GOLDENEYE
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(Redirected from GoldenEye (fictional satellite weapon))
'''GoldenEye''', released in 1995, is the 17th film in the James Bond series and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional British secret agent James Bond. Unlike previous James Bond films, the screenplay was not based on the writings of Bond creator Ian Fleming, although the film's title is taken from Fleming's home in Jamaica. The original story was conceived and written by Michael France, with a later collaboration by several other writers, and was directed by Martin Campbell. In the film, Bond fights to prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon against London and cause a global financial meltdown.
''GoldenEye'' was released in 1995 after legal troubles forced a six-year hiatus in the series, during which Timothy Dalton resigned from the role of James Bond and was replaced by Pierce Brosnan. M was also recast, with actress Judi Dench becoming the first female to portray the character. ''GoldenEye'' was the first Bond film made after the downfall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, which provided a background for the plot. The film was lauded by some critics and performed well at the box office, considerably better than Dalton's films.[1] Some critics viewed the film as a modernisation of the series, and felt Brosnan was a definite improvement over his predecessor.[2][3][4]
In the pre-title sequence, Bond infiltrates the Arkangel chemical weapons facility in the Soviet Union, with his ally Alec Trevelyan (Agent 006). During the mission, Trevelyan is captured and shot by a Soviet Colonel, Arkady Ouromov, but Bond escapes and blows up the facility.
Nine years later, Xenia Onatopp, a member of the Janus crime syndicate, assisted by Ourumov who is now a General, steals a Tiger helicopter during a demonstration and flies it to the GoldenEye satellite weapon control complex in Severnaya. There, they kill the programmers and steal the control disk for the weapon. To cover the theft, they programme one of the two satellites to target the complex, causing an electromagnetic pulse that destroys the equipment in the base and makes an approaching MiG fighter crash into the building. They leave with a programmer and conspirator named Boris Grishenko who works for Janus. Another programmer, Natalya Simonova, is the only innocent survivor. She arranges a meeting with Grishenko in St. Petersburg where he betrays and captures her.
Bond is assigned to look into the Severnaya disaster. In St. Petersburg, his CIA ally Jack Wade, arranges his meeting with Valentin Zukovsky, a Russian Mafia head. Zukovsky then arranges for Bond to meet the head of Janus, who reveals himself to be Trevelyan, having faked his own death at Arkangel. His plan involves using the second GoldenEye satellite over London, which will render all electrical systems in the city useless, concealing his theft from the Bank of England. Bond is then knocked unconscious and finds himself tied up in the Tiger helicopter with Simonova. The helicopter is programmed to fire two missiles at itself to kill them, but they escape using the ejection system.
Bond and Simonova are immediately arrested by the Russian government and interrogated by Ourumov and the Minister of Defence, Dmitri Mishkin. Simonova accuses Ourumov of targeting Severnaya. Realising that he has been exposed, Ourumov kills Mishkin and escapes with Simonova in a car. Bond pursues him in a tank through St. Petersburg, to an armoured train, where he meets Trevelyan and Onatopp. After a tense stand-off, Bond kills Ourumov and save Simonova, giving Trevelyan and Onatopp the chance to escape. As the train's self-destruct countdown begins, Bond uses his laser watch to cut through the floor and Simonova traces the train's remote control signal to Cuba. The two escape through the hole in the floor just before the train explodes.
Bond and Simonova go to Cuba to find the satellite dish needed to use the second satellite. When their plane is shot down in the jungle, Onatopp rappels from a helicopter and immediately tries to achieve an orgasm by killing Bond. However, he fixes her rope back and shoots at the helicopter which pulls her into a tree, crushing her to death. Then the two notice a lake being drained of all its water, thus uncovering a satellite dish. They make their way into the control station of the dish, where Simonova programmes the satellite to initiate re-entry, causing it to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Trevelyan captures Simonova but fails to save the satellite. In no time, Bond triggers an explosion within the hideout using his Parker Jotter pen which conceals a "class-four" grenade. He then jams the moving gears of the cradle and thus prevents Grishenko from being able to reposition it (and regain control of the satellite). After a fight with Bond, Trevelyan falls to the bottom of the dish and is crushed by the collapsing cradle. Nearby, a leakage of liquid nitrogen freezes Grishenko to death. Bond escapes on a helicopter commandeered by Simonova. They are then rescued by Jack Wade.
