Tamahori Speaks His Mind

It’s not often that a Hollywood director is completely frank when it comes to the media; it’s not in their nature to tell all the truth as the truth doesn’t always sell. That hasn’t stopped director Lee Tamahori discussing elements of Die Another Day that past directors might not have been willing to discuss.

Currently in Australia to promote the release of Die Another Day Tamahori has said he had to rescue Bond from becoming a sexless, politically correct wimp. “James Bond is a loner who parades around saving the world, bedding women and driving fast cars. You don’t want to get all namby-pamby and have him all new age and crystal-gazing.” While author Ian Fleming sent Bond to a phsycologist, its clear that Tamahori had no such intention.

Tamahori has also attacked groups who have criticized the film.

After the films release anti-smoking campaigners criticized James Bond’s return to smoking in Die Another Day. Pierce Brosnan later admitted that the smoking scene was his own idea, as he found it appropriate for the scene. Tamahori added his own thoughts on the matter saying, “All this political correctness from the anti-smoking lobby is just a nonsense. There are not going to be 100,000 teenage boys picking up cigars because Pierce smoked in this movie. It is a foolish, politically correct notion. Let Pierce set his feet on fire and see if the kids follow suit.”

A lot of the films publicity in mid-2002 was directed towards what Tamahori claimed would be raunchier sex scenes, and the director is quite adamant they were filmed. Tamahori tells that he asked producer Barbara Broccoli if there was a “rule book . . . to not offend anybody”. Broccoli told him that there wasn’t and Tamahori decided to “give James Bond the best lay of his life. Let’s go out there and try to offend everybody.”

However, the scenes were to never make it to the silver screen after Broccoli ordered the scene be edited to be less risque. “Pierce and Halle hammering away at it, basically . . . but in America, you’re not allowed to thrust, moan or see anything,” Tamahori said, “You can chop someone’s head off, though.”

If you’d like to discuss this news please do so in this thread of the Die Another Day Forums. Thanks to [dark] for the tip-off.

Source: News.com.au