A View to a Kill (1985): Cast, Plot, Song and Ending Explained

A View to a Kill (1985), directed by John Glen, is a Cold War spy adventure in which Bond investigates a wealthy industrialist whose racehorses win with striking regularity. It is the 14th film in the official EON series and sits between Octopussy and The Living Daylights in both release order and chronological order.

The story starts in Siberia, where Bond is sent to find the body of agent 003 and recover a Soviet microchip the dead agent was carrying. Q examines the chip and finds that it is a copy of one made by Zorin Industries, built to resist electromagnetic pulses. That is an odd detail for a racing tycoon's company to be selling, and it gives Bond a reason to start watching Max Zorin.

Bond then goes to watch Zorin and his racehorses, and Sir Godfrey Tibbett suspects the horses are doped, although the tests find nothing. The trail leads to France and then to Zorin's estate, so a missing agent, a stolen chip and a suspicious winning streak all point at the same man.

The full plot of A View to a Kill follows Bond from a Siberian pre title sequence to a fight on the Golden Gate Bridge, and it ends with Max Zorin dead and his airship destroyed. Spoilers follow.

Bond recovers the stolen microchip from the body of agent 003 in Siberia, and Q finds that it copies a chip made by Zorin Industries. Bond follows Zorin to the races and then to Paris. There Zorin's bodyguard May Day kills a French detective, Aubergine, and escapes. At Zorin's estate Bond meets Stacey Sutton, whom Zorin tried to buy off with a large check. Bond and Sir Godfrey Tibbett then discover that Zorin implants adrenaline devices in his horses, which explains the winning streak. Zorin has Tibbett killed and tries to kill Bond.

The KGB's General Gogol scolds Zorin for acting without permission. Zorin answers by telling a room of investors that he will destroy Silicon Valley and take over the world's microchip trade.

In San Francisco, the CIA's Chuck Lee explains that Zorin is probably the product of a Nazi steroid experiment. The scientist behind it, Dr. Carl Mortner, now works for Zorin. Bond and Stacey investigate at City Hall, where Zorin kills the chief geologist and sets the building on fire to frame Bond. The pair escape in a fire engine.

They then find Zorin's plan: detonate explosives under fault lines to flood the area. Zorin leaves Stacey in the flooding mine. He later takes her aboard his airship, Bond fastens the airship to the Golden Gate Bridge, and Zorin falls to his death in a fight on the bridge. The airship is destroyed in an explosion that kills Mortner and Scarpine, and Gogol awards Bond the Order of Lenin.

A View to a Kill had its world premiere on 22 May 1985 in San Francisco, its US release on 24 May 1985 (reported) and its UK premiere on 13 June 1985 (reported).

The world premiere took place at the Palace of Fine Arts, in the same city that doubles as the film's climax location, and AFI lists the 22 May date as reported rather than confirmed. The Australian release followed on 1 July 1985 (reported). The US release, UK premiere and Australian release dates come from The Numbers, AFI and TMDB, and none of them is confirmed.

The film earned $50.3 million domestically and $102.3 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $152.6 million against its $30 million budget. Ratings are PG in the US and UK and M in Australia.

In the ending of A View to a Kill, Zorin falls to his death from the Golden Gate Bridge and his airship explodes, killing Dr. Carl Mortner and Scarpine. Spoilers follow.

The finale grows out of Zorin's plan to flood the area by detonating explosives under fault lines, which is why Stacey Sutton is left in the flooding mine. Zorin later takes her aboard his airship. Bond fastens the airship to the Golden Gate Bridge, and Stacey attacks Zorin to help Bond. Zorin is killed in a fight on the bridge and falls to his death.

Mortner dies when the airship explodes after dynamite is dropped in its cabin, and Scarpine dies with him. That removes the scientist behind the Nazi steroid experiment that, according to the CIA's Chuck Lee, probably produced Zorin, so the origin story and the scheme end together.

General Gogol then awards Bond the Order of Lenin. Gogol had scolded Zorin earlier for acting without permission, so the award closes the Soviet thread that began with the dead agent 003 and the stolen microchip in Siberia. It was Roger Moore's last outing as Bond, and the series moves on to The Living Daylights next.

How the climax was built. The airship in the final sequence was Airship Industries' Skyship 500, repainted with Zorin Industries markings, so the craft Bond ties to the bridge was a real aircraft dressed as the villain's property. AFI lists the Golden Gate Bridge climax among the San Francisco locations, alongside Fisherman's Wharf and City Hall. The City Hall fire engine escape, the mine flooding and the bridge fight therefore all play out in one real city, while the Pinewood interiors, including the rebuilt 007 Stage, were finished after the January 1985 reopening and before principal photography wrapped on 16 January 1985.

Where it sits in the series. A View to a Kill is the 14th official EON film, between Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Its ending is built on a split inside the Soviet camp: Gogol scolds Zorin for acting without permission, and the film then ends with Gogol honoring Bond. That is a different shape from the unofficial, non EON Never Say Never Again and Casino Royale (1967), which sit outside the EON numbering altogether.

Opinion. In my view, the Order of Lenin scene is the neatest piece of plotting in the film, because it answers the Siberian opening directly: the stolen chip that started the story ends up as the reason a Soviet general thanks the agent who recovered it.

A View to a Kill was filmed in Iceland, Switzerland, England, France and the United States, ending with the Golden Gate Bridge climax in San Francisco.

• Iceland: a second unit shot the pre title sequence here.
• Switzerland: more second unit footage for the same sequence.
• Pinewood Studios, England: interiors, including the rebuilt 007 Stage.
• Royal Ascot Racecourse, England: the racing scenes (reported).
• Paris, France: the Eiffel Tower.
• Chantilly, France: Zorin's stud farm (reported).
• San Francisco, USA: Fisherman's Wharf, City Hall and the Golden Gate Bridge climax.

The split is practical as much as scenic. The ice and mountain footage came from second unit crews, the horse racing from a working racecourse, and the city chase from real San Francisco streets, with the studio work done on the rebuilt stage.

A View to a Kill carries the first Bond disclaimer, was rebuilt around a burned Pinewood stage, and went through several casting changes.

Why is there a disclaimer before A View to a Kill? The film carries the first Bond disclaimer, added because of a US company called Zoran Corporation.

Who turned down the role of Max Zorin? David Bowie declined the role, and Sting also turned it down before Christopher Walken was cast. Roger Moore was already the lead as Bond.

Other casting changes. Priscilla Presley was considered for Stacey Sutton but left because of her Dallas contract, and Tanya Roberts replaced her.

Production notes.

• Pinewood's 007 Stage burned down in June 1984 and reopened in January 1985.
• Principal photography began in August 1984 and wrapped on 16 January 1985.
• The climactic airship was Airship Industries' Skyship 500, repainted with Zorin Industries markings.
• Dolph Lundgren made his feature debut as Venz.

What was Roger Moore's last James Bond movie? A View to a Kill was Roger Moore's last outing as Bond, and the series moves on to The Living Daylights next. The full run is on the James Bond movies in order page.