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The Spy Who Loved Me stands out as a classic among James Bond films, and arguably the best during Roger Moore’s tenure as the iconic secret agent. Memorable elements include an underwater car, a chart-topping theme sung by Carly Simon, and the imposing character of Jaws. However, it is the film’s daring cold open that leaves the most lasting impression. This scene showcases one of the most audacious stunts in cinematic history, setting new standards for movie stunts, as the stunt was genuinely executed without CGI or special effects.

In the beginning of “The Spy Who Loved Me,” James Bond is engaged in a mission set in Austria, living in a cabin with a woman. MI6 needs him, and a message is sent to his watch from M. Bond departs the cabin, leaving behind the woman who turns out to be a Soviet spy. As he skis through snowy landscapes, Soviet spies on skis, alerted by the woman, attempt to apprehend him. In this chase, Bond maneuvers skillfully around hazards, leaps off an edge, and knocks one of the agents down. In the end, he escapes their pursuit by diving off a treacherous mountain ledge. With all hope seemingly lost for our daring hero, he deploys his parachute modeled after the Union Jack flag, leading to the iconic opening credits of the film.

How Was the Opening Stunt of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ Filmed?

One of the most remarkable stunts ever, the ski jump scene in the movie, was conceived due to the producer’s real-life ambition. Producer Albert R. Broccoli and his stepson came up with the idea after noticing a Canadian Club Whiskey advertisement in Playboy. This whiskey brand was renowned for featuring hazardous activities such as deep-sea diving and mountain climbing. Particularly, an ad that caught Broccoli’s eye showcased a skier leaping off Mount Asgard in Canada, with the caption encouraging one to “Space Ski Mount Asgard… before you hit the ground, hit the silk!” – a phrase referring to deploying a parachute. The ad depicted the skier’s descent, his parachute deployment for safety, and his reward of whiskey at the end.

In their investigation, Broccoli found the man in the photograph, Rick Sylvester, who was a stuntman. Despite not performing the entire stunt for the whiskey advertisement, Sylvester had executed this daring move before. To be precise, Sylvester originated the stunt known as the “ski BASE jump,” and he first attempted it in 1972 from El Capitan mountain in California. The jump was recorded on camera, and a year later, Sylvester described the stunt in the magazine SKI, expressing that “the project seemed like an affordable fantasy, akin to a James Bond film.” Unbeknownst to him, his future would involve involvement in the next James Bond production.

In reality, the team didn’t travel to Austria to shoot the skiing sequence; instead, they ventured to a well-known location for Sylvester, Mount Asgard. According to backstage interviews, Rick Sylvester and his film crew flew to Mount Asgard to gather preliminary footage, and later received approval to film the scene entirely there. During the actual filming, the team had to be patient for suitable weather conditions. The studio was concerned that the stunt might never occur when the weather finally improved. Eventually, Rick Sylvester performed the jump, but it almost didn’t make it into the movie. Several cameras were set up to record the impressive stunt, but only one managed to capture it on film, and this take was included in the final cut of the film.

A Stunt With a Ripple Effect

The thrilling ski scene in “The Spy Who Loved Me” set a precedent for future films to continuously push the boundaries with grand stunts. Director Christopher Nolan, who saw this film during his youth, found it profoundly influential on his career, particularly in shaping the movie “Tenet”. During interviews about “Tenet”, Nolan expressed that he has spent much of his career seeking to replicate that sensation and offer audiences a similar sense of awe at the potential of cinema and the places it can take them.

The skiing scene appears to have sparked some ideas for action sequences featuring Ethan Hunt-like characters in films overseas: specifically, Tom Cruise’s character. For over eight movies now, he has embodied this role in the Mission: Impossible series. While the actor is typically discreet about his favorite films, it wouldn’t be unexpected if he watched The Spy Who Loved Me as a teenager and thought to himself, “I want to leap from a mountain with that kind of flair.

In the movie Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Ethan Hunt performs an astonishing stunt by driving a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting onto a moving train. The Mission: Impossible series is renowned for its jaw-dropping stunts performed by Tom Cruise, and this one was particularly noteworthy within the franchise. Unlike Rick Sylvester in The Spy Who Loved Me, however, Cruise had some assistance from the film crew. They constructed a ramp specifically for his scene, and multiple takes were required to capture the shots. Despite the extra effort, it’s safe to say that this stunt was more involved than Roger Moore’s work on a scene so closely tied to his iconic image.

Where to Watch ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’

To catch the timeless James Bond flick, “The Spy Who Loved Me,” you’ll need to spare some cash. Although it’s one of the iconic James Bond movies, you won’t find it on any streaming platforms – apparently, the distributor believed fans would be happy to pay a couple of dollars to rent it instead. Fortunately, you can rent or purchase “The Spy Who Loved Me” from digital retailers like Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango Now. The film is also frequently available on DVD as part of “The Roger Moore Collection, Volume 1,” which usually costs around $15.

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2025-05-29 04:04