James Bond (Moore) is sent to America to investigate the murders of MI-6 agents who were investigating Dr. Kananga (Kott), the Prime Minister of San Monique. Bond follows Kananga to Harlem, New York, where he is captured by gangster/heroin kingpin Mr. Big and Kananga's henchmen: claw-handed Tee Hee Johnson (Harris) and quiet but deadly Whisper (Brown). He manages to escape, and with the help of CIA agent Felix Leiter (Hedison), flies to San Monique. In San Monique, he is partnered with CIA agent Rosie Carver (Hendry) who shows him around the island, with help from Quarrel Jr. (Roy Stewart).
The people of the island, including Rosie, are terrified of voodoo priest Baron Samedi (Holder), who also works for Kananga. Kananga is also guided by Solitaire (Seymour) a tarot card reader who can see the future and present events. Kananga is extremely possessive of Solitaire and Bond is captivated by her. Can Bond stop Kananaga and Mr. Big, and get the girl?
The 8th Bond film changed the tone of the series. The previous films, 6 with Sean Connery and 1 with George Lazenby, were suave espionage films with subtle humor. They also featured villains that were connected to a single organization: SPECTRE. With Roger Moore taking over as Bond, the producers took the film in a different direction. They embraced the humor (and later camp) and featured stand-alone villains.
With this film, director Guy Hamilton and writer Tom Mankiewicz (who were involved in the previous Bond film Diamonds Are Forever) wanted to distinguish this Bond from the previous versions. Moore does not wear a tuxedo, does not order his signature cocktail, smokes cigars, and doesn't have gadgets from Q (Q does not appear in this film). They turned to the second novel in Ian Fleming's Bond series, and made a few changes. The film is a reflection of the time it was made, focusing on blaxploitation archetypes. It was the first Bond film to feature a black villain, Yaphet Kott, and the first black Bond girl, Gloria Hendry.
The crocodile farm is owned by stunt coordinator Ross Kananga. He performed Bond's stunt with the crocodiles. The producers used his name for the main villain: Dr. Kananga.
The title song "Live and Let Die" by Paul and Linda McCartney was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, it was the first Bond song to be nominated.
The film was successful enough for the studio to continue making Bond films with Moore. I prefer Connery as Bond, but it is still an entertaining film.
Live and Let Die (1973) 121 minutes
Director: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Roger Moore as James Bond
Yaphet Kott as Dr. Kananga
Jane Seymour as Solitaire
Julius Harris as Tee Hee Johnson
David Hedison as Felix Leiter
Gloria Hendry as Rosie Carver
Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper
Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi
Earl Jolly Brown as Whisper
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