TODAY'S NUGGET: For Your Eyes Only (1981) - Avoiding Deus Ex Machina (Just Barely) in Rescuing Bond

[Quick Summary: After vessel goes missing, Bond must find a stolen coded transmitter for submarines.]

This is the 5th of 7 films with Roger Moore as James Bond (12th of 26 films). 

In short, the story isn't the strongest. I wasn't very worried for Bond, as he seemed to get in and out of situations too easily, i.e., there was no real peril.

However, in the scene below, I did wonder, "How is going to get out of this?"  

I will note that it seems "very convenient" that a crossbow bolt was there to save Bond.  Is this a "deus ex machina* situation? Just barely. Why?

I think this one is borderline acceptable to me because the shooter (a woman bent on revenge for her parents' death) took the shot when she could.  

The shooter had her own agenda.  Though it saved Bond, it was unintentional and unplanned. Maybe a coincidence, but also within the realm of possibility.

EXT. VILLA - GROUP AROUND POOL

...One of the THUGS shows him BOND'S GUN.

GONZALES (affably): A Walther PPK. Standard Issue, British Secret Service. Licence to kill --

He glances at LOCQUE who nods.

GONZALES: Or be killed. (to thugs) Take him away.

He walks onto diving board. THUGS prod BOND. They start out.

POV SHOT - SOMEONE PARTING SHRUBBERY

to look through at GONZALES posing to dive as GIRLS and OTHERS WATCH.

REVERSE ANGLE - GONZALES

as he dives a METALLIC TWANG is audible from O.S. He does not immediately surface.

SURFACE OF POOL - GONZALES' DEAD BODY

floating up. A CROSSBOW BOLT sticks out of the side of his chest. A large blood stain spreads on surface around body. ANGLE WIDENS TO INCLUDE GIRLS IN POOL, reacting, momentarily shocked, then excitedly. Commotion among people standing around pool.

BOND AND THUGS

BOND takes advantage of general confusion to karate chop one thug and knee-lift the other...

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: Funny enough, I wouldn't have bought this rescue as a plot device, but did buy it because of shooter had a real motive.  Her actions were independent of him.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)
by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson

* Deus ex machina = Latin for "god from the machine") a person or thing that appears or is introduced into a situation suddenly and unexpectedly into a situation suddenly and unexpectedly and provides an artificial or contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty.