A View to a Kill (1985)

Plot

On a mission in the Siberian snow, James Bond finds the murdered Agent 003 and recovers a microchip designed to survive the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion. Q discovers that it is an exact copy of a British component and traces it to Zorin Industries. Bond first watches company owner Max Zorin at Ascot. In Paris, Zorin's bodyguard May Day murders Bond's informant Achille Aubergine and escapes by parachuting from the Eiffel Tower.

Posing as horse buyer James St John Smythe, Bond infiltrates Zorin's estate with Sir Godfrey Tibbett. They discover that microchips implanted in the racehorses release performance-enhancing substances on command. Zorin exposes Bond, May Day kills Tibbett, and Bond narrowly survives being trapped in the agent's submerged Rolls-Royce. The trail continues to San Francisco. With CIA officer Chuck Lee and geologist Stacey Sutton, Bond uncovers Zorin's true objective: Project Main Strike. Explosions beneath lakes will flood the Hayward and San Andreas faults simultaneously, destroy Silicon Valley and give Zorin a monopoly on microchips.

Zorin floods the mine and guns down his own workers. May Day, also betrayed, joins Bond and carries the main bomb out of the shaft at the cost of her life. Zorin escapes by airship and abducts Stacey. Bond ties the craft to the Golden Gate Bridge; during their fight high on its steelwork, Zorin falls to his death. Stacey and Bond survive as Zorin's airship explodes.

Facts

James Bond: Roger Moore
Director: John Glen
Screenplay: Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson
Music: John Barry
Title song: „A View to a Kill“Duran Duran
Based on: Ian Fleming: „From a View to a Kill“1960
Running time: 131 minutes
Budget: $30 millionThe Numbers reports $30 million, consistent with John Glen's statement that production finished $5 million under its original $35 million budget.
Box office: $153 millionworldwide theatrical gross according to The Numbers; $50,327,960 came from North America
Release: UK: 13 June 1985US: 24 May 1985Germany: 8 August 1985

Travel route and filming locations

Gold numbers trace Bond's journey through the story, light markers show the real filming locations. Each layer can be hidden separately.

Bond's route · 13 stops

Total distance (great-circle)≈ 11,173 km

Bond recovers Agent 003's microchip and escapes on skis, an improvised snowboard and the iceberg submarine. The coordinates mark Jökulsárlón, one of the real filming locations.
Siberian mountains → MI6 headquarters, London · ≈ 1,683 km
Q compares the recovered chip and M assigns Bond to investigate Zorin Industries.
MI6 headquarters, London → Ascot Racecourse · ≈ 39 km
Bond, M, Q, Moneypenny and Tibbett observe Zorin, his suspiciously successful horses and his KGB connections.
Ascot Racecourse → Eiffel Tower and River Seine, Paris · ≈ 355 km
May Day murders Aubergine in Le Jules Verne, parachutes from the tower and escapes by speedboat after Bond's Renault chase.
Eiffel Tower and River Seine, Paris → Zorin's estate, Chantilly · ≈ 40 km
Bond and Tibbett uncover Zorin's racehorse manipulation. Tibbett is killed, Bond is submerged in the Rolls-Royce and Zorin breaks decisively with the KGB.
Zorin's estate, Chantilly → Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco · ≈ 8,928 km
CIA officer Chuck Lee tells Bond about Zorin's origins and his connection to Dr Carl Mortner.
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco → Zorin's pumping station, San Francisco Bay · ≈ 14 km
Bond investigates the seawater pumps and encounters KGB agents Pola Ivanova and Klotkoff; the facility is part of Project Main Strike.
Zorin's pumping station, San Francisco Bay → Nippon Relaxation Spa, San Francisco · ≈ 17 km
Bond and Pola listen to the tape recorded at Zorin's pumping station; Bond switches it before Pola returns to the KGB.
Nippon Relaxation Spa, San Francisco → Stacey Sutton's estate, California · ≈ 26 km
Bond protects Stacey from Zorin's men. Together they realise that the industrial group is secretly excavating beneath her former oil fields.
Stacey Sutton's estate, California → San Francisco City Hall · ≈ 25 km
Bond and Stacey examine Zorin's plans. Zorin kills Howe, sets the building ablaze and tries to frame Bond for the murder.
San Francisco City Hall → Third Street Bridge, San Francisco · ≈ 3 km
The escape in the stolen fire engine crosses the raised Lefty O'Doul drawbridge.
Third Street Bridge, San Francisco → Main Strike mine, Silicon Valley · ≈ 20 km
Bond and Stacey enter Zorin's mine. After Zorin betrays her, May Day changes sides and carries the main bomb out of the shaft.
Main Strike mine, Silicon Valley → Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco · ≈ 24 km
Bond moors Zorin's airship to the bridge, frees Stacey and defeats Zorin in a fight on the steelwork.

