The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Director:

Lewis Gilbert

Writers:

Christopher Wood (screenplay) and
Richard Maibaum (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 August 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

He's Bond. He's Back. He's 007.

Plot:

James Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads with the help of a KGB agent whose lover he killed.

Plot Keywords:

Submarine | British | Jaws | Teeth | Sea

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 26

4:00 PM

SYFY

Cast

Roger Moore	...	James Bond
Barbara Bach	...	Major Anya Amasova
Curd Jürgens	...	Karl Stromberg (as Curt Jurgens)
Richard Kiel	...	Jaws
Caroline Munro	...	Naomi
Walter Gotell	...	General Anatol Gogol
Geoffrey Keen	...	Sir Frederick Gray
Bernard Lee	...	'M'
George Baker	...	Captain Benson
Michael Billington	...	Sergei Barsov
Olga Bisera	...	Felicca
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Edward de Souza	...	Sheikh Hosein (as Edward De Souza)
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Max Kalba
Valerie Leon	...	Hotel Receptionist

Runtime:

125 min | Sweden:123 min (cut version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Italian | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Ireland:PG | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1977) | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Abu Simbel Temple, Abu Simbel, Egypt

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

"The Spy Who Loved Me" was the tenth James Bond novel to be written by Ian Fleming. It was first published on 18 April 1962. The only common story elements between the novel and the film are its title and two henchman Jaws and Sandor who are loosely inspired by the book's villains Horror (with steel-capped teeth) and Slugsy (short and bald). The film is considered as the first Bond film whose story is completely original. (The second would be GoldenEye (1995).) Fleming only allowed the novel's title to be used as it was told in the first person of a Bond girl character, with James Bond himself only appearing in chapters 10-14 out of 15. The names of the heroine (Vivienne Michel) and the villains' employer (Mr. Saguinetti) are not mentioned in the movie. The novelization of the film by screenwriter Christopher Wood was called "James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me" so as to distinguish it from Fleming's novel. This was the first novelization of a Bond film, rather than the other way around. Some later Bond movies, namely Moonraker (1979), A View to a Kill (1985) and Quantum of Solace (2008), followed the example of using a one of Fleming's titles and creating a wholly or mostly new story for it.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: There is very little down draft from the copter disturbing the water as it hovers above the Lotus/sub.

Quotes:

[first lines]
HMS Ranger Navigator: Captain wants to keep 500 feet.
Young officer, HMS Ranger: [over PA] Maneuvering, Control. Come in shallow to 500 feet.
Young officer, HMS Ranger: [to crewman] Keep 500 feet
HMS Ranger crewman: Keep 500 feet, sir.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dharma & Greg: The Spy Who Said He Loved Me (#3.17)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Piano Concerto No. 21 'Elvira Madigan' Andante

Exceptionally good Bond film

Just like the highly disappointing "Die another day" is a regrettable class example of how to do everything in a James Bond film completely wrong, legendary "The Spy who loved me" is a prototype of a perfect 007 adventure. Everything seems to work here.

First of all this was the first Bond movie that really showed what a modern pre-credits sequence should look like. After all in Roger Moore's first two flicks "Live and let die" and "The Man with the golden gun" we don't even see 007 until after the credits.

From the opening ski chase to the underwater car, stunts are amazing. In many ways this has to be one of the most imaginative Bonds. Story is excellent, especially because it doesn't only deal with Stromberg's evil plot against the unaware world but because it has a pleasant little sideplot about 007's relationship with Major Anya Amasova.

Villains are of course splendid, why should I even bother to mention that (almost literally) larger-than-life character Jaws is perhaps the most beloved bad guy James Bond has ever been against with. Curd Jürgens also gives a magnificent performance as the insane mastermind Stromberg.

I'm one of the people who thinks that in the end Sean Connery is the one and only true James Bond. Nevertheless, "The Spy who loved me" is still better than some of Connery's Bond movies. At least it surpasses "From Russia with love", "Thunderball" and "Diamonds are forever" and I must admit these films are most terrific experiences too.

Everyone should see this film, not only the big Bond fanatics. Why? Simply because "The Spy who loved me" is not only a significant film in the movie series, it's much more than that. It's an important part of the pop culture.