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A View to a Kill
Artist: John Barry
Genre: Film Soundtrack
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Original CD Release:
Year: 1985
Record Label: EMI-Toshiba
Catalog Number: CP32-5076
(Japanese import)
CD running time: 38:25 |
Remastered CD Release:
Year: 2003
Record Label: Capitol-EMI
Catalog Number: 72435-41448-2-0
CD running time: 38:25
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Click on the album cover to order from Amazon.com
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A View To a Kill,
Roger Moore's swansong as James Bond, took a hold of the computer age as he
recovers a chip from the body of Agent 003 in Siberia only for Q (Desmond
Llewelyn) to discover that it comes from Zorin Industries, headed by manic
madman Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), where the microchips can be manufactured
to withstand the magnetic pulse damage from a nuclear explosion. It's with this
tactic that he plans to take over the world by dismantling the strangehold that
Silicon Valley has and rendering every other company's tools useless with a
flick of the wrist.
Whilst having dinner
together, Bond witnesses M. Aubergine (Jean Rougerie) being killed at their
table after he plans to expose Zorin's horseracing sale scam of the century,
causing Bond to head off after his killer, May Day (Grace Jones), although by
that point he does not yet know her identity.
The rest of the cast
fills out with Bond girls Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts) and Pola Ivanova (Fiona
Fullerton), a character who was a jockey in the original novel but became
racehorse trainer Sir Godfrey Tibbett for the film and was played by Patrick
Macnee, whose Avengers co-star Diana Rigg was briefly married to Bond, in his
Lazenby incarnation, for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Harrison Ford's
Indiana Jones co-stars in films two and three respectively, David Yip and Alison
Doody, also make an appearance. (Synopsis from dvdfever.co.uk.)
Damned Rodan's
Album Review
Rating (out of 5):
Given the number of inferior Bond
films produced during Roger Moore's tenure, it's sometimes difficult to
determine which is the absolute worst. Many bestow that dubious honor on A
View to a Kill, but I still have to give the nod to Moonraker, which
is by far the most consistently insipid of the lot. A View to a Kill
rises at least a notch above the worst because the first half of the film
features some fine, suspenseful storytelling, with the distinctive air of a
serious Bond thriller. Unfortunately, after the death of Tibbett (Patrick Macnee)
and Bond's arrival in San Francisco, the film rapidly falls apart, becoming
little more than a series of ridiculous stunts, bad acting, and contrived plot
devices. The exception would be Bond's climactic fight with Max Zorin
(Christopher Walken) atop one of the girders of the Golden Gate bridge. It's
extremely well-choreographed and, although some of the matte shots are obvious,
it gives the distinct, unsettling impression that it's actually happening at
dizzying heights. It's a rare, excellent moment in a film so flawed that it's no
wonder so many fans hold it in contempt.
Barry's musical
score, however, is one of the best in years, with several touches derived from
his most masterful composition—On Her Majesty's Secret Service. "Snow
Job" (Track 2) features an action theme that is appealingly reminiscent of "Ski
Chase," with its swirling bass rhythms and soaring brass, yet it manages to
forge new ground with the addition of screaming electric guitars and hammering
percussion. The cut is one of the highlights of any Bond album; and yet, in the
film, the piece is spoiled by a disastrous filmmaking decision: the insertion of
the chorus from the Beach Boys' "California Girls" when Bond turns a snowmobile
skid into a personal snowboard to escape from his pursuers. As with the slide
whistle effect during "Let's Go Get 'Em" in The Man With the Golden Gun,
and the Tarzan yell during Bond's escape in Octopussy, the entire mood of
the scene is ruined by the insertion of such idiotic, inappropriate humor. Thank
God the album is devoid of this unnecessary interlude and we can hear Barry's
superb music as it was meant to be.
Initially, my
impression of the title song, performed by Duran Duran, was none too favorable,
since it reeked of mid-80s cliches, laden with electronic burps that made one
think the stereo was on the fritz (sadly, an effect repeated all-too-recently in
Madonna's piece-of-shit hit Die Another Day.) However, with the passage
of time, "A View to a Kill" has managed to hold up, despite its almost
nonsensical lyrics*, as a decent, action-oriented piece that shines like the
Akhbar Shah in comparison to many other pop soundtrack pieces that have surfaced
in the interim.
"May Day Jumps"
builds up in characteristic Barry form, culminating in a soaring brass chorus as
May Day (Grace Jones) leaps gracefully from the Eiffel Tower and parachutes to
safety, while Bond is left to pursue her in a stolen, half-broken-down cab—which
by the time he is finished with it is half the car it used to be.
"Bond Meets Stacy"
and "Wine With Stacy" offer Stacy Sutton (Tanya Roberts), our ostensible
heroine, more dignity than she deserves, given her wooden acting job. These
tracks utilize flute and strings to interpret the main title theme, and the
arrangement of the former sounds almost as much like a theme by Ennio Morricone
as John Barry. The latter is somewhat more mellow, with a hint of darkness amid
the deeper string melodies.