★ 'Pierce Brosnan' as 'James Bond (007)': A British Secret Service Agent.
★ 'Sean Bean' as 'Alec Trevelyan (006)': Initially an MI6 Agent and Bond's best friend, he fakes his death at Arkangelsk and then finds the the Janus syndicate in the following nine years.
★ 'Izabella Scorupco' as 'Natalya Simonova': The only innocent survivor of the Severnaya disaster. She helps Bond in his mission and also follows him to Cuba.
★ 'Famke Janssen' as 'Xenia Onatopp': A lust murderer, and Trevelyan's henchwoman.
★ 'Joe Don Baker' as 'Jack Wade': A CIA agent sent to assist Bond. Wade appears again in a later film, ''Tomorrow Never Dies''.
★ 'Judi Dench' as 'M': The strict head of MI6
★ 'Gottfried John' as 'General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov': Another ally of Trevelyan who has access to GoldenEye.
★ 'Robbie Coltrane' as 'Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky': A Russian gangster and ex-KGB agent through whom Bond uses to arrange a meeting with Janus (Trevelyan).
★ 'Alan Cumming' as 'Boris Grishenko': A programmer at Severnaya secretly working for Trevelyan.
★ 'Tchéky Karyo' as 'Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin': The Defense Minister and the person to whom Ourumov had to report. Ourumov shoots him when Simonova reveals the true events at Severnaya.
★ 'Desmond Llewelyn' as 'Q': Llewelyn was the only character to reprise a role from a previous Bond film.
★ 'Samantha Bond' as 'Miss Moneypenny': M's secretary. Samantha Bond made her first of four appearances as Moneypenny.
The preceding Bond film, ''Licence to Kill'', had performed disappointingly at the box office. Also, in 1989, MGM/UA was sold to the Australian based broadcasting group Quintex, who wanted to merge the company with Pathé. Danjaq, the Swiss based parent company of EON, sued MGM/UA, the distributor of the movies, because the Bond back catalogue was being licensed to Pathé, who intended to broadcast the Bond series on television in several countries across the world without the approval of Danjaq. These legal disputes delayed the film for several years.[5]
While the legal disputes went on, Timothy Dalton was still expected to play Bond in the new film, as he had originally signed up for a three-film contract. In an interview in 1993, Dalton said that Michael France was writing the story for the film, which was due to begin production in January or February 1994.[6] However, the deadline was not met, and in April 1994, Dalton officially resigned the role.[7] To replace Dalton, the producers cast Pierce Brosnan, who had been prevented from taking over the role from Roger Moore in 1985 because of his contract with ''Remington Steele''.[8][9][10] Judi Dench was cast as M, thus making ''GoldenEye'' the first film of the series featuring a female M. The decision is widely believed to be inspired by Stella Rimington becoming head of MI5 in 1992.[11][12]
''GoldenEye'' was produced by Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions. With Albert Broccoli's health deteriorating (he died seven months after the film's release), his daughter Barbara Broccoli described him as taking "a bit of a back seat" in the production of the film, but still having a lot of influence.[13] In his stead, Barbara and Michael G. Wilson took the lead roles in production. The producers parted ways with John Glen, director of the previous five Bond movies, instead selecting New Zealander Martin Campbell as director. Brosnan later described Campbell as "warrior-like in his take on the piece" and that "there was a huge passion there on both our parts".[14] Campbell would go on to direct ''Casino Royale'' in 2006. The producers also chose not to use Richard Maibaum, long-time writer for the series.[15][16] After Michael France wrote the original screenplay, Jeffrey Caine was brought in to rewrite it.[17] Caine kept many of France's ideas but added the prologue prior to the credits. Kevin Wade polished the script and Bruce Feirstein added the finishing touches.[18] In the film, the writing credit was shared by Caine and Feirstein, while France was credited with only the story, an arrangement he felt was unfair,[19] particularly as he believed the additions made were not an improvement on his original version.[20] Wade did not receive an official credit, but was acknowledged in the naming of Jack Wade, the CIA character he created.
