Friday, 18 November 2022

BONDIFICATING: A few observations from a recent viewing of GoldenEye

Here are a few random observations from a recent viewing of GoldenEye.

I am currently making notes for an upcoming podcast, and I thought this might make a good teaser.


This is the first time I have noticed that the film version of Tina Turner’s theme song boasts some extra instrumentation which makes it feel more classically orchestral - it sounds far superior to the soundtrack version, which always sounds too synth-laden. I wonder if that is part of the reason why the song has such a mixed reputation amongst fans?

Pierce Brosnan seems shut off - a tight and efficient machine, but completely inscrutable.

Do not confuse this with a dismissal - it adds a certain ambiguity that later movies ignored.


Physically he is energetic and focused, but emotionally, it feels like there is nothing going on underneath.


Brosnan is perfect for the archetypal Bond: smooth, handsome, always on top of any situation. 


For an archetypal Bond, GoldenEye is the perfect fit because unlike previous recasts, it is about Bond’s relevance in a new age.


GoldenEye is Bond movie as question: What is Bond in 1995?


Every character, particularly the women, around Bond is designed to challenge the franchise’s viability.


Villain Alec Trevelyan provides the contrast to justify Bond’s continued existence. A villainous 00 is such an obvious idea I am amazed they never did it before. 


I am warming to Eric Serra’s score: the car chase cue is always trundled out when people criticise it, but there are chunks of it where specific themes and motifs really work.


‘The GoldenEye Overture’ is almost perfect - it is a great listening experience, and adds a simmering menace to Bond’s infiltration of the Soviet base. Onscreen it falters when the action gets into gear - it feels like there is a ceiling that Serra cannot get over in the action sequences, and it is thrown into sharp relief by John Altman’s last-minute contribution to the tank chase.


I really wish/hope that Martin Campbell will work with Phil Meheux again as his cinematographer. There is something so grey and dull about the cinematography in his recent films, while GoldenEye is filled with colour and interesting lighting and compositions.


The latest season of the James Bond Cocktail Hour podcast is out now!




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