Quintessential Classic Bond
Director Guy Hamilton's Goldfinger, the third film in the James Bond 007 franchise, set the template for all future Bond films, and is often hailed as one of the best—if not the best—of the 24 film, 54 year old series. Sean Connery is at his Bondian best in this outing that finds his MI6 agent on the trail of nefarious bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe). Adapted from Ian Fleming's novel of the same name, Goldfinger is the film that introduces the Aston Martin DB5 to Bond's arsenal, as well as Shirley Bassey's brassy voice to the Bond theme canon with her unparalleled rendition of the film's title song. It's the one film of Connery's reign as the legendary spy to be both thoroughly good and contain a perfect mix of Bond women, gadgets, and baddies. If Connery is, as so many see him, the definitive Bond, then Goldfinger is the definitive, iconic Bond adventure.
Hamilton—who would go on to direct Connery in his last official Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever, as well as Roger Moore's first two—here gets a Connery not yet tired of his role. From his opening scene infiltrating an enemy enclave to his calm, cool scenes of seduction, the Scotsman inhabits the 007 white dinner jacket with ease and confidence. Though not the action star that Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig's Bonds are, Connery's iteration of the character is that of a gentleman spy more than capable of getting his hands dirty, though perhaps without quite the same physical dexterity of his successors. He excels at wearing a three-piece suit and spouting wry comments, all the while making it look as easy as ordering a vodka martini shaken, not stirred.
Connery is surrounded by a terrific cast, including Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore and Fröbe, whose voice is dubbed due to a very thick German accent. Blackman brings strength and sensuality to her role, transcending the laughable name and creating a woman who can go toe-to-toe with Bond. Fröbe makes for an excellent, snide villain. Goldfinger prizes winning above all but his gold, so his competition in a game of golf with a sly Bond makes for a mini comedy of cat and mouse entrenched within the larger adventure. Perhaps the most iconic villain featured in the film is Goldfinger's henchman, Oddjob, the stout yet strong man with a deadly bowler hat. Harold Sakata makes the mute man an imposing scene-stealer. Also present are the 007 usuals, with Bernard Lee an effective, original M, Lois Maxwell always welcome as Miss Moneypenny, and Desmond Llewelyn cementing his essential status as Q. Llewelyn appeared in 17 Bond films between 1963 and 1999, and it's a joy to watch him introduce Bond to the ejector seat-equipped DB5 for the first time.
For everything Goldfinger gets so right—which includes the aforementioned title song, John Barry's iconic score, and Ken Adam's brilliant production design—it does fail in a few important ways. The film slows down in places, most notably when the story shifts to Goldfinger's Kentucky compound (though much time is spent there with Adam's gorgeous 60s architecture), and its fight scenes seem clunky by modern standards, though they still thrill when necessary. The driving and shooting is still slick, but whenever Connery throws a punch—or, as is more common here, a karate chop—it feels light weight, save for Bond's climactic fight with Oddjob.
Goldfinger's most horrifically dated element is its gender politics. The modern Bond films aren't the most progressive portrayals of women in art, but they are radically feminist compared to the early films. An early scene features Bond pat his poolside masseuse on the butt and send her off before the "man talk" begins. Pussy Galore is a strong female character, but Bond's ability to easily woo her into his arms (it's implied that she's a lesbian) is troubling through a modern lens, although to my knowledge Ian Fleming's novels are far more racist, homophobic, and misogynistic than the films. Goldfinger benefits by being to women as Gone with the Wind is to African Americans, which is to say that while there are some very stereotypical, outdated portrayals present, the overall level of craft and care taken with the film doesn't sink under the weight of these issues. Goldfinger will likely offend modern viewers, particularly women, but to be so offended would be to take the film, and Bond as a whole, far too seriously.
Goldfinger is in the unfair position of now seeming potentially unremarkable, but that's only because it nailed the formula for all Bonds films to come. The Goldfinger gadgets, villains, women, and Bond himself all epitomize the iconography of this franchise. No car will ever be cooler than the Aston Martin DB5; no Bond girl moniker will ever be sillier, or better owned by its performer, than Pussy Galore; no villainous exchange will beat, "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."; and no actor will every carry the Walther PPK in quite the same rakish way as Sean Connery. Though hardly free of faults, Goldfinger remains the classic Bond movie.
A Moviegoing Anecdote: I was lucky enough to see Goldfinger screened to a fairly-packed house at Oakland's Paramount Theatre last Friday evening. I always advocate seeing films the way they're meant to be seen, on the big screen, particularly for older films. Your viewing experience changes with an audience, you feed off of each other's energy. It's especially true of seeing comedies, which is why I thought Annie HallI and Manhattan were much funnier when I saw them with a crowd than on DVD, but I digress...
At the Paramount, the crowd hissed at Goldfinger's sexism, which itself was an amusing, unexpected benefit of the live audience, but the best part was when the sound cut out. For about ten minutes of the film's second act, the film print played on with no music or dialogue. Following unanswered calls from the crowd for a correction, people randomly started adding their own sound effects and renditions of the Bond theme, and everyone laughed along with it. Most folks stayed in their seats, and I'd like to think they weren't just hoping the sound would be fixed (which it was, after an unplanned intermission), but that they were enjoying this crowd-sourced soundtrack as much as the official one.
Though not exactly what you hope for in a night at the movies, it's a one of a kind experience you can only get in the theater, specifically a revival house.