Review of Goldfinger (1964) by Brandon S — 24 Jan 2017

The James Bond series, and the titular character, had already been well established with audiences in Dr. No and From Russia with Love, by the time Goldfinger was released in 1963. Although the previous two films had been warmly greeted by film lovers, Goldfinger was a game-changer for the Bond franchise. The film was a sure-fire blockbuster that catapulted James Bond to a stratospheric level of success and acclaim, ensuring that more films would follow. Sean Connery was, perhaps, the greatest benefactor of the success of Goldfinger. He was suddenly an overnight superstar and was quickly elevated to the enviable position of being able to pick and choose his roles while naming his paycheck. Goldfinger remains, to this day, the perennial choice amongst critics and fans as the finest Bond adventure to ever grace the screen. Like a fine wine, the film gets better with age, showcasing the best that Bond can be.

Goldfinger finds everyone's favorite secret agent, James Bond (Sean Connery), on the trail of Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), a high ranking criminal who makes his living smuggling gold across the world's most secure borders. As Bond investigates Goldfinger's underworld connections and ingratiates himself with the criminal, he uncovers startling information that might connect this simple smuggler to a plot to detonate a nuclear device on American soil. Bond's investigation will cost several of his beautiful female companions their lives; Goldfinger's ruthless tactics and his deadly manservant Oddjob (Harold Sakata) spare no one. As Goldfinger sets his sights on Ft. Knox, Bond encounters Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), a ruthless American crime lord who works as Goldfinger's personal pilot. She might just hold the key to Bond's success, but time is running out for 007. Can Bond save the day, stop Goldfinger and get the girl?

Goldfinger pretty much has it all. Gadgets a plenty, Bond's original Aston Martin DB5, stunning Bond girls, the best Bond girl name in the history of the franchise, M, Q, impeccable Bond fashion, the wittiest of one-liners and an efficient and thoroughly enjoyable plot. The film is the prototype by which all subsequent Bond films would be judged. Some might argue that Goldfinger is the finest of the Bond films and I'd be hard pressed to disagree. It's simply so enjoyable and so full of all the things that make a great Bond film, that only the most fervent Bond detractors could fail to be swayed by its many charms. Goldfinger also represents Sean Connery at his peak in the role of James Bond. He had showed considerable progress in embodying the character in the previous two films; in Goldfinger, however, Connery, quite simply, is James Bond.

Goldfinger plays like a highlight reel of famous Bond scenes and lines. Bond strapped to a table with a laser threatening his nether regions? Check. Bond wearing his signature gray three-piece suit? Check. "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" Check. It's all here. Several readers recently asked me which Bond film I would recommend as the best introduction to the Connery era. Some might argue that going in sequence with the films might be the appropriate method, though I believe that Goldfinger is the best introduction to the style, wit and effortless entertainment of these initial Bond adventures. It simply doesn't get much better than Goldfinger.

Forty-five years after the film's theatrical release, Goldfinger remains the defining representation of James Bond. The film introduced so many of the elements that have embodied the character over the years, that it serves as a primer for understanding James Bond, while being the perfect first Bond film for any prospective Bond fan. Goldfinger finds Sean Connery at his absolute best; he's charming, witty and utterly convincing as the globetrotting secret agent.