The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Directed by: Lewis Gilbert | 125 minutes | action, thriller, adventure | Actors: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Walter Gotell, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Edward de Souza, Vernon Dobtcheff, Lois Maxwell, Nadim Sawalha, Cyril Shaps, Milo Sperber

In the tenth Bond film, the evil genius Stromberg (Curd Jürgens) resides in a futuristic sea creature called “Atlantis”. The way in which director Lewis Gilbert portrays the building is still impressive. Atlantis rises from the sea like a kind of gigantic spider and is characterized on the inside by a variety of round and oval shapes, which you can safely call typical of the seventies. The attractive shots of Atlantis do not stand alone, because ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ stands out for its cleverly made sets and beautiful shots.

Handsome is also Roger Moore’s play, made famous by the 1960s series ‘The Saint’, in his third role as 007. Moore is more comical than in previous Bond episodes, where he often tried to recreate his predecessor, the tougher Sean Connery, to imitate. Moore seems untouchable, but has one drawback: his sanity disappears near beautiful women and, believe it or not, attractive ladies enough in “The Spy Who Loved Me.” For example, there is Barbara Bach as a Russian spy and counterpart of 007, who bears the revealing pet name “Triple X”. If Ursula Andress was the ultimate Bond girl in ‘Dr. No’ from 1962, Barbara Bach is a good number two! A stunning beauty, who may not act great, but who cares?

Another attraction, but different, is the mercenary who attacks Moore. “Jaws” (Richard Kiel) is a danger in itself with his height of almost six feet. In addition, he has teeth made of steel with which he bites open iron locks just as easily as takes out opponents. Kiel is terrifying as a cold-blooded killer, but gradually develops human and humorous traits. Kiel returned in the next James Bond: ‘Moonraker’ from 1979.

The plot of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is pleasantly predictable. A fight between good and bad, where the unscrupulous villain takes on 007, who seems nigh invincible. Curd Jürgens is a deranged hermit who wants to destroy the world using both Russian and American nuclear weapons. To curb the danger, the Russians are collaborating with the Western world for a change: the Russian Bach and the Briton Moore as a symbol of the slow thawing of the Cold War.

The beautiful locations and stunts in the numerous action scenes are of a high level. The way in which Bond tries to escape a bunch of evil skiers in Austria in the beginning of the film, for example, is surprising and daring. Later the story moves to Egypt where director Gilbert shoots the most beautiful places in the film. The hunt for a sought-after microfilm by Moore, Bach and opponent Kiel remains exciting and of a high aesthetic level. After adventures in the Middle East, the caravan moves to the island of Sardinia, near Italy. Moore gets a white Lotus Esprit on the island, which not only looks attractive, but also houses a lot of technical gadgets.

‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is one of the better Bond films. The film links the arms race between the former Soviet Union and America with good action scenes. The beautiful locations, hip sets and good roles of the protagonists do the rest. Roger Moore is in shape like 007 with the stunning Barbara Bach by his side. Good thing too with a giant like Jaws on your heels.