Bond’s habit of addressing animals as though they were sentient confidants (as seen earlier with the shark in Thunderball) reappears in Diamonds Are Forever when he regains consciousness from a knockout kidnapping and finds himself eye-to-eye with a rat.  Still in a daze, he detects the lingering scent of perfume spilled in the car trunk where his captors had stashed him.

His use of the antiquated word “tart” as a euphemism for a prostitute lands as one of several linguistic artifacts of 1960’s/1970’s Bond movies.  Yet despite its archaic tone, the moment serves a clear narrative purpose.  Although the humorous “conversation” with the rat contributes to the movie’s unabashedly campy aesthetic, it provides an important clue that Bond later recalls in his confrontation with Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.

And although Bond is merely performing the basic deductive work expected of any competent spy, the interplay of the pungent perfume, a curious rat and resulting realization of his enemies’ identities elevates its importance, turning a seemingly throwaway moment into a memorable and clever cinematic touch.