While it is easy to name the best actor who played James Bond (Sean Connery), as well as the worst (George Lazenby), it is little more trickier with the actor who was most underrated in that effort. The most likely candidate is Timothy Dalton, English actor who played that character in two parts of the film series. First of those was 1987 film The Living Daylights, directed by John Glen.
Script was written by the series veterans Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, very loosely inspired by eponymous short story by Ian Fleming with its plot recreated shortly after beginning of the film. Plot begins with British secret agent James Bond (played by Dalton) surviving assassination attempt during the commando exercise in Gibraltar, after which he gets sent to Bratislava (then in Communist Czechoslovakia) to help defection of KGB General Georgi Koskov (played by Jerroen Krabbe) to the West. His escape is to be prevented by KGB sniper whom Bond is supposed to take out; instead, he shoots at the rifle when realising that the sniper is actually beautiful female cellist (played by Maryam D’Abo). While being briefed in MI6 safe house in England, Koskov claims that he defected because General Leonid Pushkin (played by John Rhys-Davies), new head of KGB, decided to reintroduce Stalin’s era policies, including programme of physical elimination of all Western agents. Koskov is then abducted from safe house in a daring raid and Bond’s superiors, concerned that Pushkin’s policy might escalate towards nuclear war between two blocks, order Bond to assassinate Pushkin. Bond is, however, somewhat sceptical and, acting on instinct, travels back to Bratislava where he finds that the female sniper, named Kara Milowy, is actually Koskov’s girlfriend and that the whole defection have been staged. He escapes with her to Austria and continues to Tangiers, where he discovers that Koskov is in league with eccentric American arms dealer Brad Whitaker (played by Jon Doe Baker) and takes part in complicated scheme that involves diamonds, opium and providing Soviets with modern Western weapons to fight Mujahideen in Afghanistan.
Timothy Dalton was cast as the replacement for Roger Moore, an actor who had successfully carried the series in 1970s and early 1980s, but was by mid 1980s and his last film A View to A Kill presumably too old to continue. Furthermore, Moore’s portrayal of Bond of suave and witty playboy and too much emphasis on comedy convinced some that radical change was needed. Dalton in many ways represented return of James Bond to the roots of the character. Of all actors playing Bond, he was physically most resembling the character as described in Ian Fleming’s original novels and short stories. He was also closest to the character of Bond as cold, efficient no-nonsense professional whose fast living, cigars, drink and women come second to actual Cold War espionage. Dalton carefully studied the original material and made new Bond different not only from Moore but also from Connery. His Bond can fight, can be ingenious and charming, but there is little humour or genuine joie de vivre in his portrayal. His character is mostly very serious and sometimes even emotional, allowing himself to be visibly angry. Bond in this film is, unlike previous films, conspicuously monogamous, which is often interpreted as producers’ desire to conform new prudishness and socially responsible treatment of sex in the era of AIDS. This new, more realistic and darker Bond works best in dramatic and action scenes, but less so when producers add attempts at humour, either through lame one-liners or silly details in action scenes, like Bond and Kara escaping through Iron Curtain while sliding down the mountain on cello case.
Dalton, however, delivers the goods as James Bond. Same can be said for John Glen, seasoned director who helmed previous three films in the series (and would helm Licence to Kill two years later). He skilfully puts various exotic or interesting locations (Austria and Morocco) to good use and the action scenes are directed confidently, with lot of dynamism, ingenuity and near perfect blend of stunt work and special effects. Scriptwriters, while doing the admirable job by building on relatively simple and short Fleming’s story, perhaps made the plot too complex and, as a result, this film is a little bit overlong. John Barry, composer who became famous for his James Bond themes, delivers the last soundtrack in the series and it is quite effective, and at times innovative with perfect blend of classic orchestra and synthesisers. Title song by Norwegian band A-Ha, on the other hand, isn’t particularly memorable, although music video looks interesting.
While Dalton is very good James Bond, The Living Daylights is far from being among the best James Bond films. The main reason is in the insufficiencies in other two parts of James Bond formula. Maryam d’Abo looks beautiful, but her role is too underwritten to be effective Bond Girl and at many times she lacks proper chemistry with Dalton. Film also lacks proper Bond villain. Jon Doe Baker, while fine actor who can play intimidating characters, is wasted as pathetic minor league arms dealer with delusions of grandeur. Dutch actor Jerroen Krabbe, on the other hand, makes double-dealing KGB general too comical at times to be taken seriously. The Living Daylights nevertheless did well at the box office, although some critics and fans complained about being a little too dark and serious in comparison with Moore’s films. From today’s perspective (in which some plot details like Russian gas pipelines to Europe or shady dealings in war-ravaged Afghanistan might give it prophetic dimension) The Living Daylights looks as mostly satisfying by-the-numbers and reasonably entertaining instalment of the long and popular action film series.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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