While the story was not based on a work by Ian Fleming, the title ''GoldenEye'' is based on the name of Fleming's Jamaican estate where he wrote the Bond novels. Fleming gave a number of origins for the name of his estate, including Carson McCullers' ''Reflections in a Golden Eye''[21] and Operation Goldeneye, a contingency plan Fleming himself developed during World War II in case of a Nazi invasion through Spain.[22][23]
The film's producers were unable to film at Pinewood Studios, the usual location for Bond films, because it had been reserved. Instead, an old Rolls Royce factory at Leavesdon Aerodrome in Hertfordshire was converted into a new studio. The producers later said Pinewood would have been too small. The film's casino scenes were shot in Monte Carlo, as was the Tiger helicopter's demonstration. Reference footage for the tank chase was shot on location in St. Petersburg and matched to the studio at Leavesden. The final scenes on the radio telescope were shot at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. M's office was located at MI6's headquarters, next to the River Thames in London.[24]
The producers gained the assistance of the French Navy, which provided full use of the frigate FS ''La Fayette'' and the navy's newest helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger. The French government also allowed the use of Navy logos as part of the promotional campaign for the film. However, the producers had a dispute with the Ministry of Defence over Brosnan's opposition to French nuclear weapons testing and his involvement with Greenpeace; as a result, the French cancelled the French premiere of the film.[25]
The sequences involving the armoured train were filmed on Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough in the UK. The train comprised a British Rail Class 20 diesel-electric locomotive and a pair of BR Mk 2 coaches. All three were heavily disguised to resemble a Soviet armoured train.[24][27]
The opening 220 m bungee jump at Archangel, shot at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland and performed by Wayne Michaels, was voted the best movie stunt of all time as of 2002 and set a record for the highest bungee jump off a fixed structure.[28] The largest stunt sequence in the film was the tank chase, which took around six weeks to film, partly on location in St. Petersburg and partly at Leavesden.[29]
The fall of communism in Russia is the main focus of the opening titles, designed by Daniel Kleinman (who took over from Maurice Binder after his death in 1991). They show the collapse and destruction of several structures associated with the Soviet Union, such as the red star and hammer and sickle. In an interview, Kleinman said they were meant to be "a kind of story telling sequence" showing that "what was happening in Communist countries was Communism was falling down".[30]
''GoldenEye'' was the first film bound by BMW's three picture deal,[31] so producers were offered BMW's latest roadster, the BMW Z3. It was featured in the film months before its release, and a limited edition "007 model" sold out within a day of being available to order. As part of the car's marketing strategy, several Z3's were used to drive journalists from a complimentary meal at the Rainbow Room restaurant to ''GoldenEye's'' premiere at Radio City Music Hall.[24] For the film, a convertible Z3 is equipped with the usual Q refinements, including a self-destruct feature and Stinger missiles behind the headlights.[33]
''GoldenEye'' was the first James Bond film in which Bond does not wear a Rolex. Brosnan wore an Omega watch to help modernise Bond's image. Lindy Hemming, the film's costume designer, told ''The European Magazine'' Rolex had "become a bit ordinary".[34] The producers also wanted to work with a company that would cooperate in cross promotions, which Rolex did not wish to do. Omega produced a limited edition "James Bond" variation of the watch used in ''GoldenEye''.[35] In the film, Bond's watch, standard issue for MI6 agents, can remotely detonate mines and has a built-in laser that can cut through metal.
Main articles: GoldenEye (soundtrack)
The theme song, "GoldenEye", was written by Bono and The Edge, and was performed by Tina Turner.[36] As the producers did not collaborate with Bono or The Edge, alternate versions of the song did not appear throughout ''GoldenEye'', as was the case in previous James Bond films.[24]
The soundtrack to ''GoldenEye'' was composed by Éric Serra. Prolific Bond composer John Barry said he was offered it by Barbara Broccoli, but turned it down.[38] Serra's score has been heavily criticised: Richard von Busack, in ''Metro'', wrote that it was "more appropriate for a ride on an elevator than a ride on a roller coaster",[39] and Filmtracks said Serra "failed completely in his attempt to tie Goldeneye to the franchise's past."[40]
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". 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.
''GoldenEye'' premiered on November 13, 1995, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and went on general release in the USA on November 17 1995. The UK premiere, attended by Prince Charles, followed on November 22 1995 at the Odeon Leicester Square, with general release two days later.[41] Brosnan boycotted the French premiere to support Greenpeace's protest against the French nuclear testing program, causing the premiere to be cancelled.[42] The film was later released in a further 31 countries, under three alternate titles.[43]
The film made over $26 million during its opening weekend in the USA. Its worldwide sales were around $350 million.[44] It had the fourth highest worldwide gross of all films in 1995[45] and, taking inflation into account, was the most successful Bond film since ''Moonraker''.
