girl and I enjoyed her self-assured and independent character. It's just a pity that she takes a turn towards the dumb bimbo stereotype in the finale on the oil rig.

So, I find the film a mixture of good and bad. Compared to the other Bond films, I do stand by my opinion that it is one of the weakest.

Manxman

The central problem, aside from a script that's often too complicated for its own good, is poor casting, coupled with bad reimaginings of the book's characters.

Blofeld, hitherto established as a stocky bald man with a ruthless disposition and a certain level of pomp, now becomes a camp ex-public schoolboy; Tiffany Case a bungling bimbo; and Wint & Kidd a pair of slightly surreal camp psychopaths (although Putter Smith and Bruce Glover's performances are definitely among the best things in the film).

Added to this, certain pivotal scenes make no sense: having encountered him before and realised how dangerous he is, why does Blofeld allow Bond anywhere near the computer on the oil rig? This is plainly nonsensical and this kind of thing is the hallmark of bad writing.

But the biggest problem I have with Diamonds Are Forever is Connery's performance as Bond, which I think is the worst anyone has ever managed. Looking paunchy and bloated, he sleepwalks through the film appearing thoroughly bored. In particular, the scene with M makes me cringe, throwing away the delicate relationship established in the books (and well executed in the previous films, especially OHMSS) and making Bond appear like a cocky schoolboy cheeking the headmaster.

Moore Than

Manxman wrote:

But the biggest problem I have with Diamonds Are Forever is Connery's performance as Bond, which I think is the worst anyone has ever managed. Looking paunchy and bloated, he sleepwalks through the film appearing thoroughly bored.

In my opinion, Sean Connery's lack of performance in You Only Live Twice is the worst of the series. In Diamonds I tend to believe that he adjusted his performance to suit the lighter tone of the film. There are still moments of the old magic, such as the fight in the lift with Peter Franks. He's clearly overweight though and there's no excuse for that.

Dutchfinger

Well, in my opinion the movie doesn't work at all for several reasons...
I'll just list some personal reasons that come to my mind:

- Connery's performance isn't great at all, he looks VERY bored. In my opinion he looks to have more fun in NSNA and YOLT... And on a side note, it seems he has aged a lot since YOLT. He almost looks older in this movie then he does in NSNA!

- Charles Grey as Blofeld is simply terrible ... and he gets dressed in drag! How on earth did we go from the menacing Blofeld in FRWL to a Blofeld in drag in DAF? Inmagine that it is supposed to be the same character!

- So much in this movie feels so out of place, take the elephant for instance, or that laser from out of space accuratly destroying a submarine with terrible visuals... I find my self facepalming myself a lot during this movie...
And whats with the Blofeld clones?!

- For some reason the glamour is missing in this movie... I'll try to give an example... Take the scene's in other Bond movies in which Bond is bedding with the Bond girls, look at Octopussy, or TMWTGG, or MR.. Atleast there is always glamour and some form of romance in these scene's very excotic stuff... Here we see Connery lying in bed VERY bored with an ashtray on his chest... so distasteful, where is the glamour?

- Overall the worst thing is this movie could have been SO much more!! It could have been an epic revenge story, where Bond follows Blofeld arround the world, trying to get his revenge. Sure throw in a side plot of the diamonds that doesn't matter, but atleast show that Bond has the motivation to finally take his nemisis down, and hell, let him succeed this time! - They knew they were loosing the rights of using Blofeld's character soon anyway, why not let Bond have his revenge and finally kill this guy??Instead, Blofeld gets a lame escape again, and Bond only seems to want revenge in the first 5 minutes of the movie.

Everytime I give this movie a chance again, and the credits roll I think to myself... damn this is the worst Bond movie ever, this was terrible!!

Blackleiter

I think I enjoy DAF a bit more than you do, but I generally agree with your assessment, especially with respect to Charles Gray's Blofeld and Jill St. John's Tiffany Case. I have to admit to being somewhat biased, though, because I was so thrilled Connery returned to the role that I probably overlooked many of the film's flaws.

