GoldenEye
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- For other uses, see GoldenEye (disambiguation)
Name
While GoldenEye is technically the third original James Bond movie that doesn't contain any reference to an Ian Fleming novel or short story, the title comes from Fleming's Jamaican estate he dubbed "Goldeneye" where he wrote all the Bond novels. The estate could have been named "Goldeneye" for a number of reasons. The first is that the estate is located in Oracabessa, which is Spanish for 'golden head'. Fleming is also reported to have read Carson McCullers's novel Reflections in a Golden Eye around the time he had his house built in Jamaica. More notably, Fleming was in charge of the defence of Gibraltar during the Second World War; the operation dubbed by Fleming, Operation Goldeneye.In the film, "GoldenEye" is the code name of a secret Russian military satellite program, based in two nuclear warhead equipped satellites named Petya and Mischa, which use their nuclear explosion's electromagnetic pulse to disable electronic devices in a 30 mile radius target. A square shaped disk with a translucent golden sphere in the centre authorizes the GoldenEye system to set a trajectory and target for each satellite.
Overview
GoldenEye is considered an important film in the Bond series in that it was successful in reviving interest in a character that many critics had suggested had become an anachronism in the post-Cold War world.The previous film, Licence to Kill, had been released in June 1989, before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Although it was financially successful and critically acclaimed, it was not as popular as previous Bond films, suggesting interest in the series was waning at that point.
Judi Dench, the newly cast M, describes Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War." This unusual candour, combined with a generally well-received performance by Brosnan as the new James Bond, helped to revitalize the franchise.
Plot summary
The story opens with James Bond, agent 007, and his friend/ally Alec Trevelyan, agent 006, infiltrating a Soviet chemical weapons factory in Arkhangelsk, USSR, now Russia. Trevelyan is captured and shot by Colonel Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov, but Bond escapes.
Nine years later, after the collapse of the USSR, a prototype attack helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger, is stolen from the French frigate La Fayette. Former Soviet fighter pilot Xenia Onatopp, whom Bond was investigating following a chance encounter, made that possible by seducing and killing the Canadian Admiral Chuck Farrel. She accomplished this by crushing his chest with her thighs during sex, thus allowing her male accomplice to impersonate the admiral at the Tiger's demonstration flight the following day. She also shoots and kills two of the helicopter's pilots. Chuck Farrel's yacht, the Manticore moored off Monte Carlo, was identified by MI6 as leased to a front company of the Russian crime ring, the Janus Syndicate.
Bond discovers the dead Admiral, but is too late to stop the theft of the Tiger. The helicopter is tracked by a British spy satellite when it lands at a supposed disused satellite control centre in Severnaya, Russia (depicted as being in central Siberia). Moments later, Bond, M, and Chief of Staff Bill Tanner witness the sudden electromagnetic pulse explosion that disables their satellite and severs their visual link to the Russian satellite control centre. Ourumov, by now a general, and Xenia Onatopp detonated one of two GoldenEye satellites, Petya, over Severnaya to use the electromagnetic pulse to hide their theft of the GoldenEye disk and keys, which would be used to eventually control the second GoldenEye satellite, Mischa. They escape from the control centre in the stolen Tiger helicopter, which was designed to withstand the electromagnetic pulse, produced when they detonated the GoldenEye satellite. A female computer programmer, Natalya Fyodorovna Simonova, is the only innocent survivor of the attack on Severnaya; Simonova becomes a target for Janus when Gen. Ourumov learns she survived.
Bond is charged with finding the GoldenEye satellite weapon, finding out who stole it, and stopping its use. His only clues are the lone survivor he saw escaping Severnaya once the visual satellite link is reconnected and that the Janus group provided the helicopter to steal the weapon.
Using a new CIA contact, Jack Wade, and an ex-KGB agent, Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky, he discovers that Alec Trevelyan not only is alive, but is the mastermind behind Janus. His 'assassination' in Arkhangelsk was successfully staged, although Trevelyan's face was seriously burned from Bond's action of resetting the timers to three minutes instead of six. Allied with Ourumov and Onatopp, Trevelyan plans to detonate the GoldenEye satellite Mischa over London, sending Britain "back to the stone age", in vengeance for his Lienz Cossack parents (who were betrayed by the British Army at the end of World War II, and returned to the Soviets, who had them executed). His plans are to steal from the Bank of England possibly causing a worldwide financial meltdown, and have the transaction erased using GoldenEye.
