Writing in “Diamonds are Forever”

by Adam Huddleston

The final James Bond film produced by Eon Productions to star Sean Connery, “Diamonds are Forever”, finds 007 investigating a diamond smuggling ring. His travels lead him to Amsterdam where he assumes the identity of a smuggler, then on to Nevada where he once again encounters Blofeld, the head of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Blofeld’s plan is to create a satellite which would use the diamonds to focus a laser beam to destroy nuclear missiles. Bond discovers the antagonist’s headquarters is located on an offshore oil rig. In the film’s finale, he disables the satellite and destroys the rig.

As far as plot and dialogue go, neither was spectacular. The movie seemed to wander around at points, dragging in some places and speeding along at others. The acting was atrocious. I could tell that two of the smugglers were being used for comic relief but they ended up coming across as annoying.

I am a big fan of Sean Connery’s work, especially as Bond, but I’m saddened that his final (authorized) 007 film was so lackluster. The next film in the series is Roger Moore’s debut, “Live and Let Die.”