Smiert-Spionam wrote:

I have to admit that Diamonds Are Forever is one of my guilty pleasures. Sure it's silly but there are some moments that would fit in perfectly with the earlier Bond flicks (the elevator fight springs to mind immediately along with the fantastic finger clamp device). Wint and Kidd are fantastic henchmen, bizzare and original but also weirdly menacing.

I think there are, however, alot of things that let DAF down. Charles Gray's portrayal of Blofelds is the weakest by far, far too charming to really convince me he's a 'proper' Blofeld. I'm also not entirely convinced Donald Pleasence or Telly Savalas would resort to dressing up in drag 8-) . Connery at this point has piled on the pounds and is far less convincing in the role as in earlier films. I also carry a huge dislike for Tiffany Case as the main Bond girl. She starts off okay but by the end of the film she acts like a completely useless bimbo (firing a machine gun and falling into the sea, swapping the cassette back etc). By far the worst Bond girl in the series IMO.

However despite the quibbles I thoroughly enjoy it for what it is, a camp, comedic bit of fun, a prelude of what was to come from the Roger Moore films really.

thesecretagent

It's crass and classless. I think Blofeld is terribly portrayed, Felix is like some beat cop turned cheap PI, it spends far too much time in the States, the Mob are cliche, it's all loud and shouty - I just see it as an attempt for the franchise to be Americanised, revigored - and it failed dismally.

Jarvio

I don't mind DAF, but it does have very cheesy humour compared to all the other Connery films, which would perhaps be more suited to the Moore era. So this might be a reason

jasper_lamar_crabb

Looking at it objectively, it was by far the weakest Bond film when released in 1971. It's cheap, shoddy and lacks the panache of the 1960s Bond films, and Connery is fat and lazy - he became the highest paid actor in the world but he didn't bother with the gym.

chrisisall

jasper_lamar_crabb wrote:

he became the highest paid actor in the world but he didn't bother with the gym.

Connery was heavier, but not fat. Aside from the short bit where he choked Marie, I thought he looked pretty damn good though most of the film. Sure, not the terribly lean chap we saw in Dr. No, but c'mon guys!
It's the dialogue that I love in DAF, so sharp (see my tagline) & funny.
Small world. )
Here's the thing: it was my first Bond movie in the theatre as a kid. So that's how I first saw these movies- OTT black humour & violence.

chrisisall

BIG TAM wrote:

I have a sense I may be in a complete minority on this but DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER deserves reappraisal. It's not classic 007 but has enough going for it to warrant a bigger fan base.

It's easily the best of the Moore films! :v

Peppermill

Why is everyone so upset about Blofeld in women's clothing? Is that really the worst thing in the world/this movie? It is only 30 seconds. I've never heard anyone complain about Colonel Bouvair (?) in Thunderball.

chrisisall

Peppermill wrote:

Why is everyone so upset about Blofeld in women's clothing? Is that really the worst thing in the world/this movie? It is only 30 seconds. I've never heard anyone complain about Colonel Bouvair (?) in Thunderball.

THANK YOU!!!

Jarvio

Peppermill wrote:

Why is everyone so upset about Blofeld in women's clothing? Is that really the worst thing in the world/this movie? It is only 30 seconds. I've never heard anyone complain about Colonel Bouvair (?) in Thunderball.

I agree. And while the scene is ridiculous, I actually don't mind it and have a soft spot for it just because it's rather hilarious

GordoLeiter

Are you guys sure Connery was fat in this? He looked average size to me. Although he looked like he got a really bad tan in the begining of the movie

chrisisall

GordoLeiter wrote:

Are you guys sure Connery was fat in this?

Freeze it where he says "...hearty breakfast..." & tell me he's out of shape, I dare ya! )

Halcon

Plenty O'Toole cures all these maladies... )

chrisisall

Halcon wrote:

Plenty O'Toole cures all these maladies... )

LOL, when Connery unzipped her dress & it fell to the floor, my Mom (who had to take me to the theatre, me being a kid & all) told me "People don't really act like that."
Later I found out firsthand that they sometimes do. B-) -{

Thunderpussy

Hope You didn't throw her in a Pool.

chrisisall

Thunderpussy wrote:

Hope You didn't throw her in a Pool.

