Die Another Day (2002)

Directed by: Lee Tamahori | 133 minutes | action, thriller, adventure | Actors: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Will Yun Lee, Kenneth Tsang, Emilio Echerría, Mikhail Gorevoy, Lawrence Makoare, Colin Salmon, Samantha Bond, Ho Yi Rachel Grant, Simon Andreu, Mark Dymond, Madonna

James Bond has been imprisoned in North Korea under harsh conditions for 14 months when he is released through a prisoner swap. He knows the rules for captive secret agents, yet he is bitter about the chilly return home. He is determined to find out who betrayed him. Tipped off by a secret agent in Hong Kong, he ends up in Cuba where he finds his first lead at Dr. Alvarez’s gene therapy clinic. There he also runs into Jinx (Halle Berry) with whom he has spent the night before. Like a Venus, she had risen from the water in a bikini inspired by Ursula Andress’s from ‘Dr. No’. Just resist that. She also appears to be there on business.

The trail leads to London where the wealthy Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) has become a society darling out of nowhere and is even knighted. His person is surrounded by mysteries. It is only known that his fortune is based on diamonds from Iceland and that he never sleeps. When Bond visits him at his club, they play a game of fencing. This gets so out of hand that the two have to be bloodied apart by Graves’ assistant Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) and the club can be cleaned up afterwards. But like gentlemen, they shake hands and supposedly make peace.

‘Die Another Day’ is a hard episode from the James Bond series. The opening film is of course of a stunning beauty, but does not end like other times with an escape that you can possibly laugh about. Bond is not only imprisoned, but even tortured during his captivity. You will also continue to see these realistic images for a Bond film during the film score and title role. This sense of hardness and coldness is enhanced by the beautifully consistent design: diamonds, water, mirrors, expanses of ice, an ice palace and even the name of Graves’ assistant. The opposite of this is the fire that occurs in various forms. Everything adds to the grim atmosphere.

Fortunately, there is also some room for humor and entertainment. When Bond, after escaping from the harbor, dressed in hospital pajamas and with a huge beard and long hair, stands at the counter of the Yacht Club Hong Kong, he is offered his usual room by the imperturbable manager. In the tradition of gadgets, the invisible car ‘Q’ designed for Bond is one of the most spectacular ever. The other technical gadgets are also worthwhile and the decors are unsurpassed. The chemistry between Brosnan and Halle Berry is particularly successful: they are a team in every way. An impressive episode.