Re-visiting 'The Living Daylights': the lessons Dalton taught the franchise
Timothy Dalton's 007 debut is still my favourite, and here's how influential it was to the franchise's latter success as a gritter and character-driven portrayal of Bond by Daniel Craig
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| Ice-rink carnage in 'The Living Daylights' (MGM, EON) |
After Roger Moore, the third actor to play James Bond, had stepped down from the role after the monstrosity that was 1985's 'A View to a Kill', the franchise was at another low-point where a campy, over-the-top and completely silly Bond was once again being portrayed by the actor at the end of their reign. Indeed, the darker and more realistic portrayal of Bond in Fleming's books was a world away from how his screen double was performing to the world and instead of showing him as a lethal and complicated assassin, Moore's Bond became a campy spy.
Stepping into the spotlight was Welshman Timothy Dalton, an established Shakespearian actor (for those that don't understand the significance here, this meant he was the best you could get and the first proper actor to play the British hero in the series). His Bond took the franchise back to the darker roots of Fleming's source material - although keeping it family friendly (his sequel 'Licence to Kill' allowed the brutality to become explicit (a good thing also, but I digress). And John Glenn's 'The Living Daylights' is an Bond film of exceptional quality that gets the character right for once, making it my favourite for more reasons than just fond childhood memories of watching it.
Indeed, when you look back at the franchise's history - when today that grittier and more realistic portrayal of an assassin has turned Daniel Craig's iteration into the most successful Bond of the whole series (except 'Spectre', but moving on) - it's apparent that Dalton had the same portrayal and elements long before Craig put on the holster and tux, except that the Welshman's films weren't as nearly as commercially successful due to audiences not yet ready to except that more brutal cinematic depiction. But, Dalton can be credited with being the Daniel Craig of the franchise before Craig even turned up. Let's have a look at Dalton's debut to see how.
The first success of the film is that it's screenplay (written by long-time Bond scribe Richard Maibaum and current producer Michael G. Wilson) is coherent, sophisticated and combines the grandeur of a Bond film into a political-thriller narrative. The plot, involving three more realistic villains (as in real life, people need others with different skills to achieve their goal collectively) deals with cold war tensions, Russian defection and the Afghanistan War making the film about as politically relevant (for 1987) as a Paul Greengrass Bourne film was to the late-2000's. The actual narrative is also well-crafted with Bond leading the chase all the way - and it isn't afraid to lower the pace but remain progressive to explore character (the scene where Bond rides the tram to put Kara under surveillance is a slow sequence but is rigged with tension and characterisation for both her and Bond). Also, the film has an almost sub-genre of being a romance, with large sequences given to set up and explore Bond and Kara's growing romantic relationship - making you believe in the love they share by the climax of the film (an unusual thing for the Bond series which saw women as disposable sex objects) and is reminiscent of Craig's romance with Eva Green's Vesper Lynd in 'Casino Royale'.
Secondly, Bond is also seen being an assassin - someone who doesn't want to kill but isn't adverse to doing it if the need arises. His briefing with M (Robert Brown - the best one in my opinion as he is the most authourorative to Bond) is one of the only mission briefings in the series where Bond's assignment is actually to terminate a target. Then, we get a scene where Bond puts Pushkin (the target) under surveillance - they say the true assassin surveys, assesses and then makes the judgement whether to kill or not. Now, all this may seem insignificant but it is the first time in the franchises history since the first film 'Dr. No' that the true character of Bond is being portrayed. And it is indeed a trope continued by Craig, especially in his earlier films, and adds to the idea that Dalton's Bond was a major influence - whether you like it or not - to the gritter and much more down-to-earth style of his films. Although many will prefer the suave performance of Connery's 007 or the campier style of Moore's Bond, these lighter-tone, gadget-laden spy films (however good and enjoyable some of them are) have the least resemblance to the true character of Bond from the source material, meaning that those that prefer that type of Bond are almost enjoying a different character - not that there's anything wrong in that, per say.