That particular hotel had no pool.... just a very comfy shower.

Blackleiter

Nah, he wasn't fat. Bad toupee, though!

GordoLeiter wrote:

Are you guys sure Connery was fat in this? He looked average size to me. Although he looked like he got a really bad tan in the begining of the movie

chrisisall

Blackleiter wrote:

Nah, he wasn't fat. Bad toupee, though!

GordoLeiter wrote:

Are you guys sure Connery was fat in this? He looked average size to me. Although he looked like he got a really bad tan in the begining of the movie

Bad in what way? It always has looked excellent to me, as a kid & now.
Is this a Blu Ray thing? Seeing makeup marks not previously visible or some such? ?:)

Blackleiter

The way the hair was styled, the way it sat on Connery's head - just didn't look right to me.

chrisisall wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

Nah, he wasn't fat. Bad toupee, though!

GordoLeiter wrote:

Are you guys sure Connery was fat in this? He looked average size to me. Although he looked like he got a really bad tan in the begining of the movie

Bad in what way? It always has looked excellent to me, as a kid & now.
Is this a Blu Ray thing? Seeing makeup marks not previously visible or some such? ?:)

chrisisall

Blackleiter wrote:

The way the hair was styled, the way it sat on Connery's head - just didn't look right to me.

That's strange, I thought his toupee in YOLT was way more noticeable, and the one in NSNA was just a rug.
Then again, being a Trek fan

I guess I give quite a bit of leeway in that area... )

chrisisall

thesecretagent wrote:

It's crass and classless. I think Blofeld is terribly portrayed, Felix is like some beat cop turned cheap PI, it spends far too much time in the States, the Mob are cliche, it's all loud and shouty - I just see it as an attempt for the franchise to be Americanised, revigored - and it failed dismally.

Okay, strange thing, I put the movie on because of this thread, and halfway through I'm finding that it's not riveting me the way that it used to...
My recent re-discovery of the Dalton films is squarely to blame.
It seems to me now that even TSWLM was a more serious & engaging effort...

My top five clearly needs reassessing.... 8-)

Polar Bear 0007

Well, I am very much in the minority ( or alone) because this is my fav. film. I am a huge fan of Charles Grey as Blofeld- the attitude, style, and confidence of the man.

Every time I'm in Las Vegas I still visit Circus Circus (even though it's now a dump!!

The opening sequence is great as well.....

I really like Morten Slumber, Wint and Kidd, Plenty, and Bambi and Thumper. All around, great fun.

chrisisall

Polar Bear 0007 wrote:

I am a huge fan of Charles Grey as Blofeld- the attitude, style, and confidence of the man.
The opening sequence is great as well.....
I really like Morten Slumber, Wint and Kidd, Plenty, and Bambi and Thumper. All around, great fun.

Oh, I still love all that, it's just that, it doesn't have the emotional resonance I seem to need from a Bond movie anymore...

zaphod

Halcon wrote:

Plenty O'Toole cures all these maladies... )

Easily two of the best things about DAF :007)

BIG TAM

"Is Mr. Case not at home?"
"The T is for Tiffany."
"Tiffany Case. Definitely distinctive."
"I was born there, on the third floor while my mother was looking for a wedding ring."
"Well I'm glad for your sake it wasn't Van Cleef & Arpels... Weren't you a blonde when I came in?"
"Could be."
"I tend to notice little things like that, whether a girl's a blonde or a brunette."
"And which do you prefer?"
"Oh, providing the collars & cuffs match..."

What's not to like about that? A bit smutty? Nah, it's great fun.

Napoleon Plural

DAF is a family film, you watch it on Bank Holiday Monday and the jokes, delivered impeccably by Connery, come thick and fast.

Great soundtrack, and always a change of scene to something new. Good banter with Miss Case.

It works less well for the DVD era and solo viewing, where you want to take it seriously and it doesn't stand up to that, the production values are poor too, no point on a BluRay for this. Fans get miffed it didn't follow up the theme of OHMSS, which has been reconstructed as the perfect Bond film.