A View to a Kill

Infobox_Film_Bond
name = A View To A Kill


caption = "A View to a Kill" film poster
bond = Roger Moore
stars = Christopher Walken
Tanya Roberts
Grace Jones
writer = Ian Fleming (story)
screenplay = Michael G. Wilson,
Richard Maibaum
cinematography = Alan Hume
director = John Glen
producer = Albert R. Broccoli,
Michael G. Wilson
music = John Barry
main theme = A View to a Kill
composer = John Barry
Duran Duran
performer = Duran Duran
distributor = MGM/UA Entertainment Co.
released = 13 June 1985
runtime = 126 minutes
preceded_by = Octopussy (1983)
followed_by = The Living Daylights (1987)
budget = $30,000,000
worldgross = $152,400,000
admissions = $42.9 million
imdb_id = 0090264
amg_id = 1:52760

"A View To A Kill" (1985) is the fourteenth spy film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the third Bond film after "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Octopussy" to have an entirely original screenplay. In "A View to a Kill", Bond is pitted against Max Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.

The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Richard Maibaum. It was the third James Bond film to be directed by John Glen.

Despite being a commercial success, "A View To A Kill" received very mixed reviews by critics and was also disliked by Roger Moore himself. However, Christopher Walken was praised for portraying a "classic Bond villain." [cite web |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/A-View-to-a-Kill |title=A View to a Kill: A film review by Christopher Null |accessdate=2007-10-02]

Plot

In the pre-title sequence, James Bond is sent to Siberia to locate 003's corpse and recover a microchip. Upon doing so, he is ambushed by Soviet troops but flees in a submarine built to resemble an iceberg. After Bond has returned to England, Q has the microchip analysed and informs M, Bond and the Minister of Defence that its design is an exact match of a microchip made by Zorin Industries. The retrieved microchip is also designed to withstand the damage caused to other chips by a nuclear explosion.

Bond and his superiors visit the Ascot Racecourse to observe the company's owner, Max Zorin. While at the track, Zorin's horse miraculously wins the race; Sir Godfrey Tibbett, a horse trainer, believes Zorin's horse was given drugs, although when screened prior to the race, it did not show any signs of doping. Through Tibbett, Bond meets a French private detective named Aubergine to discuss how the horse won. Aubergine informs Bond that Zorin is holding an annual horse sale later in the month. However, during their dinner at the Eiffel Tower, Aubergine is killed by Zorin's mysterious bodyguard, May Day. Bond steals a Renault taxi to chase May Day but fails to apprehend her.

Bond and Tibbett travel to Chantilly, France where Bond poses as James St. John Smith (pronounced "sin-jin-smythe"), a rich dilettante. They break into Zorin's secret laboratory and learn that he is using microchips in his horses to release a drug when prompted by a hidden switch. Tibbett is later killed by May Day, but an attempt to drown Bond in a lake fails. Later, General Gogol from the Soviet Union shows up at Zorin's estate with several other KGB agents, but Zorin, an ex-KGB agent himself, becomes upset with Gogol and forces him to leave.

In his airship, Zorin unveils to a group of investors his plan to destroy Silicon Valley in an operation he dubs "Main Strike" in order to gain a monopoly in the microchip market. Bond later learns that Zorin is a psychopath, the product of Nazi medical experimentation during World War II, and later trained by the KGB.

Bond soon meets state geologist Stacey Sutton, whose oil company had been taken over by Zorin, and the two team up to steal documents about his plan from the San Francisco City Hall. Zorin arrives, holding them hostage, and then forces a city official to call the police. He kills the official and sets the building on fire in order to frame Bond for the murder. Bond and Sutton are first rescued by the fire brigade and then chased by the police. They escape in a fire-engine.

The next day, Bond and Sutton infiltrate Zorin's mine discovering his plot to detonate explosives beneath the lakes along the Hayward Fault and the San Andreas Fault causing them to flood. A larger bomb is also on site in the mine to destroy a "geological lock" that is in place to prevent the two faults from moving at the same time. Once destroyed, it would supposedly cause a double earthquake. The flooding of the mine is successful, nearly killing Bond and May Day, while Sutton escapes. Zorin and Scarpine also murder all of the mine workers as they attempt to flee. Because she was betrayed, May Day helps Bond remove the larger bomb that would destroy the lock. They put the bomb on a handcar and push it out of the mine along a railroad line. May Day stays on the car holding the faulty brake lever, sacrificing her own life and saving Silicon Valley.