Cast and characters
- James Bond - Pierce Brosnan
- M - Judi Dench
- Q - Desmond Llewelyn
- Miss Moneypenny - Samantha Bond
- Jack Wade - Joe Don Baker
- Alec Trevelyan - Sean Bean
- Natalya Simonova - Izabella Scorupco
- Xenia Onatopp - Famke Janssen
- Boris Grishenko - Alan Cumming
- Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky - Robbie Coltrane
- Irina (Zukovsky's mistress) - Minnie Driver
- General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov - Gottfried John
- Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin - Tchéky Karyo
- Bill Tanner - Michael Kitchen
- Caroline - Serena Gordon
- Member Of The Russian Security Counsel - Michael G. Wilson
- Admiral Chuck Farrell - Billy J. Mitchell
Crew
- Directed by: Martin Campbell
- Produced by: Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli
- Written by: Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein
- Story: Michael France
- Cinematography by: Phil Meheux
- Composed by: Eric Serra
- Production design by: Peter Lamont
Soundtrack
The theme song, "GoldenEye", was written by Bono and The Edge, and was performed by Tina Turner. The Swedish group Ace Of Base were also involved at one point, producing a song also called "GoldenEye". This song was later released with slightly revised lyrics as The Juvenile on their 2002 album Da Capo. In addition to the Bondian bass line, it seems that the lyric 'The Juvenile' simply replaced 'The Goldeneye'. The other lyrics, most notably the line "Tomorrow's foe is now a friend" obviously refer to the plot of this film.
The film features the song "Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette. The song is sung in the film by Minnie Driver in the scene in which Bond confronts Zukovsky. Intended to be a comic moment, Driver intentionally sings the song off-key in an exaggerated Russian accent.
The soundtrack was composed by Eric Serra. Serra's score is often criticized by Bond fans and is considered the farthest departure from a traditional Bond score in the series history. The producers later hired John Altman to provide the music for the tank chase in St. Petersburg. Serra's original track for that sequence can still be found on the soundtrack as "A Pleasant Drive In St. Petersburg". The incidental music for the film has thus far been the only collaboration on a James Bond film. Parisian Eric Serra composed and performed a number of synthesizer tracks, including the version of the James Bond Theme that plays during the gun barrel sequence, while John Altman and David Arch provided the more traditional symphonic music.
Track listing
- GoldenEye - Tina Turner
- GoldenEye Overture: (Pt.1) Half of Everything Is Luck (Pt.2)
- Ladies First
- We Share the Same Passions: (Pt.1) the Trip to Cuba (Pt.2)
- Little Surprise for You: (Pt. 1) Xenya (Pt.2) D.M. Mychkine
- Severnaya Suite: (Pt.1) Among the Dead (Pt.2) Out of Hell (Pt.3)
- Our Lady of Smolensk
- Whispering Statues: (Pt.1) Whispers (Pt.2) Two Faced
- Run, Shoot, and Jump
- Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg
- Fatal Weakness
- That's What Keeps You Alone
- Dish Out of Water: (Pt.1) a Good Squeeze (Pt.2) the Antenna
- Scale to Hell: (Pt.1) Boris and the Lethal Pen/(Pt.2) I Am Invincible
- For Ever, James
- Experience of Love
Vehicles & gadgets
- Main articles: List of James Bond vehicles and List of James Bond gadgets
- BMW Z3 — A convertible, it comes fully loaded with all the usual Q refinements, including a self-destruct system and Stinger missiles located behind the headlights. Bond uses none of the car's gadgets except for the GPS navigation system, and ends up trading it for Jack Wade's plane.
- Cessna 172 - Jack Wade's aeroplane (see above)
- Grappling Belt — Q gives Bond a size-34 belt containing a 75-foot rappelling cord and a piton-shooting buckle. When fired, it shoots a grapple attached to high-tensile-strength wire designed to support Bond's weight.
- Aston Martin DB5 — Registration BMT214A. Note this is not the same car as seen in Goldfinger and Thunderball (that car was registered BMT216A). This appears to be Bond's personal car and re-appears in the next film Tomorrow Never Dies (its appearance at Castle Thane in The World Is Not Enough did not make it into the final film). The car is equipped with a refrigerator in the centre arm rest to hold champagne and two glasses, and also a communications system including voice commands and a fax machine, which prints out of the in-dash CD player.
- The armoured locomotive pulling the train in which Alec Trevelyan escapes St. Petersburg was actually a British Rail Class 20 No. D8188, with the addition of some armour plating to give the impression of a Russian armoured locomotive. (In the film, Trevelyan mentions that the trains were used to haul mobile ICBMs around the country).