Strains of
Thunderball underlie the woodwind-and-string based "Pegasus's Stable," which
scores a scene that begins suspensefully enough but ends with the Bond's
adversaries being dispatched in ridiculous fashion—presaging the tone that will
soon come to dominate the film. "Tibbett Gets Washed Out" is a clever title for
a sad moment in the film—the demise of Patrick Macnee as Bond's closest ally.
Heavy drums and stuttering horns dominate the composition, reminiscent of "Hip's
Trip" from The Man With the Golden Gun.
The majestic action
theme from "Snow Job" is reprised in "He's Dangerous," again reminding the
listener how strongly the music of a scene can affect its visual impact. "Bond
Underwater" has a definite Thunderball-like atmosphere, comprising low,
heavy percussion and melancholy but suspenseful strings, ending with a strong
brass build-up. More suspense with a Thunderball-like edge resounds in
"Airship to Silicon Valley" and "Destroy Silicon Valley," the location being the
object of Max Zorin's catastrophic designs. "May Day Bombs Out" features
clamoring trumpets above the whirling strings to highlight May Day's change of
heart when she realizes she has been betrayed by Zorin; in revenge, she foils
his plan by riding to her death atop the bomb that was meant to initiate an
earthquake and cause a devastating flood in Silicon Valley.
"Golden Gate Fight"
brings back the "Snow Job" action theme for the third and final time to
highlight the excellent, climactic fight atop the Golden Gate Bridge. The
arrangement is a bit shorter than the previous two, with a heavier, martial beat
and more prominent guitars. It's a rousing finale for the album's action music,
leading into an abbreviated version of Duran Duran's theme song for the closing
titles.
Until recently, the
CD soundtrack of A View to a Kill was only available as a Japanese
import, usually quite expensive. Now, with the remastered editions available
from Capitol-EMI, it can be picked up at a very reasonable price (usually under
$15.00). Unfortunately, the new release does not feature any extended or
previously unreleased tracks.
By the time A
View to a Kill saw its theatrical release in 1985, Roger Moore had gone well
past his prime as the cinematic James Bond, and it's a shame he wasn't given a
more respectable vehicle—something with the integrity of For Your Eyes Only—for
his final fling. While John Barry's score was a triumph, it seemed that the
movies had just about run out of steam, and until The Living Daylights
came out in 1987 with a new cast and new direction, everyone had begun to wonder
if James Bond truly would return.
Revised
12/27/12 16:43:36
Film Credits
Producer: Albert R. Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson
Associate Producer: Tom Pevsner
Director: John Glen
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum & Michael G. Wilson
Cinematography: Alan Hume
Film Editor: Peter Davies
Production Designer: Peter Lamont
Title Designer: Maurice Binder
Music: John Barry; Monty Norman (James Bond Theme); Duran Duran (Title Song)
Title Song Performed by Duran Duran
Film Running Time: 131 minutes
Cast
James Bond: Roger Moore
Maximillion Zorin: Christopher Walken
Stacey Sutton: Tanya Roberts
May Day: Grace Jones
Sir Godfrey Tibbett: Patrick Macnee
Scarpine: Patrick Bauchau
Chuck Lee: David Yip
Pola Ivanova: Fiona Fullerton
Bob Conley: Manning Redwood
Jenny Flex: Alison Doody
Dr. Carl Mortner/Hans Glaub: Willoughby Gray
M: Robert Brown
Q: Desmond Llewelyn
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
General Anatol Gogol: Walter Gotell
Sir Frederick Gray, Minister of Defense: Geoffrey Keen
Achille Aubergine: Jean Rougerie
W. G. Howe: Daniel Benzali
Klotkoff: Bogdan Kominowski
Papillon Soo: Pan Ho
San Francisco Police Captain: Joe Flood
Auctioneer: Gérard Buhr
Venz, KGB Heavy: Dolph Lundgren
Mine Foreman: Tony Sibbald
O'Rourke: Bill Ackridge
Stables Guard #1: Ron Tarr
Stables Guard #2: Taylor McAuley
CD Tracks
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1. Main
Title: A View to a Kill (3:35)
2. Snow Job (2:28)
3. May Day Jumps (2:51)
4. Bond Meets Stacy (2:30)
5. Pegasus's Stable (3:23)
6. Tibbett Gets Washed Out (1:42)
7. Airship to Silicon Valley (2:32)
8. He's Dangerous (2:16) |
9. Bond
Underwater (2:35)
10. Wine With Stacy (1:54)
11. Bond Escapes Roller (1:24)
12. Destroy Silicon Valley (2:23)
13. May Day Bombs Out (3:01)
14. Golden Gate Fight (3:31)
15. End Title: A View to a Kill (2:04)
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Lyrics
A View to a Kill
Lyrics by John Barry & Simon Lebon
Performed by Duran Duran
Meeting you with a
view to a kill
Face to faces, secret places, feel the chill
Nightfall covers me
But you know the plans I'm making
Still oversee
Could it be the whole earth opening wide?
A sacred Y...a mystery gaping inside
The weekend's why...until we...
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
The choice for you
is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still
The first crystal tears
Fall as snowflakes on your body
First time in years
To drench your skin with lover's rosy stain
A chance to find a phoenix for the flame
A chance to die...but can we...
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
When all we see is a view to a kill