Sutton is quickly captured by Zorin, who is escaping via airship with Scarpine and his mentor, Dr. Karl Mortner. Bond manages to grab hold of the mooring rope. During the flight, Bond ties the rope to the Golden Gate Bridge. Stacey attacks Zorin and in the ensuing fracas, Mortner and Scarpine are temporarily knocked out. Stacy flees on the bridge and joins with Bond, but Zorin comes after them, and Zorin and Bond battle on the bridge. Bond gains the upper hand on Zorin in hand-to-hand combat and Zorin plummets to his death in San Francisco Bay. Mortner attempts to kill Bond with a bundle of dynamite but loses his grip on it. Seconds later, the dynamite explodes and the airship with it. Q later uses his fake-dog surveillance camera to locate 007. He finds him safely making love to Stacey in her shower.

Cast

* Roger Moore as James Bond: British Secret Service agent.
*Christopher Walken as Max Zorin: A microchip industrialist planning to destroy the Silicon Valley in an earthquake and gain a monopoly in the market.
*Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton: The granddaughter of an oil tycoon whose company is taken over by Zorin. She later becomes a geologist and assists Bond in preventing the earthquake.
*Grace Jones as May Day: Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman. When Zorin betrays her, she joins hands with Bond and sacrifices her life so as to save Silicon Valley.
*Robert Brown as M: The strict head of the Secret Intelligence Service
*Desmond Llewelyn as Q: An MI6 officer in charge of the research and development branch. He provides Bond with unique vehicle and gadgets for battling Zorin.
*Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny: M's secretary.
* Geoffrey Keen as Fredrick Gray: The British Minister of Defence.
*Walter Gotell as General Gogol: The head of the KGB.
*Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett: Bond's ally who helps him enter Zorin's villa and stable.
*Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine: Zorin's loyal associate.
*David Yip as Chuck Lee A CIA agent who assists Bond and Sutton but is killed by May Day.
*Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova; a KGB agent sent by Gogol to spy on Zorin.
*Willoughby Gray as Dr. Carl Mortner: A former Nazi scientist who designs Zorin's microchips for carrying narcotic drugs (in the German release version, he is a Polish communist).
*Alison Doody as Jenny Flex: One of May Day's assistants
*Papillon Soo Soo as Pan Ho: One of May Day's assistants
*Dolph Lundgren as Venz, one of General Gogol's KGB Henchmen

Maud Adams is said to be visible as an extra in one of the Fisherman's Wharf scenes; in the DVD documentary "Inside A View to a Kill", Adams explains that she was visiting her friend Moore on location and ended up in the crowd, but admits she is unable to actually see herself in the film; In the same documentary, director John Glen confirms that Adams appears as an extra, but does not specify where she is visible.cite video
people = Maud Adams
year =
date =
title = Inside A View to a Kill
url =
format =
medium = VCD/DVD
publisher = MGM Home Entertainment Inc
location =
accessdate = 09
accessmonth= 09
accessyear = 2007
time =
quote = ] The appearance remained a mystery for years until she was identified as standing in the background during one of the Fisherman's Wharf scenes. As a result, Adams appears in three Bond films, previously in "The Man with the Golden Gun" in 1974 and in "Octopussy" in 1983. [ cite web | url=http://commanderbond.net/article/2410 | title=Does Maud Adams appear in A View to a Kill? | accessdate=2007-09-09 ]

Production

"A View to a Kill" was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Wilson also co-authored the screenplay along with Richard Maibaum. At the end of "Octopussy" during the "James Bond Will Return" sequence, it listed the next film as "From a View to a Kill", the name of the original short story; however, the title was later changed.

When a company with a name similar to Zorin (the Zoran Corporation) was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that Zorin was not related to any real-life company. This is the first Bond film to have a disclaimer ("The Living Daylights" had a disclaimer about the use of the Red Cross.)

Casting

Early publicity for "A View to a Kill" in 1984 included an announcement that David Bowie would play Zorin. He turned it down, saying, "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs." The role was offered to Sting and finally to Christopher Walken. [cite book |title=The Complete David Bowie |author=Nicholas Pegg |year=2004 |publisher=Reynolds & Hearn Ltd |pages=pg. 561]

Dolph Lundgren has a brief appearance as one of General Gogol's KGB agents. Grace Jones, who was dating Lundgren at the time, had asked the film's producers to find a cameo for him. Lundgren appears during the confrontation between Gogol and Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol. [ cite web | url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/avtak_trivia.php3?t=avtak&s=avtak | title=Notes on A View to a Kill | accessdate=2007-09-07 ]

Filming

The film was shot at Pinewood Studios in London, Iceland, Switzerland, France and United States. Several French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, its Jules Verne Restaurant and the Château de Chantilly were filmed.The rest of the major filming was done in the Fisherman's Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.The Lefty O'Doul Bridge was featured in the fire engine chase scene. The horse racing scenes were shot at the Ascot Racecourse. [ cite web | url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/v/viewtoakill.html | title= A View to a Kill filming locations | accessdate=2007-09-07 ]