- Explosive Pen — Q-Branch gives Bond a Parker Jotter pen that doubles as a "class four" (fictional designation) grenade. Three clicks arms the four-second fuse, another three disarms it.
- Omega Watch — This watch, standard issue of MI6, has a built-in laser that can cut through steel and iron, and can also remotely detonate mines.
- Grapple and Laser Gun — In the intro sequence Bond bungee jumps off of a dam. To ensure he doesn't bounce back up he uses this gun to latch on to the complex below using its grapple function. Once down, Bond uses the laser built inside the gun to infiltrate the venting system that leads into the bathroom.
- T-55 — the tank Bond steals from a Russian military building.
Firearms of GoldenEye
- Walther PPK — James Bond's standard issue pistol. Shown in the poster below with silencer. Chambered for the 7.65mm x 17 Browning (or .32 ACP) cartridge.
- Makarov PM pistol — Standard-issue pistol of the Soviet/Russian armed forces. The pistol was prominately used by General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov in a number of scenes in the movie.
- Browning DA (double action) pistol — Alec Trevelyan's pistol of choice. In the beginning during the facility infiltration he is seen with a Browning Hi-Power Standard, but the ending battle scene at the antenna cradle he is seen with a Browning DA. Both guns are chambered for the 9mm x 19 Parabellum cartridge.
- Kalashnikov AK-74 automatic rifle — Standard-issue assault rifle of the Soviet/Russian armed forces and has been in Soviet/Russian military service since 1974/1975. Chambered for the 5.45mm x 39 Soviet M74 cartridge.
- Kalashnikov AKSU-74 carbine— Standard-issue carbine of the Soviet/Russian vehicle crews and certain internal security forces. The AKSU-74 is a SMG (submachine gun) version of the AK-74 for issue to vehicle crews and people operating in confined spaces, it uses the same ammunition as the AK-74. The AKSU-74 (or AKS-74u) was prominently used by James Bond at the Arkangel Chemical Weapons Facility in 1986 and in St. Petersburg in 1995 when he and Natalya were escaping from the Russian military base. The AKSU-74 was also used by Xenia Onatopp when she used the weapon to kill the personnel at the Severnaya satellite control centre after General Ourumov got control of the two GoldenEye satellites. Bond can be seen wielding it on Trevelyan's Train. Also chambered for the 5.45mm x 39 Soviet M74 cartridge.
Ratings history
Goldeneye had a few things trimmed in order to be guaranteed a PG-13 rating from the MPAA and BBFC. The cuts include:
- When 006 is shot, you could clearly see the bullet impact to his head.
- When Xenia is shooting the workers at the Severnya station, a few more deaths were visible.
- Xenia's death was shortened. A few more seconds of her choking was removed.
- When James is in the spa area with Xenia, he gives her a rabbit punch. This change was only requested by the BBFC, however, Martin Campbell felt that making two versions of one scene was ridiculous, so he cut the punch in both versions of the film.
Trivia
- In the movie GoldenEye, a number of the AK-74 rifles that were used were not real AK-74s but non-Russian made Kalashnikov rifles that were made to look like the AK-74 rifle.
- The folding-stock variant AK-74 rifles that were seen in GoldenEye were Chinese-made Norinco Type 56/AKM rifles that were fitted with AK-74-style muzzle brakes and Russian-made red bakelite plastic magazines that were made for the AKM rifle in the 1970s. The rifles that were fitted with fixed buttstocks were real, Russian-made AK-74 rifles.
Locations
Film locations
- Chemical Weapons Facility, Arkangel, USSR
- Southern France (nine years later)
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Space Weapons Control Centre, Severnaya, Russia
- London, United Kingdom
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Cuba
Shooting locations
- Leavesden Film Studios, Hertfordshire, UK
- Verzasca Dam, Switzerland - bungee jump at Arkangel chemical factory
- Thorenc, Provence, France - hills overlooking Monte Carlo
- Monte Carlo, Monaco - Casino de Monte Carlo and helicopter theft
- London, United Kingdom
- * Somerset House - square in central St. Petersburg
- * St Sofia's Greek Cathedral, Bayswater - Church of Our Lady of Smolensk, St. Petersburg
- * Draper's Hall, City of London - interior of Russian defence ministry
- * Nene Valley Railway, Cambridgeshire - exterior train scene
- St. Petersburg, Russia - Janus crime syndicate headquarters
- Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, UK - St. Petersburg airport terminal
- Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico - satellite dish in Cuba
Novelization
GoldenEye was the second and last Bond film to be adapted as a novel by then-current Bond novelist John Gardner. GoldenEye is based upon the screenplay by Bruce Feirstein and Jeffrey Caine. The book follows the movie storyline fairly closely, however Gardner adds a rather violent sequence prior to the opening bungee jump in which Bond wipes out a group of Russian guards. This scene does not appear in the movie, although the popular GoldenEye 007 video game based on the film featured something similar.
