While I prefer From Russia with Love (more so with each viewing) there is no denying that this is quintessential Bond. Everything that would become a mainstay of the series is here – the pre-credit action sequence, the cool main titles, the evil mastermind (complete with henchman), a bevy of Bond girls (even though Bond fails to keep most of them alive), the bombastic score, and the big action packed finale (though it’s in Fort Knox rather than the evil masterminds secret base).
In fact I think it may be because From Russia with Love lacks some of those elements and doesn’t feel the need to be quite so BIG in scale that I’ve come to prefer it. Not that I don’t like Goldfinger, it’s great fun and finds Connery quite possibly at his peak as Bond, familiar enough to be comfortable in the role but not so familiar as to be bored with it. And in Gert Fröbe and Harold Sakata, as Auric Goldfinger and Oddjob respectively, the series has two of its most famous villains. Michael Collins deserves a mention too for providing the voice of Goldfinger, without him “No Mr Bond, I expect you to die” wouldn’t have quite the same delicious menace to it. It also makes a nice change to have a Bond girl who’s both voluptuous and can actually act, with Honar Blackman, fresh from TV’s The Avengers more than able to hold her own opposite Sean.
If you haven’t seen the film don’t read the next paragraph (don’t say I didn’t warn you!).
It has to be said though that 007 makes a bit of a bugger of this assignment. Two woman are killed, both because of him, he barely avoids some severe laser surgery, escapes but gets caught again, relies on the change of heart of one of the villains to save the day, and, bar the intervention of an American, would have set of the nuclear device he was trying to stop (of all his failings being saved by a Yank must top the list). It’s a wonder he didn’t have his licence revoked.
James Bond will return in Thunderball.
Horror and Western film buff, Marvel comic geek, music lover and occasional gamer. 