Goldfinger - classic movie review

Goldfinger

Plot: Investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.
Cast: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman
Director: Guy Hamilton
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1hr 50 mins
Release Date: Sunday 20th September 1964

The saying goes; 'Third time's the charm' and that could not be more appropriate for Goldfinger. This is easily one of the most iconic Bond films because it has everything that we've come to love about 007. We finally get a great villain, a Bond girl who can act and the fun and goofiness blended with a serious story. It may not be 100% perfect and because of it's age, parts are dated, but Goldfinger really is one of my favourite Bond films.

After a small blip in which I reckon the creative time were attempting to find the correct depiction of Bond, Sean Connery is the best he's ever been as the secret agent. He's suave, dashing, a true gentleman but also clever and just an absolute killer spy. Connery has removed his glumness that was found in From Russia, With Love but hasn't camped it up like Roger Moore does in his films. Instead Connery manages to balance both and it works to fantastic results. It was clear to him and to the audience that this was how Connery would and should continue to play Bond. What I also liked is that Bond did face trouble and some circumstances seemed as if he genuinely couldn't win. Whereas in Dr. No, it was obvious Bond would come out on top and in From Russia, With Love, it was only because he was deceived as to why he was on the backfoot, in Goldfinger, James Bond really does meet his match. It might not seem true physically but Gert Fröbe playing Auric Goldfinger is such a menacing villain who doesn't resort to violence to get what he needs. Don't get me wrong, it helps him, but instead of getting his own hands dirty, Goldfinger acts more like a tactician. I mean, after one upping Goldfinger by outing him as a poker cheat, Goldfinger doesn't throw a strop and create an elongated devious plan to get back at Bond. Nope. He just straight up murders the woman that Bond sleeps with who also happened to be Goldfinger's mistress. It's that type of villain that makes Bond villains so iconic. The ludicrous plans and over-the-top ideas are when it started to get cheesy. The fact that Goldfinger simply wanted to rob a literal gold mine rather than hack into all the world's government bases, steal the nuclear launch codes and begin World War Three, was a refreshing break from the cheesy villains. Fröbe is also really good in the role. It's nice to see a villain who's just evil. No backstory. No country clashes. Goldfinger is just a colossal twat and Bond is ordered to stop him. There's no messing about with sabotage or complicated espionage. 

My only issue with Goldfinger is to do with Fröbe himself. The performance is fine (of course it is, he's one of the most iconic Bond villains) but the problem is that whether it was his accent, or poor line delivery, but there are clear moments when the sound editors have dubbed his own voice over what he was saying on set. To give an example, Bond is spying on Goldfinger at his factory and we can hear him discussing his production line. However, when it cuts to Goldfinger, his mouth isn't moving yet his voice is still heard. AND THEN, when he does start to speak, his lips don't match up to what he's saying. It doesn't just happen once though. The director clearly tries to hide it with clever camera angles but nothing can disguise the clear shift in voice clarity. It's not bad but when you've become so invested in a scene and that happens, it's off-putting. But Goldfinger isn't the only iconic villain in the film. We also are introduced to the first beloved henchman, Oddjob. Yes, it may sound like a sexual request you could ask for, but this was the first time that Bond had to face someone with intellectual (Goldfinger) as well as physical power (Oddjob). He may not speak and just grunt and yell (which is so funny) but he's got his own gadgets too (a bowler hat that doubles as a shuriken). As for the Bond girl this time round, Honor Blackman is given this unique opportunity. She hasn't got a lengthy role as the promotional material may suggest but for once, we get a Bond girl with decent acting chops. She's no Kate Winslet but it's an improvement over only pretty faces. However, that's not the talking point about her character. It's her name. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Pussy Galore. This must be a wind up. First Name; Pussy. Surname; Galore. I'll give you a moment. I mean, how does someone even get that name? Actually, I have a pretty good idea how. But honestly, like what were her parent's names? Dicks Aplenty and Lotsa Tits?

FACT: When recording the theme song 'Goldfinger', Shirley Bassey sang over the title sequence to match the visuals to the vocals. As she reached the final note, the title kept running meaning that she held the note for as long as she could until she almost passed out.

Iconic cannot begin to describe how popular Goldfinger helped transform this series. Before this film, Bond was well known but hadn't quite reached the definition of a classic. I can categorically say that Goldfinger is a true classic. The story is a lot less higher stakes than the previous two films. It's a more personal mission for Bond and that allows for more investment rather than listening to the typical mustache stroking antagonist tell of his plans for world domination. Getting the negatives out of the way, the first and second acts are sensational. It's action packed, thrilling and above all else, entertaining which I thought was lacking in the previous film. Unfortunately, the third act is noticeably slower to allow for a conclusion. But what makes Goldfinger stand out more than any other of the early Bond films was that it shaped how the future films in the series and other spy films. Firstly, the theme song during the opening credits. Dr. No didn't have one and From Russia, With Love had its original song sprinkled throughout but thanks to Dame Shirley Bassey, she belts out the most famous of all Bond songs. I've obviously heard it outside of the film but within context, it's so good to hear her voice. Secondly, Goldfinger is full of quintessential Bond quotes. We see Bond order a 'Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred'. Goldfinger straps Bond to a table with a laser about to cut him in half and when Bind asks if he expects him to talk, Goldfinger replies, 'I expect you to die'. It's quotes like these that transported the 007 series from well respected entries in the spy genre to one of the most popular franchises in the world. Finally, and my personal favourite part of the Bond series, is Q and the introduction to the gadgets. It's a shame that as the series progressed, the gadgets became more gimmicky but in this, we see Desmond Llewellyn show off just how much fun this film could be. An Aston Martin DB5 complete with ejector seat and machine guns. Want to know what all current spy films basically borrow from? Look no further than Goldfinger.

As with most films of this age, parts inevitably, do not hold up as well. That being said, Goldfinger is not just a brilliant Bond film but an incredible film in general. Spy movies today owe so much to this film and considering that it's over fifty years old, it's just as exciting as most action films today. Iconic through and through, Goldfinger truly is a Bond film that no one could hate.

My Verdict: 9/10

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