'The Living Daylights' does feature an outstanding performance by Dalton, with every physical movement, shift of his eyes and line of dialogue played so subtlety, but with such conviction, that he literally commands the screen. And, this makes the audience take his James Bond very seriously and believe everything happening to, and as a result of, him. Dalton can hold his own in the fight scenes (unlike Moore, although he tried) and his insistence on doing all his own practical stunts adds to the believability that Bond is a field agent of true ability. Again, his performance is obviously something Craig has drawn on - combining that physicality with emotional gravitas - and it can be argued that this is the core reason why his films have become so commercially and critically successful.
Lastly, although I'm a fan of Dalton's sequel 'Licence to Kill' which was explicitly adult-rated, it is a weaker film (if ever so slightly) down to a poorer narrative and odd small details that feel out of place. But, with 'The Living Daylights' - then and now still a PG-rating - everyone involved manage to slip in adult content into a, technically, family viewable film. The humour and traditional one-liners are more sophisticated and include more bad language like when Bond remarks to Koskov that "we have a saying too...and you're full of it", making the audience have to work out the humour. Also, there is a scene where a female control worker forces a male co-worker's face into her breasts as a distraction for Bond to get past and another where a woman is stripped naked and although not fully seen, it's still fairly explicit in the confines of "not actually showing it, fully". Indeed, Craig's films - although a 12 rating - contain a lot of bad language and violence that is more aimed for 15 certifications and again put adult content into lower rated films.
For those Bond fans or general film-goers who have seen 'The Living Daylights' - or haven't at all - I'd suggest going back to revisit (or watch for the first time) and taking on-board how not only is it a high quality Bond action flick but also a key influence for Craig's films. Indeed, with Craig's (presumable) last outing coming out in 2020, 'Bond 25' is continuing on the most successful incarnation of Ian Fleming's British hero which has been (consciously or not) influenced by Dalton's short but quality reign as 007. The problem for Dalton was that he was "Craig's Bond before Craig" and audiences just weren't ready for a 'true' depiction of the character. But have (another) watch and see, perhaps Dalton will only live twice.
by Jack Linsdell
'The Living Daylights' does feature an outstanding performance by Dalton, with every physical movement, shift of his eyes and line of dialogue played so subtlety, but with such conviction, that he literally commands the screen. And, this makes the audience take his James Bond very seriously and believe everything happening to, and as a result of, him. Dalton can hold his own in the fight scenes (unlike Moore, although he tried) and his insistence on doing all his own practical stunts adds to the believability that Bond is a field agent of true ability. Again, his performance is obviously something Craig has drawn on - combining that physicality with emotional gravitas - and it can be argued that this is the core reason why his films have become so commercially and critically successful.
Lastly, although I'm a fan of Dalton's sequel 'Licence to Kill' which was explicitly adult-rated, it is a weaker film (if ever so slightly) down to a poorer narrative and odd small details that feel out of place. But, with 'The Living Daylights' - then and now still a PG-rating - everyone involved manage to slip in adult content into a, technically, family viewable film. The humour and traditional one-liners are more sophisticated and include more bad language like when Bond remarks to Koskov that "we have a saying too...and you're full of it", making the audience have to work out the humour. Also, there is a scene where a female control worker forces a male co-worker's face into her breasts as a distraction for Bond to get past and another where a woman is stripped naked and although not fully seen, it's still fairly explicit in the confines of "not actually showing it, fully". Indeed, Craig's films - although a 12 rating - contain a lot of bad language and violence that is more aimed for 15 certifications and again put adult content into lower rated films.
For those Bond fans or general film-goers who have seen 'The Living Daylights' - or haven't at all - I'd suggest going back to revisit (or watch for the first time) and taking on-board how not only is it a high quality Bond action flick but also a key influence for Craig's films. Indeed, with Craig's (presumable) last outing coming out in 2020, 'Bond 25' is continuing on the most successful incarnation of Ian Fleming's British hero which has been (consciously or not) influenced by Dalton's short but quality reign as 007. The problem for Dalton was that he was "Craig's Bond before Craig" and audiences just weren't ready for a 'true' depiction of the character. But have (another) watch and see, perhaps Dalton will only live twice.
by Jack Linsdell
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