What Jaws is Thinking as He's Crouching in the Cupboard

So.  In The Spy Who Loved Me, James Bond's accomplice is changing in her cabin on a superfast train, while, unbeknownst to her, Jaws, the lethal assassin, is hiding in her wardrobe waiting to kill her.  Strangely enough, though Jaws has metal teeth, superhuman strength and a thirst for blood, he doesn't step from the wardrobe when the heroine is first alone.  No, no, my friends.  He waits.  Only when our lady needs something from the wardrobe, opens the door and reaches in, does the metal-toothed murderer leap into action.  

Here's my question.  Why?

Before this, our heroine (who's apparently a skilled fighter) is merely changing with her back to the cupboard.  What better moment to savage her?  She's not even looking his way.  And what of his mentality as he waits behind the doors?  Is he thinking, "Ha, I shall crouch here in the darkness, in this too-small wardrobe, amongst the silky nighties, and wait until this scantily clad agent needs her bathrobe, then she will scream, and I will emerge..."  

Snort.  To be frank, I don't get it. 

It occurred to me as I ranted my way through the film that this is when "plot-driven" fails.  Now don't get me wrong; I'm a great defender of plotty work.  The joy of a strong plot, the pleasure of suspense... these are the reasons series like Hustle do so well.  But when we can't work out why a character's there, acting like they're acting -- that's taking it too far.  As Joss Whedon says (I quoted this recently, so please forgive):  "...if you don't know who everybody is and why they're there, why they're feeling what they're feeling and why they're doing what they're doing, then you're in trouble."*  

How true.

Mind you, there's always the possibility I missed something.  Oh yes, that does happen.  Maybe there's a reason Jaws waits in the cupboard and it's obvious as heck to the rest of the world.  If you have the answer, please let me know because I tell you, dear mates, this is gonna keep me up. 

And don't get me started on Moonraker.  We'll be here all night...

This is Jaws, folks

* As quoted in dannystack.blogspot.com (originally from an interview in 4Talent Magazine).

Comments

[Cathy]

I thought unconditional acceptance of the whole Bond franchise was hardwired in the British DNA. No? Then maybe we can grouse together about a man who jumps from a car falling off a cliff into...a plane falling off the same cliff! Or discuss how it is that a spy who was supposedly trained in the art of subtlety would have anything to do with a woman named Pussie Galore.

[Sue]

How right you are! And yet I'll still be watching them again. I think that *is* part of the British DNA! Snort.

[S. Thomas Summers (Scott)]

My wife just staryed reading The Spy Who Loved Me. I wonder what she'll think. Perhaps the book is better - imagine that.

[Sue]

Aha! Now I'm wondering if your wife might tell us what Jaws REALLY IS thinking while he's crouching in the cupboard. That's if, indeed, Fleming has him crouching in the cupboard. Which he may not. Of course.

(In fact, is Jaws actually in the book? Hmm... You've got me thinking...).