The Spy Who Loved Me-Cold War Cinema -June 21nd, 2011. Guided tour a 6:00 pm and movie showing at 7:00 pm. Call for reservations 613-839-0007.

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME - The Bond Saga Continues With Gadgets, Guns & Girls

Ian Fleming aficionados were probably upset in 1977. Not only had they to wait two and one half years for the next new movie to come out, but for the first time a Bond movie did not follow the same story-line as the book of the same title. The book told a story from a heroine's point of view and only introduced Bond well into the tale.

Agent 007 devotees were pleased however in 1977. When this movie was released, on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventy-seventh year of the last century (7,7,77), it clearly followed the Bond film formula - beautiful women, gadget laden cars, megalomaniac villains, exotic locales, extreme explosions, dangerous henchmen, violent fights on trains, witty double-entendres to titillate and amuse, and more beautiful women. With a budget twice the size of any of the previous nine Bond movies this one really delivered. In this, the third Roger Moore Bond, there was a return to the more gentlemanly and witty secret agent.

Fleming allowed his 1962 book title to be used for the movie, but not his story. Based upon a script developed by fifteen writers who started work in 1976, the Director and Production Designer crafted a film to thrill Bond movie watchers, even those of today.

The movie reflects the 1970's era of "detente". The Cold War's strained relations between the super-powers had relaxed a little. After all, there was parity in nuclear weapons and Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) was the anticipated result of using the weapons. When I first heard use of the word "detente" during the Cold War I was reminded of the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas (yes, I had to look up the date and name). This treaty divided the globe into two hemispheres, one for the Spanish and one for the Portuguese. This treaty allowed each nation to pursue their aspirations for empire in the New World without fighting each other.

I interpreted the 1970's detente to be a thaw in the Cold War between the East (Soviet Union and allies) and the West (US and allies) so that leaders could focus on domestic requirements, leaving the "empires" of the other alone. The U.S. was financially and emotionally drained by the Vietnam War. The Soviet Union could no longer bear the financial burden of the arms race and feared improved relations between the U.S. and China. By 1975 Space Race tensions were eased with the joint U.S. Soviet Apollo-Soyuz space project. The project consisted of the first ever docking of the space craft from different nations. Indeed, it was the last manned U.S. space flight until the launch of the Space Shuttle in 1981.

Detente is reflected in this movie through cooperation between the best British spy, who we know is James Bond 007, and the best Soviet spy, who we learn is agent Triple X, as their nations fight a common threat - someone is stealing their nuclear weapons laden submarines.

The symbol XXX has many meanings. Don't get excited, this movie intends the symbol to be a warning sign of danger. In radio communications XXX is an indication of urgency, just under an SOS. In computer programming XXX warns programmers of a problematic or misleading code. From the very beginning there are strong indications that Bond should be very careful as his former adversary becomes his partner. Reflecting the 1970's women's liberation movement, James Bond must now share the stage with a female spy, a spy who is his equal. She is just as intelligent, just as lethal and just as resourceful as Bond. She is - "Triple X".

Come to the Diefenbunker to enjoy a movie and slip back to a time when the bunker was still in use. Perhaps not as impressive as the villain's lair in the movie, the bunker remains an engineering marvel nevertheless. Not just Bond fans and engineers, but Cold War buffs and troglodytes will enjoy the Diefenbunker movie night experience.

Watch the movie closely, which of the six host country's construction capabilities are insulted? Which host country provided a great mountain from which to Base Jump? Which country allows smoking in its submarines? Which spy used to advertise for a popular alcoholic beverage manufacturer and now has their character use the same product in this movie? What is a "Wetbike"? Did they really play "Lawrence of Arabia" theme music at some time during this movie? Does James Bond's gun ever miss fire? Did I mention the beautiful girls?

The new Spring 2011 Cold War Cinema schedule is unique and interesting in that it has been curated by Les, one of the many volunteer experts at the Diefenbunker. Les, retired from the Canadian Armed Forces after 35 years of service, has been a volunteer guide / interpreter at the Diefenbunker for several years and has often expressed an interest in the movies that we show. Having spoken up, he must now "put up", therefore he will shortly prepare a review on a few movies to entice you to visit the museum on a movie night, to have a tour of the bunker with him before the movie and then to see the movie(s) that he has proposed. At the end of the movie you will be invited to share your ideas on the movie with him and with the rest of the viewers. I have been kicking around 2 names for this program: "Les is More: Cold War Films and The Diefenbunker" versus "Les Talk and More Action: The Cold War and Hollywood". The reviews will be presented monthly and appear here on the DiefenBlog and in eFusion, the Diefenbunker monthly newsletter, so be sure to "stay tuned".  


Les says that as a Baby Boomer born and growing up in central Canada he was exposed to, and influenced by, the many TV, movie and print publications that often had as a focus the evils of communism and the fears that communism would be spread around the world by force and or through subterfuge. As a young child he was therefore familiar with the Korean War events, the Suez Crisis that could have expanded into a global conflict, the many failed revolutions in Eastern Europe as nations tried to overthrow their imposed communist governments, the white trails in the Canadian sky that reflected high flying military aircraft on training missions, the stories of spies betraying the West to the East, and the thrills and the fears of Sputnik as the Soviets appeared to be winning the space race and possibly the arms race. The newspapers seemed to be constantly full of some military conflict that could lead to a global war, a war upon which the West would depend upon nuclear weapons. Secrets about these weapons had to be kept, military forces had to be ready, and spies could not be tolerated.  


Les has chosen 3 very well made and deservedly discussed cold war films which also have very high entertainment value and production quality. Also, as a Cold War Cinema first, an online poll which will remain open right up until until 1 hour before the showing of the film on Volunteer Appreciation night, April 12, 2011 (see above). Now we can finally determine which film is more popular among Bunker fans: Hunt for Red October, Crimson Tide, Gorky park, or The Sum of all Fears.