The critical reception of the film was mostly positive with the film review collection website ''Rotten Tomatoes'' giving it an 84% Fresh approval,[46] although similar site Metacritic gave it only 65%.[47] In the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and said Brosnan's Bond was "somehow more sensitive, more vulnerable, more psychologically complete" than the previous ones, also commenting on Bond's "loss of innocence" since previous films.[48] James Berardinelli described Brosnan as "a decided improvement over his immediate predecessor" with a "flair for wit to go along with his natural charm", but added that "fully one-quarter of ''Goldeneye'' is momentum-killing padding."[49] Several reviews praised the new M's appraisal of Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur",[50][51] with Todd McCarthy in ''Variety'' saying ''GoldenEye'' "breathes fresh creative and commercial life" into the series. John Puccio of DVD Town said that ''GoldenEye'' was "an eye and ear-pleasing, action-packed entry in the Bond series" and that the film gave Bond "a bit of humanity, too".[52] Ian Nathan of ''Empire'' said that ''GoldenEye'' "revamps that indomitable British spirit" and that the ''Die Hard'' movies "don't even come close to 007". Tom Sonne of the ''Sunday Times'' wrote that ''GoldenEye'' was "by far the best since ''The Spy Who Loved Me''" and Jose Arroyo of ''Sight & Sound'' said that "Goldeneye's greatest success...is in modernising Bond".
Since ''Licence to Kill'', the world had changed drastically: ''GoldenEye'' was the first James Bond film to be produced since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. This cast doubt over whether James Bond was still relevant in the modern world, as many of the previous films pitted Bond against Soviet adversaries. Indeed, much of the film industry felt that it would be "futile" to attempt a comeback for the Bond series, and that it was best left as "an icon of the past"[24] However, when released, the film was viewed as a successful revival of the series, and that it effectively adapted the series for the 1990s.[3] One of ''GoldenEye's'' more modern aspects was the casting of a female as M, the first James Bond film to do so. In the film, the new M quickly establishes her authority, remarking that Bond is a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" and a "relic of the Cold War". This is an early indication that Bond is portrayed as far less cold than Timothy Dalton's Bond from 1989.[55]
Richard Schickel of ''Time'' wrote that after "a third of a century's hard use", Bond's conventions survived on "wobbly knees",[56] while in ''Entertainment Weekly'', Owen Gleiberman thought the series had "entered a near-terminal state of exhaustion."[57] Dragon Antulov said that ''GoldenEye'' had a "standard (and rather predictable) series of scenes",[58] and Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said that the film was "a middle-aged entity anxious to appear trendy at all costs".[59] David Eimer of ''Premiere'' wrote that "the trademark humour is in short supply" and that "Goldeneye isn't classic Bond by any stretch of the imagination."[60]
''GoldenEye'' was nominated for two BAFTAs for "Best Achievement in Special Effects" and "Best Sound", but lost to ''Apollo 13'' and ''Braveheart'' respectively.[61]
''GoldenEye'' was edited in order to be guaranteed a PG-13 rating from the MPAA and a 12 rating from the BBFC. The cuts include the visible bullet impact to Trevelyan's head when he is shot in the film's opening, several additional deaths during the sequence in which Onatopp guns down the workers at the Severnaya station, more explicit footage and violent behaviour in the Admiral's death, extra seconds of footage of Onatopp's death, and Bond giving Onatopp a rabbit punch in the car. In 2006, the film was remastered and re-edited for the James Bond Ultimate Edition DVD in which the BBFC cuts were restored, including a number of headbutts and some violent sound effects being restored to their original volume levels, causing the BBFC rating to be changed to 15.[62] However, all DVDs worldwide still retain the original MPAA cuts outlined above.
''GoldenEye'' was the second and final Bond film to be adapted to a novel by novelist John Gardner, and was to be his penultimate Bond novel. The book closely follows the film's storyline, but Gardner added a violent sequence prior to the opening bungee jump in which Bond kills a group of Russian guards (a change that the video game ''GoldenEye 007'' retained).