The production of "A View To A Kill" began on 23 June 1984, in Iceland where the second unit filmed the pre-title sequence. cite web | url=http://commanderbond.net/article/2792 | title=June: This Month in Bond History | accessdate=2007-09-07] On 27 June 1984, several leftover canisters of gasoline used during filming of Ridley Scott's "Legend" caused the Pinewood Studios' "007 Stage" to be burnt to the ground. Broccoli arranged its reconstruction which was done by the end of July 1984. [ cite web | url=http://commanderbond.net/article/2792 | title=This month in Bond History | accessdate=2007-09-08] The soundstage was renamed "Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage". The filming of "A View to a Kill" continued when Roger Moore rejoined the main unit at Pinewood on 1 August 1984. The crew then departed for shooting the horse-racing scenes at Royal Ascot Racecourse. The scene in which Bond and Sutton enter the mineshaft was then filmed in a waterlogged quarry near Staines and the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum in West Sussex. [ cite web | url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/avtak_production.php3?t=avtak&s=avtak | title=Production of "A View to a Kill" | accessdate=2007-09-07]

On 6 October 1984, the fourth Unit headed by the special effects supervisor John Richardson, began its work on the climactic fight sequence. At first, only a few plates constructed to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge were used. Later that night, the shooting of the burning San Francisco City Hall commenced. The first actual scenes atop the bridge were filmed on 7 October 1984. [ cite web | url=http://commanderbond.net/article/2545 | title=October: This Month in Bond History| accessdate=2007-09-07]

In Paris it was planned that two stunt men, B.J. Worth and Don Caldvedt, would help film two takes of a parachute drop off a (clearly visible) platform that extended from a top edge of the Eiffel Tower. However, sufficient footage was obtained from Worth's jump, so Caldvedt was told he would not be performing his own jump. Caldvedt, unhappy at not being able to perform the jump, parachuted off the tower without authorization from the City of Paris. He was subsequently sacked by the production team for jeopardizing the continuation of filming in the city.

Airship Industries managed a major marketing coup with the inclusion of their Skyship 500 series airship in the film. At the time Airship Industries were producing a fleet of ships which were recognisable over many capitals of the world offering tours, or advertising sponsorship deals. As all Bond films have included the most current technology, this included the lighter than air interest. cite web | url=http://www.aht.ndirect.co.uk/airships/ss500/Zorin.htm | title=Movie Airship : SkyShip 500 "Zorin Industries" | work =The Airship Heritage Trust |accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

The ship used in the climax was an actual Skyship 500, then on a promotional tour of Los Angeles after its participation in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games. At that time, had "WELCOME" painted across the side of the hull, but the word was soon replaced by "ZORIN INDUSTRIES". During the 1984 season, the ship depicted green and red shades as a part of Fujifilm's blimp fleet; it was subsequently coloured white. In real life, inflating it would take up to 24 hours, but during filming it was shown to have taken 2 minutes.

Music

The soundtrack was composed by John Barry, and published by EMI/Capitol. [ cite web | url=http://www.soundtrack.net/albums/database/?id=53 | title=A View to a Kill: Soundtrack |accessdate=2007-09-08 ] The theme song "A View to a Kill", was written by Barry and Duran Duran, and performed by the band. It has three different versions of which the two made by Duran Duran make no reference to the James Bond theme; some of its notes are mixed while "May Day Jumps" is the only song of the film that features the original theme. Barry's composition "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was modified for use in the songs "Snow Job," "He's Dangerous," and "Golden Gate Fight" of "A View to a Kill." [ cite web | url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/view_kill.html | title=A View To A Kill | work=Filmtracks.com | accessdate=2007-09-07 ] "A View To A Kill" was second in the British charts and first in the American charts, thus becoming the peak song in the James Bond series. [ cite web | url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/avtak_music.php3?t=avtak&s=avtak | title=A View To A Kill | work=Mi6.co.uk | accessdate=2007-09-07 ]

Duran Duran was chosen to do the song after bassist John Taylor (a lifelong Bond fan) approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party, and somewhat drunkenly asked "When are you going to get someone "decent" to do one of your theme songs?"Malins, Steve. (2005) "Notorious: The Unauthorized Biography", André Deutsch/Carlton Publishing, UK (ISBN 0-233-00137-9). pp 161-162] [Paul Gambaccini Interview with John Taylor, 1985, "Greatest" DVD extras.]

