James Bond: The Evolution of an Icon

€˜Goldeneye€™ (1995)

Goldeneye The first Bond movie to be released after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the conclusion of the Cold War, €˜Goldeneye€™ also marked Pierce Brosnan€™s first appearance in the role as 007. After the joviality of Roger Moore€™s performances and the thuggish attributes brought to the screen by Timothy Dalton€™s portrayal, Brosnan offered a different take on the character, more akin to Connery€™s but with his own distinct twist. The Bond we see in €˜Goldeneye€™ is suave and sophisticated but also rugged and determined. He is also a man who has lost some of his advantages. He is no longer pursuing solely foreign villains, justifiable as targets; rather, he is now fighting an enemy who works in the shadows, an enemy who, without giving away too much for those who have not yet seen the film (and if not, why not?), is just as well equipped and as resourceful as our hero. The film was the first to be released after various lawsuits, budget issues and delays, so in the face of this adversity why should it be considered as a turning point in the franchise? The first positive attribute of €˜Goldeneye€™ can be found in the quality of its plot. Although the execution may be lacking in some areas, the overall storyline does a sterling job of uniting the old Bond with the new and bringing the character into a post-Cold War era. For instance, the pre-credit sequence takes place before the fall of the Berlin Wall and features the Russians as antagonists, as if to kick the film off in a world which Bond knows and understands. In addition, audiences get to see the famous Aston Marin DB5 return, as well as the gadget laden watch and the Walther PPK. However, on the flip side Bond also gets behind the wheel of a prototype BMW Z3, pursues villains who have stolen a helicopter impervious to EMP pulses and €“ most surprisingly of all €“ takes orders from a woman in the form of Judi Dench€™s M. The result of these two opposing ideologies, with the traditional set against the contemporary, is what has arguably kept the franchise alive and invigorated for as long as it has. Goldeneye 1 We€™ve already mentioned M, played by the inimitable Judi Dench, as the leading force behind MI6 in the film. A contentious issue when €˜Goldeneye€™ was first released, Dench proved the naysayers wrong by presenting a character that was not dissimilar to Bernard Lee€™s portrayal in the earlier adaptations. She is not a €˜motherly€™ figure and is certainly not an object of attraction for Bond; she is his boss, no more, no less. The first scene between Brosnan and Dench is thoroughly entertaining stuff, with her admitting that she could be seen as an €œaccountant, a bean counter more interested in numbers than instincts.€ When Bond confirms that the thought had crossed his mind, M ripostes by condemning 007 as a €œdinosaur, a relic of the Cold War€ with €œboyish charms€ which are completely lost on her. Those who have seen €˜Skyfall€™ will know that her demeanour towards her greatest field asset gradually improves as time goes on, but the tension between the two of them during their early conversations is something which grounds the scene and really gives it life. The theme of strong and charismatic women continues with the Bond girls themselves. First is Xenia Onatopp, played by Famke Janssen. Her initial appearance shows her behind the wheel of a bright red Ferrari, racing Bond through the French mountains. The audience then gets to hear her speak for the first time when Bond meets her inside a casino in Monaco. During their interaction it becomes obvious that the screenwriters drew inspiration from the chemistry between Bond and Sylvia Trench in €˜Dr No€™. Once again, the traditional approach shines through, although unlike Ms Trench Xenia is a much more €˜modern€™ woman in cinematic terms. She strangles men to death with her thighs for a start, in addition to piloting helicopters and taking a great degree of pleasure from gunning down helpless civilians. The typical innocent and naive Bond girl she is not. Goldeneye 2 Izabella Scorupco also takes a lead role, playing computer programmer Natalya Simonova - a woman who is again not atypical for the franchise. Although very beautiful, she does not come from a glamorous or privileged background and does not meet Bond in some exotic faraway locale. In fact, the two first cross paths when strapped to a helicopter rigged with explosives (of course!). One final point to make about €˜Goldeneye€™ is the quality of its stunts and set pieces, which due to advances in technology and safety are far more extravagant than anything seen in the Connery films of earlier years. The first which springs to mind for many fans is the bungee jump scene: Eric Serra€™s score pulses quietly in the background as Bond races towards the centre of a Dam deep in Russian territory. After hurriedly hooking up to his safety line, he takes a step to the edge of the precipice, looks straight ahead, stretches his arms out to his sides, swings them gently... and plummets towards the rock below. Considering the jump was done for real (although not by Pierce Brosnan!) and that it is succeeded by the first glimpse of humour in the movie (the €˜bathroom€™ scene) it is, in my opinion, well worthy of a mention. Speaking of falls from high places, the climactic radar fight near the movie€™s conclusion is also worthy of note, filmed partly on location at the breathtaking Arecibo observatory in Cuba. Goldeneye 3 The action scene which is perhaps at the forefront of fans€™ minds whenever the film€™s title is mentioned has to be the tank chase through St Petersburg. The idea of Bond breaking out of confinement by hijacking a tank and then using said tank to pursue the villains is absolutely fantastic and is executed brilliantly by the film€™s second unit. From the first shot, when the tank breaks through a wall to reveal Bond driving while looking suave in his suit and tie, all the way through to the eventual confrontation with Trevelyan€™s distinctive and menacing armoured train, the entire scene is the perfect blend of humour and action, history and the contemporary. Particular highlights include the constant power slides, the shots of Ouromov taking swigs from his hip flask, the altercation with the Perrier truck and the line €œuse the bumper! That€™s what it€™s for!€ A rejuvenated Bond this may be, but that line is classic Bond, enough said.
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Contributor

Jamie. 23. Films. Video Games. Books. Cars. Social and Military History. I try and pen my articles so that they promote discussion and debate, so feel free to leave comments and let me know your thoughts! I write about films and video games for Whatculture, however if you are also interested in posts on history and the automotive industry, please check out my private blog at http://jamesdsimpson.wordpress.com/