Filming locations · 18

doubles for Siberia (Russia)
Ice fields and glacier lagoon in the pre-title sequence
doubles for Siberia (Russia)
Ski, snowmobile and snowboard portions of the pre-title chase
Exterior of MI6 headquarters
Bond and MI6 observe Max Zorin at the races
Aubergine's murder, Bond's pursuit and May Day's parachute jump; the restaurant interior was built at Pinewood
End of the Renault pursuit and Bond's leap into the pleasure boat
Zorin's estate, horse sale and reception
Stables, horse training and portions of Zorin's breeding operation
Zorin's rigged steeplechase against Bond
doubles for basement beneath Zorin's French estate (France)
Zorin's underground warehouse and conveyor-belt sequence
Bond's meeting with CIA officer Chuck Lee at Tarantino's
doubles for Zorin's pumping station (United States)
Exterior footage at Zorin's pumping station in San Francisco Bay
Exterior of Stacey Sutton's home and the attack by Zorin's men
Howe's office, Zorin's arson attack and Bond's rescue of Stacey
The fire engine's jump across the raised drawbridge
doubles for Main Strike mine in Silicon Valley (United States)
Entrance, exteriors and trackwork of the Main Strike mine
Establishing shots and selected finale footage; the main fight was filmed on Pinewood replicas
Main Strike mine, Eiffel Tower restaurant, airship gondolas, Golden Gate replicas and numerous interiors

