When we think of classic spy cinema, tuxedos, martinis, and incredible gadgets immediately come to mind. But the 1985 film ‘A View to a Kill’ is remembered not only for Roger Moore’s final appearance as Agent 007, but also for one of the most striking antagonists in film history — the charismatic and terrifying May Day, portrayed by Grace Jones.
The plot revolves around the theft of a Soviet microchip, which leads James Bond to France. The main suspect is the eccentric industrialist Max Zorin (played by Christopher Walken). A meeting with a private detective is arranged at the famous Le Jules Verne restaurant on the second level of the Eiffel Tower.
But the conversation is abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of Zorin’s lover and bodyguard, May Day: she kills the detective and, pursued by Agent 007, makes her legendary escape. While Bond is forced to use the elevator, his adversary chooses a far more spectacular route — a parachute jump straight from Paris’s “Iron Lady.”
Fearlessness on Screen
Grace Jones decided she couldn’t let stunt performers do all the work for her. When it came time to film the opening shots of the jump, she literally pushed the stunt double aside. “I’ll do it myself,” she declared as she stepped onto the platform.
The actress performed a jump from a height of five meters onto specially prepared mats so the camera could capture her face at the moment she leapt from the ledge. Her natural magnetism and fierce gaze sometimes even unsettled Roger Moore. The actor later admitted that she looked at him with such genuine “venom” that it could feel intimidating — although off-camera, he always described her as “the kindest person.”
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The prolonged parachute jump itself became a true test for professionals. It was performed by legendary stuntman B. J. Worth. The difficulty lay in the fact that the base of the Eiffel Tower widens toward the bottom. Worth had just three and a half seconds to deploy his parachute without hitting the metal structures.
But the greatest danger came from the weather. Any sudden gust of wind could have thrown the parachutist into the tower’s steel framework, turning the stunt into a disaster. After a series of training jumps from a hot air balloon, “day X” finally arrived. At dawn, while Paris was still asleep, B. J. Worth — dressed as May Day — stood on the edge of a 300-meter abyss. “I took a deep breath and shouted, ‘This one’s for Cubby!’” (the film’s producer), the stuntman later recalled.
The free fall lasted only 30 seconds, and Worth landed safely on the ground, where his wife and children were waiting. The jump went perfectly and was captured in a single take. Producer Albert R. Broccoli was so impressed that within an hour of “Cut!” a crate of premium champagne was delivered to the stuntman’s hotel room.
Final Note: The Jump Onto a Riverboat
But the chase didn’t end there. The writers envisioned an even more complex finale: May Day was to land on the roof of a riverboat moving along the Seine. This part was also carried out by B. J. Worth — but this time, he had to jump from a helicopter flying over the river.
The stunt required phenomenal precision: calculating wind speed, the boat’s movement, and the trajectory of the fall. Any mistake could have resulted in a fall into the water or serious injury. Nevertheless, Worth’s mastery allowed the team to capture the shot on the second attempt, delivering a spectacular conclusion to the Paris chase.
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Grace Jones brought not only bravery to the film but also her unique visual style. She was entrusted with designing May Day’s costumes — a rare occurrence in the Bond franchise. “I turned to Disney for inspiration,” the actress recalled, “because the life of a Bond girl felt like a living cartoon to me.”