This was also Gardner's penultimate Bond novel; after one more entry in the series (COLD), Gardner would retire from chronicling the adventures of 007. Raymond Benson would take over the series and also write the novelisations for the remaining three Brosnan Bond films, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.
| Author: | Publisher: | Hardback: | Paperback: | Alternate titles: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gardner | Glidrose Publications | UK) 1996 | UK) 1995 | |
| Preceded by: SeaFire | ||||
| Followed by: COLD | ||||
Comic book adaptation
In late 1995 Topps Comics began publishing a three-issue adaptation of GoldenEye in comic book format. The film script was adapted by Don McGregor with art by Rick Magyar. The first issue carried a January 1996 cover date. For reasons unknown, Topps cancelled the adaptation after only the first issue had been published, and to date the adaptation has never been released in its entirety.Video games
- Main article: GoldenEye 007 and
In the Autumn of 2004, Electronic Arts released for Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube and later the Nintendo DS. This is the first game based on the 007 franchise in which the player does not take on the role of James Bond himself; rather they control an aspiring 00-agent (named GoldenEye) who is recruited by Auric Goldfinger, the villain in the movie and book Goldfinger. The game has little to do with either the film GoldenEye or the N64 game, and was released to mediocre reviews and was criticised for using the "GoldenEye" name in an attempt to sell the game by riding on the success of Rare's game.
Trivia
- While this is the first appearance of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, he was actually picked to replace Roger Moore in the film The Living Daylights, but due to his contract with the television show Remington Steele he had to drop out of the film.
- The movie was written with Timothy Dalton's darker, grittier portrayal of Bond in mind, but Dalton withdrew his role as 007 before shooting began.
- For a time it was a rumoured that Brosnan's contract specifically stated that he was not allowed to wear a full tuxedo in other films and that Brosnan had apparently worked around this in the film The Thomas Crown Affair by leaving his tie untied during a black-tie ball, thus not wearing a full tuxedo. This rumour turned out to be false.
- GoldenEye features the highest bungee jump from a structure in a movie, performed by British stuntman Wayne Michaels. The drop was more than 722 ft. Michaels later made a cameo as a helicopter pilot that Xenia shoots.
- Reportedly, GoldenEye's script had to be rewritten as it was found to be too similar to a plotline in the James Cameron film True Lies.
- Joe Don Baker returns as CIA agent Jack Wade: his previous appearance in the Bond films was as the villain Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights. Baker had played a similar character, also a CIA agent, for GoldenEye director Martin Campbell in the 1985 BBC television drama Edge of Darkness.
- Maurice Binder, the title sequence designer for most of the James Bond films since Dr. No, died in 1991. The job of title designer for GoldenEye as well several future James Bond films was then passed to Daniel Kleinman.
- Albert "Cubby" Broccoli died shortly after the film was released. He had been too ill to visit the set during filming. The next Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, was dedicated to his memory.
- One of the tanks used in the filming of the St Petersburg chase sequence was later used in the Beyond A Joke episode of Red Dwarf.
- During the tank sequence, the tank can be seen running over a Russian vehicle, clearly crushing the driver (presumably a mannequin). This depiction of "collateral damage" may have been unintentional as it is followed by a quick shot of the driver getting out of the car.
- The costumers had to have special military-style combat boots made for the character of Xenia Onatopp because no boots could be found fitting Famke Janssen's foot size.
- The name Mischa (one of the Goldeneye satilites) is also the name of one of the knife-throwers in the 1983 Bond movie, Octopussy.
External links
- [MGM's official GoldenEye website]
- [Movie Tour Guide.com - Maps and directions to Goldeneye Filming Locations]
- [Keith Short - Film Sculptor] Image of set piece created for this film
| The James Bond films |
|---|
| Official films Dr. No | From Russia with Love | Goldfinger | Thunderball | You Only Live Twice | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Diamonds Are Forever | Live and Let Die | The Man with the Golden Gun | The Spy Who Loved Me | Moonraker | For Your Eyes Only | Octopussy | A View to a Kill | The Living Daylights | Licence to Kill | GoldenEye | Tomorrow Never Dies | The World Is Not Enough | Die Another Day | Casino Royale | Bond 22 |
| Unofficial films Casino Royale (1954 TV) | Casino Royale (1967 spoof) | Never Say Never Again |
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