Characters and cast

Bond

James BondRoger MooreMoore's seventh and final outing as 007

Bond girls

Villains

Henchmen

Allies

MI6

Others

Vehicles & Gadgets

Vehicles

The surviving Silver Cloud II from the filmPhoto: Karen Roe from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II
Car1962
Silver saloon carrying registration CUB 1
Tibbett chauffeurs Bond to Zorin's estate in the luxury saloon. After killing Tibbett, May Day traps Bond in the car with the body and pushes it into a lake; Bond survives underwater by drawing air from a tyre. The road-going car belonged to producer Albert R. Broccoli, while a double was used for the plunge into the water. The Silver Cloud II survives as an exhibition vehicle.
Driven by
Sir Godfrey Tibbett
Specs
6.23-litre V8, automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill – Ten Iconic Moments · 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II CUB 1 – James Bond Lifestyle
A Renault 11 from the same year as Bond's Paris taxiPhoto: Spanish Coches · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Renault 11 taxi
Car1983
Borrowed Paris taxi that continues the chase after being cut in half
Bond takes the Renault from its taxi driver and pursues May Day from the Eiffel Tower through Paris. The car lands on a bus, loses its roof beneath a barrier and sheds its entire rear section in a collision. Still running on its front wheels, it reaches Pont Alexandre III before Bond leaps into a pleasure boat. The sequence combines slapstick with tightly controlled vehicle stunt work.
Driven by
James Bond
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill – Ten Iconic Moments · A View to a Kill vehicles – IMCDb
The Skyship 500 forms the basis of Zorin's airshipsPhoto: Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation · GFDL 1.2 · Wikimedia Commons
Airship Industries Skyship 500
Aircraft1984
Modern non-rigid airship presented in Zorin Industries livery
Zorin uses airships both as a flying conference room and to escape the Main Strike site. In the finale Stacey is pulled aboard while Bond clings to the mooring line and ties the craft to the Golden Gate Bridge. Two Skyship 500 airships contributed to the production; because the required British craft was not available for every shot, gondola sections, models and bridge sets were also built.
Driven by
Zorin's airship crew
Specs
52.0 m long, 14.0 m diameter, 5,154 m³ volume, up to 103 km/h
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · Airship Industries Skyship 500 – Airship Heritage Trust
Eon Productions Iceberg submarine
Boat
MI6 escape craft disguised as a drifting iceberg
After the ski and snowboard escape, Bond jumps through a Union Jack-marked hatch in the apparent ice floe. Beneath the surface is a powered submersible where agent Kimberley Jones is waiting. The disguise carries 007 away from Soviet-controlled territory unseen.
Driven by
Kimberley Jones
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
The Cherokee XJ introduced for 1984 matches Stacey Sutton's official vehiclePhoto: Jeep Corporation · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Jeep Cherokee XJ
Car1984
White California geology department vehicle
Stacey drives the compact off-roader as her official vehicle. Bond follows the Jeep from the department to her home, finding the woman whose name he recovered from Zorin's cheque book. It later carries Bond and Stacey toward the suspicious geological works. The Cherokee XJ was a new and substantially more compact Jeep generation for 1984.
Driven by
Stacey Sutton
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill vehicles – IMCDb · Jeep history – Stellantis Media
A 1984 Corvette C4; Pola Ivanova's screen car is silverPhoto: SG2012 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Chevrolet Corvette C4
Car1984
Silver Corvette driven by the KGB agent in San Francisco
Pola Ivanova uses the silver Corvette during her operation against Zorin in California. It carries her to the encounter with Bond, its sleek new C4 shape contrasting with the heavier official cars around it. The 1984 model year marked the production debut of the completely redesigned fourth-generation Corvette.
Driven by
Pola Ivanova
Specs
5.7-litre V8 with Cross-Fire injection, 205 hp
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill vehicles – IMCDb · 1985 Chevrolet Corvette vehicle information kit – Chevrolet
American LaFrance 900 fire engine
Car1964
Stolen fire engine in the pursuit through San Francisco
After escaping the burning City Hall, Bond and Stacey commandeer the fire engine. Bond drives through San Francisco while Stacey is stranded on the rear ladder and police cars are swept aside as it swings across the road. The chase reaches the raised Lefty O'Doul drawbridge. The screen-used vehicle survives in the Ian Fleming Foundation collection.
Driven by
James Bond
Sources: A View to a Kill vehicles – IMCDb · A View to a Kill fire-truck chase – 007.com · A View to a Kill American LaFrance – Ian Fleming Foundation
Glastron CVX-18 Intimidator
Boat
Speedboat used for May Day's escape on the Seine
After parachuting from the Eiffel Tower, May Day lands on a wedding boat and transfers to Zorin's waiting speedboat. She escapes along the Seine while Bond keeps pace on the bank in the wrecked Renault. The low sports boat appears only briefly but completes the multi-stage escape from restaurant to tower to river.
Driven by
Zorin's boat pilot
Sources: Eiffel Tower Leap – 007.com · James Bond vehicle list – JamesBond007.se

