The Living Daylights (1987)

[zen007]

The 1980s was an interesting period for Bond films. First, all of them were directed by John Glen. Second, 3 of the 5 films showcased some of the best work of John Barry. And finally, the period was still influenced by the Cold War, where the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 when the last Bond film of the 80s, Licence to Kill, was released.

Challenges included a) finding suitable scripts for an aging Roger Moore, and b) bringing in Moore's replacement that could also provide a new direction to the franchise, which tends to reinvent itself from time to time to remain relevant.

Another interesting aspect of the 1980s was returning to utilize/build on Fleming material versus the 1970s, where we saw a relative departure from Fleming books apart from mostly using titles, characters, and locations. You can read more on this - HERE.


In 1987, the post-Moore era, which also aimed at a new direction, began with The Living Daylights. Timothy Dalton played the Bond that is relatively closer to the Bond in Fleming's books. This remains one of the most impactful performances by a Bond actor. You only have to see the segment where Dalton's anger flows off the screen in Vienna where his associate is killed.

The film also displayed how excellently a Fleming short story could be developed. "The Sniper was a woman" segment utilized Fleming's work and the rest of the film brilliantly built upon that short story.

Additionally, the film sports memorable stunts including the Ice Chase and Hercules segments. The locations include Gibraltar, Austria, and Morocco, along with the Northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Surrounding Bond are interesting characters such as Kara Milovy, General Koskov, General Puskin, Kamran Shah, etc.

Above all, John Barry goes out in style with the score, which is among the best for the franchise, meaning that it is among the best for films in general as well. One of the memorable pieces includes when Bond is put on the military/diplomatic plane to Afghanistan. You see a visual of the big plane in the air where Barry's score hints at the tension ahead and marks a change in direction in the film. In a way, reminding of the segment in Apocalypse Now where the boat heads into Cambodia.

The film is also notable for being the last Bond film about the Cold War era shot during the Cold War period.

Some may point to the villains being a weak area of the film. However, the film is about deception, and only Bond seems to suspect it. In that sense, the key villain character works well. Bond films have a history of using a group of villains (used that concept earlier in Octopussy for e.g.) and this film falls into that segment, after banking on "Zorin" in the preceding A View to a Kill.

Overall, this can be considered as a near-perfect (or even perfect w/o putting it under the microscope) espionage/intrigue Bond film with great acting (for the genre), stunts, story, and score!

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS | Aston Martin V8 - YouTube

How do you rate The Living Daylights and Dalton's performance? Is it the Bond highlight of the 80s?


PS 80s Bond films:

For Your Eyes Only (1981, Moore)
Octopussy (1983, Moore)
A View to a Kill (1985, Moore)
The Living Daylights (1987, Dalton)
License to Kill (1989, Dalton)

[Winslow Leach]

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS is one of the best Bond films, IMO. It's an epic. Dalton was an excellent Bond, and the film has many memorable moments. It's one of my favorites.

[zen007]

[kwisatzhaderach]

Pure class. Second only to 'From Russia With Love'. Dalton's portrayal of Bond in this film is stunning.

[Winslow Leach]

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL are in my top ten Bond films. Dalton is Fleming's creation.

[StarWarsIsAwesome123]

It's criminal that Dalton didn't get more movies, he was such a good Bond.

[Dragon78]

This is one my all time favorite Bond movies.

[drb999]

I wish Dalton did a few more movies. He was a great Bond.

[Jbug]

I've been watching Dalton in Penny Dreadful the last couple of days. I found myself thinking of him being in TLD. He handled the role of Bond admirably and it would have been nice to see him in more than a couple of Bond films. Dalton was a cool JB and the soundtrack is to me the best one.

[Ben_UK]

I went to Gibraltar in 2001 whilst on a Med cruise. As a huge Bond fan I was nerding out whilst going up and down the roads of the rock noticing all the locations used.

[spanky87]

I’m just a casual Bond viewer, but this is my favourite one simply because of the chemistry between Dalton and d’Abo, and I think they’re the most fun Bond/Bond girl combo to watch. I would’ve bought him wanting to settle down with her far more than Vesper or that French one in the Craig films.

“Just a cello—cello—cello!”

[Zechs Merquise]

Originally Posted by spanky87

I’m just a casual Bond viewer, but this is my favourite one simply because of the chemistry between Dalton and d’Abo, and I think they’re the most fun Bond/Bond girl combo to watch. I would’ve bought him wanting to settle down with her far more than Vesper or that French one in the Craig films.

“Just a cello—cello—cello!”

It's funny. I was thinking of the d'Abo character when I was reading up on Oksana Grigorieva. Grigorieva, as people probably know, was infamously the girlfriend of Mel Gibson until they split acrimoniously. But before that she was with Dalton and they have a son together. But I was reading up on her and her early life and how she grew up in the Soviet Union and she studied music at the conservatoire in Kazan and I thought to myself 'She's basically Kara Milovy. Dalton went and had a child with Kara Milovy'

[Sawasdee1983]

The Dalton Bonds are my favorite Bonds. They were more serious and more adult. The Dalton Bonds are the Bond movies I watched most

[Zivouhr]

I just watched Dalton as the villain in The Rocketeer last weekend. He's a believable actor and was an interesting Bond, had he been given a better script in License to Kill.

The Living Daylights is entertaining and has a great theme song too.

[badfingerboogie]

Originally Posted by Sawasdee1983

The Dalton Bonds are my favorite Bonds. They were more serious and more adult. The Dalton Bonds are the Bond movies I watched most

Yeah, they're comfortably my favourite two these days - I revisit them far more than most of the others.

[Gizz]

Not only one of my favourite Bond films but this has my all time favourite Bond theme song.

[badfingerboogie]

Originally Posted by Gizz

Not only one of my favourite Bond films but this has my all time favourite Bond theme song.

The Living Daylights has possibly my favourite opening theme, while Licence takes the cake for my favourite closing credits song ("If You Asked Me To").

[Hombre1]

I have warm vivid memories at this Bond movie. Because at the Dutch première (Jeroen krabbé is Dutch) I got the chance to talk to Q -Desmond Llewelyn, who is a very charming person with good humor for the first time.

And indeed the best Barry Bond score!

[moreorless]

I wouldnt say its absolutely perfect but for me it is clearly the best of the Glen era Bonds that I think manages to fit in all the best bits of the latter Moore era without as many of the weaknesses.

I'v never really understood the claim that Dalton didnt get on with the comedy, he didnt go as large as Moore did of course but I think he did still have a great sense of fun to him and managing to pull that off whilst also having a hard edge was no mean feat.

Lisence to Kill I can appreciate what they were trying to do but I tend to think they just didnt have the tools to pull it off, it really needed someone like Mann directing.

[levcore]

Originally Posted by moreorless

I wouldnt say its absolutely perfect but for me it is clearly the best of the Glen era Bonds that I think manages to fit in all the best bits of the latter Moore era without as many of the weaknesses.

I'v never really understood the claim that Dalton didnt get on with the comedy, he didnt go as large as Moore did of course but I think he did still have a great sense of fun to him and managing to pull that off whilst also having a hard edge was no mean feat.

Lisence to Kill I can appreciate what they were trying to do but I tend to think they just didnt have the tools to pull it off, it really needed someone like Mann directing.

Agreed about Dalton and the humour, this movie has one of my favourite funny Bond exchanges in the entire franchise, it always makes me laugh out loud and Dalton's delivery is perfect:

Kara: We're free!

Bond: Kara, we're inside a Russian airbase in the middle of Afghanistan.