This needs to happen…
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Bondfan, I think you’re absolutely right about that moment–and I remember having to go back over it in my head after my first viewing of the film to figure out what it meant. The fact that it takes so much thought to interpret it does give a hint as to just how hellaciously tangled that story is. That and TLD are, to me, almost absurdly overplotted.
I agree, Major. Although OP is my favourite ever film (really), I do think it gets too tangled and could have been more stream-lined.
The thing to do, when watching it, is to keep in mind what each character knows - not one of them can see the full picture. This is why Khan only refers to the fake egg and the real egg as “the egg”, because he is only ever dealing with one at any given time.
In this respect, the story has the misunderstandings and multiple agendas of a farce - which, I’ve always believed, is so similar to the thriller that they’re basically two sides of the same coin. (The brilliant North By North West, for example, could easily be a comedy if pitched right).
One more thing: Khan’s wince, I’ve been told, could also be attributed to him losing a perfectly good fake egg which could be swapped again. His chance at making money at another auction is crushed in Orlov’s hands.
As for The Living Daylights, it’s astonishingly complicated, yes. The book ‘James Bond Films of the 1980s’ has a scene by scene breakdown - and, boy, does it need it!
Now, where can I buy that t-shirt?..
I expect royalties…
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You know, basically this. There’s a loose plot which people can follow, or connect in whatever way they like. If certain viewers find that to be a deal breaker, that’s their prerogative. But I find the entertainment value too great for the film to be dismissed. The set pieces show Bond at his daredevil best, and who can forget the backgammon game? Together with TSWLM and MR, OP is Moore Bond at his best.
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