Gadgets

Bond's Walther PPK remains his service pistol in the fourteenth filmPhoto: Tomascastelazo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Walther PPK 7.65 mm
Bond once again carries his compact Walther PPK service pistol in 7.65 mm calibre.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill – Internet Movie Firearms Database
Camera signet ring
A miniature camera is concealed behind the dark stone of Bond's signet ring. At the reception on Zorin's estate he covertly photographs guests and associates.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · Ring Camera – MI6-HQ
Philips shaver bug detector
The modified Philishave HP1328 detects hidden microphones. Bond and Tibbett use it to find the listening devices in their room at Zorin's estate.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · Philips Philishave HP1328 – James Bond Lifestyle
Philips 660 voice recorder
Pre-recorded dialogue and sleeping sounds deceive Zorin's listeners while Bond and Tibbett investigate the estate.
Sources: A View to a Kill – Ten Iconic Moments · Philips 660 voice recorder – James Bond Lifestyle
Polarising sunglasses
Rotating polarising filters cut the reflection from mirrored glass, allowing Bond to watch Zorin write Stacey Sutton a cheque.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A Guide to James Bond's Sunglasses – Bond Suits
Cheque-book copier
The flat device reads the impressions left by the previous cheque in Zorin's cheque book. Stacey Sutton's name gives Bond a new lead.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill cheque prop – Christie's
Remote-triggered horse implant
A microchip implanted beneath the skin releases performance-enhancing substances when remotely triggered. Zorin uses it to stimulate his racehorses during a race.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
Snooper surveillance robot
Q's small remote-controlled prototype transmits camera images from ground level. After the mission, Q sends it through Stacey Sutton's house to look for the missing Bond.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
Barryvox Autophon VS 68
Bond uses the avalanche transceiver to locate the fallen Agent 003 beneath the Siberian snow and recover the sought-after microchip.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · Barryvox Autophon VS 68 – James Bond Lifestyle
Computerised mirror camera
Zorin's system photographs guests through a mirror and checks their faces against a database, exposing Bond's cover as James St John Smythe.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
Limpet mine
KGB agent Klotkoff attaches a limpet mine to Zorin's pumping station. Zorin's men catch him before he can complete the sabotage mission.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
Micro-comparator
Q compares the chip recovered from 003 with a British reference component. Its identical construction leads MI6 to Zorin Industries.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com
Sharper Image credit card
The card slides apart to reveal miniature electronics. Bond uses it to bypass the alarm on a window at Stacey Sutton's house.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com · A View to a Kill Sharper Image credit cards – James Bond Lifestyle
Thermos bombs
Explosive charges disguised as thermos containers form part of the KGB agents' covert equipment while they observe Zorin's pumping station.
Sources: A View to a Kill – 007.com

Production and trivia

Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson wrote an original screen story. The film borrowed only its title from Ian Fleming's 1960 short story “From a View to a Kill.”
The working title changed from “From a View to a Kill” to “View to a Kill” before the opening article “A” was restored.
David Bowie was initially considered for Max Zorin; the part ultimately went to Christopher Walken.
The second unit had already completed the pre-title sequence in Iceland and Switzerland when principal photography began at Pinewood on 6 August 1984.
Pinewood's 007 Stage burned down shortly before filming. It was rebuilt to its original dimensions in four and a half months and reopened in January 1985 as the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage.
The Main Strike mine interior was the production's largest new set. The main unit filmed the actors there for two weeks before the stunt unit took over for the flooding.
As many as six units worked simultaneously. Although filming ran two weeks late, the picture finished $5 million below its initial $35 million budget.
Three replicas of a Golden Gate Bridge tower were built for the finale: two on Pinewood's backlot and one on a soundstage.
B. J. Worth genuinely jumped from the Eiffel Tower for May Day's escape. He had only three and a half seconds before opening his parachute; the restaurant interior, however, was built at Pinewood.
Snowboarding had appeared in a French short but made its major-feature debut here. Tom Sims and Steve Link doubled Roger Moore on the board, while John Eaves handled much of the skiing and snowmobile work.
Patrick Macnee drove Albert R. Broccoli's own Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II in the film. A double was used for the plunge into the lake.
The film was Roger Moore's seventh and final appearance as James Bond and Lois Maxwell's fourteenth and final appearance as Miss Moneypenny.
Dolph Lundgren made his feature-film debut as KGB operative Venz.
The world premiere at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts on 22 May 1985 was the first Bond premiere held outside London. Contemporary reports credited filming with contributing $4 million to the city.
Duran Duran's title song became the first Bond theme to top the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number two in the UK. The film grossed about $152.6 million worldwide; it opened in West Germany on 8 August 1985 and later received the Goldene Leinwand award.