"No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"
Ah, Goldfinger, The first Bond movie I ever saw. I haven't seen this one for about 10 years but, after watching it again, it is still my favourite. The Bond movies came thick and fast in the 60's as this was the third movie released in three years. Sean Connery is back again as 007, it also stars Gert Frobe as the titular Goldfinger.
After the bomb goes off Bond makes his exit and the instantly recognisable chords of Shirley Bassey's first foray into bond themes. It is fitting that the best Bond movie would have the most iconic theme. When the film restarts Bond is asked by his old pal from the CIA, Felix Leiter, to look into Auric Goldfinger a suspicious businessman with an obsession for gold.
Goldfinger is on holiday and has been rigging a daily game of bridge with the help of a sultry vixen. Soon Bond discovers the scam, seduces Goldfinger's helper and humiliates Goldfinger. Later that night Bond is attacked in his hotel room and when he wakes up he finds his companion murdered and painted gold in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema.
Bond heads back to MI6 and is told by M that Goldfinger has been smuggling gold around the world and 007 is tasked with trying to find out how he is doing it. Bond gets his classic Aston Martin DB5 from Q for the 1st time who proceeds to show off all of the gadgets. Bond poses as someone trying to sell some Nazi gold and over a round of golf tries to question Goldfinger about his operation. Goldfinger gets annoyed when he loses the game warns bond about interfering in his business again and introduces the first proper henchman of the series, Oddjob, who proceeds to show off his unique weapon of a razor sharp bowler hat.
Bond of course ignores the warning and continues to follow Goldfinger and later discovers he has been melting his gold down and moulding it into car parts and fitting them to his Rolls Royce and this is how he is smuggling gold around the world. Soon Bond is captured (for a super spy he gets captured a lot) and is tied to a gold table to endure an elaborate death via a laser.
After Bond bargains for his life he is rendered unconscious and when he wakes up he is on a plan being piloted by the ridiculously named Pussy Galore (played by Honor Blackman). Bond is taken to a cell while Goldfinger holds a meeting with some mafioso type criminals where he explains his masterplan to steal all of the gold from Fort Knox. Bond escapes from his cell and learns of Goldfinger's plan. He confronts Goldfinger about the various flaws in his plan so Goldfinger reveals his real plan is to detonate a nuclear device inside Fort Knox rendering the US gold reserve worthless and making his own gold supply increase in value. Bond is taken to Fort Knox to be tied to the nuclear device during the final act but the CIA and the army are ready for Goldfinger and a battle ensues and obviously the good guys win.
This is without a doubt the best Bond movie of all. The pace of the movie is perfect, it never feels slow and none of the scenes feel like filler. All of the characters are played brilliantly, the dialogue is great and it includes so many quotable lines. If you are trying to get someone into the James Bond series this is the film to show them, here's the trailer.
Project Bond will return with Thunderball.
Well, that's all for now.
S
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