During the opening teaser, a cover version of the 1965 Beach Boys song "California Girls", performed by Gidea Park (a tribute band), is used during a chase in which Bond snowboards; it has been suggested that this teaser sequence helped initiate interest in snowboarding. [ cite web | url=http://www.snowboardclub.co.uk/FAQ-id_cat-33.html | title=Snowboard Club UK FAQs | accessdate=2007-10-02 ]

Release and reception

"A View to A Kill" was the first Bond film with a premiere outside of the UK, opening on 22 May 1985 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. The British premiere was held on 12 June 1985 at the Odeon Leicester Square Cinema in London. The film was first broadcast on British television on 31 January 1990. It achieved a box office collection of US $152.4 million worldwide with 50.3 million in the United States alone. [ cite web | url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/avtak.php3 | title=A View to a Kill: MI6 Profile | accessdate=2007-09-06 ] cite web | title=A View to a Kill at Box Office Mojo | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=viewtoakill.htm | accessdate=2007-09-02 ] On its opening Weekend in the US it earned $10.6 million.

Rotten Tomatoes gave "A View to a Kill" a 48% "Rotten" rating. cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/view_to_a_kill/ | title=A View to a Kill | work=Rotten Tomatoes | accessdate=2007-09-06 ] One of the most common criticisms was that Roger Moore's age was 57 - Sean Connery declared that "Bond should be played by an actor 35, 33 years old. I’m too old. Roger’s too old, too!".cite web|url=http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/avtak_premiere.php3?t=avtak&s=avtak|title=A View To A Kill - The Premiere & Press|date=2005-05-22|publisher=mi6.co.uk|accessdate=2007-12-21] Moore has also stated "A View to a Kill" as his least favourite film. He was quoted saying "I was horrified on the last Bond I did. Whole slews of sequences where Christopher Walken was machine-gunning hundreds of people. I said 'That wasn't Bond, those weren't Bond films.' It stopped being what they were all about. You didn't dwell on the blood and the brains spewing all over the place". [Barnes and Hearn 1997, p.169] The film was mentioned by Brian J. Arthurs of the Beach Reporter as the worst film of the Bond series. John Puccio of DVDtown.com said, "No Bond outing is awful, but this one comes close." C. Pea of the Time Out Film Guide said, "Grace Jones is badly wasted." [ cite web | url=http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/62987/a_view_to_a_kill.html | title= A View to a Kill | work=Timeout.com | accessdate=2007-09-06 ] Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the worst Bond movie, [cite web|url=http://movies.sympatico.msn.ca/features/ArticleNormanWilner.aspx?cp-documentid=436189|title=Rating the Spy Game|publisher=MSN|author=Norman Wilner|accessdate=2007-12-21] while IGN staff chose it as the fourth worst, over "The Man With The Golden Gun", "Die Another Day" and "Diamonds are Forever". [cite web|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/746/746573p1.html|title=James Bond's Top 20|publisher=IGN|date=2006-11-17|accessdate=2007-12-21] In a December 2007 interview, Roger Moore remarked, "I was only about four hundred years too old for the part." [ [http://www.topnews.in/light/roger-moore-admits-stretching-bond-stint-too-long-24550 Roger Moore admits stretching Bond stint too long | Top News Light Reading ] ]

Appearances in other media

"A View to a Kill" was adapted into two video games in 1985. The first, titled "A View to a Kill", was published by Domark. It was available on ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Oric 1 and Oric Atmos, and MSX. The second, titled "James Bond 007: A View to a Kill" was a text-based video game for DOS and Apple II computers. It was developed by Angelsoft, Inc. and published by Mindscape Inc.

May Day was a playable multiplayer character in the 1997 and 2000 video games "GoldenEye 007" and "The World Is Not Enough", for the Nintendo 64 and both N64 and PlayStation respectively. In the 2002 game "", May Day and Max Zorin also appears as bots. [cite video game
title =
developer = Eurocom
publisher =
date = 2002
platform =
version =
level =
isolang =
quote = ] Other references include Nikolai Diavolo, a character in the 2004 game "", claiming Zorin to be his mentor and friend. [cite video game
title = James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
developer = EA Games
publisher = Electronic Arts
date = 2004
platform = Game Boy Advance
version =
level =
isolang =
quote = ] In "", a multiplayer level is the summit of the Golden Gate Bridge, including the Zorin blimp, which would fire on players when activated. Players are also able to climb the suspension cables (similar to the events of the film). [cite video game
title =
developer = Electronic Arts
publisher = Electronic Arts
date =
platform =
version =
level =
isolang =
quote = ]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0090264|title=A View to a Kill
*amg movie|id=1:52760|title=A View to a Kill
*rotten-tomatoes|id=view_to_a_kill|title=A View to a Kill
*mojo title|id=viewtoakill|title=A View to a Kill
* [http://www.mgm.com/title_title.do?title_star=VIEWTOAK MGM's official "A View To A Kill" website]
*moby game|id=/a-view-to-a-kill
*moby game|id=/james-bond-007-a-view-to-a-kill|name="A View to a Kill" (text based game)