Diamonds Are Forever
1971 · Directed by Guy Hamilton
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
The story
Diamonds are stolen only to be sold again in the international market. James Bond infiltrates a smuggling mission to find out who's guilty. The mission takes him to Las Vegas where Bond meets his archenemy Blofeld.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-bleached Las Vegas and Amsterdam in late-1960s-into-70s colour: lurid pinks and turquoise pool decks, glossy casino carpets, lounge-lit interiors shot with wide, theatrical framing and zooms that linger on gaudy sets. The sound is brassy and playful, with Shirley Bassey's title song and a jaunty, synth-touched score that undercuts every chase. Pacing is brisk and episodic, with long set-piece sequences (a moon-buggy desert chase, a fight on an oil rig-style platform) dropped into a loose, cheeky caper. Its tone is glamorous, wry and deliberately silly, a retro comfort-viewing vibe suited to a lazy weekend afternoon or a playful double bill. Violence is cartoonish and mostly bloodless, with a few brisk fistfights, gunplay and a couple of murders that land more as camp than horror; sexual content is suggestive and innuendo-heavy, but never explicit. Best for fans of classic Bond who want escapist style, flirtation and gadget-driven fun rather than grit or emotional depth.
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