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.[63] For reasons unknown, Topps cancelled the entire adaptation after only the first issue had been published, and to date the adaptation has never been released in its entirety.[64]
The film was the basis for ''GoldenEye 007'', a successful video game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware.[65][66] It was considered a flagship game for the console, and viewed as revolutionary in its development of the first-person shooter format. In a January 2000 poll, readers of the British video game magazine ''Computer and Video Games'' voted ''GoldenEye 007'' to first place in a list of "the hundred greatest video games".[67] In ''Edge's'' 10th anniversary issue in 2003, the game was included as one of their top ten shooters of all time,[68] and in 2005, a "Best Games of All-Time" poll at GameFAQs placed it at 7th.[69] It is based upon the film, but many of the missions were extended or modified.[70]
An alternative version of ''GoldenEye 007'' was also intended to be released for the Virtual Boy console, but was cancelled before release.[71]
1. James Bond Films at the Boxoffice, 1962-
2. GoldenEye
3. GoldenEye
4. GoldenEye
5. GoldenEye - The Road To Production
6. Interview with Dalton
7. Biography:Timothy Dalton
8. Pierce Brosnan Is New James Bond Maggie Fox
9. Pierce Brosnan's Long and Winding Road To Bond Kimberly Last
10. Biography:Pierce Brosnan
11. Her majesty's not-so-secret service
12. Woman tipped to head MI5 in footsteps of Stella Rimington Nigel Morris
13. Richard Ashton Interview Michael G. Wilson
14. 'My heavens, I haven't been found out yet' Richard Jobson
15. Production Notes - GoldenEye
16. Hollywood mogul puts 0m price on James Bond's head; Albert "Cubby" Broccoli
17. The Spirit of the Story: The Constant Gardener's Jeffrey Caine Nick Birren
18. His Word is Bond: An Interview With 007 Screenwriter Bruce Feirstein
19. Screenwriting Punishment with Michael France
20. 10 Questions: Mike France Stax
21. The Life of Ian Fleming, Pearson, John, , , Vintage/Ebury, 1966, ISBN 0-224-61136-4
22. The Real James Bond
23. Adultery, Cambridge spies, a Jamaican idyll — Ian Fleming's biographer Andrew Lycett traces the origins of James Bond Andrew Lycett
24. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
25. Bond drops a bomb
26. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
27. Licensed to Thrill
28. 007's bungee jump tops best movie stunt poll
29. Interview - Steve Street (Part 1)
30. Opening Sequence W/ Daniel Kleinman
31. Clive Owen in BMW's "The Hire"
32. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
33. BMW Z3
34. "The Names Bond, Euro Bond", , , , The European Magazine,
35. The 007 Connection
36. Tina Turner performs theme song to new James Bond movie, 'GoldenEye.'
37. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
38. John Barry The Gstaad Memorandum
39. Bond for Glory
40. Filmtracks Editorial Review
41. GoldenEye - Première & Press
42. Pierce Brosnan boycotts French premiere of GoldenEye to support Greenpeace protests
43. Release Information - GoldenEye
44. GoldenEye
45. 1995 Worldwide Grosses
46. GoldenEye (1995)
47. GoldenEye
48. GoldenEye Roger Ebert
49. GoldenEye
50. 14-Karat ‘GoldenEye’: A Polished New Bond Hal Hinson
51. New Bond More Action Than Style
52. DVD review of GoldenEye John J. Puccio
53. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
54. GoldenEye
55. GoldenEye
56. Shaky, Not Stirring Richard Schickel
57. GoldenEye Owen Gleiberman
58. Retrospective: GoldenEye (1995)
59. GoldenEye - MOVIE REVIEW Kenneth Turan
60. GoldenEye - Premiere & Press
61. Film Winners 1990-1999 PDF
62. GoldenEye (1995)
63. The James Bond 007 Comics Checklist
64. When Bond Battled Dinosaurs
65. GoldenEye 007 Reviews
66. Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd
67. 100 Greatest Games Of All Time, , , , Computer and Video Games, 2000
68. Ten Top Tens: Shooters, , , , Edge, 2003
69. The 10 Best Games Ever
70. The Making of GoldenEye 007
71. The Lost GoldenEye Videogame
★ MGM's official ''GoldenEye'' website
★
★
★
★
'''GoldenEye''', released in 1995, is the 17th film in the James Bond series and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional British secret agent James Bond. Unlike previous James Bond films, the screenplay was not based on the writings of Bond creator Ian Fleming, although the film's title is taken from Fleming's home in Jamaica. The original story was conceived and written by Michael France, with a later collaboration by several other writers, and was directed by Martin Campbell. In the film, Bond fights to prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon against London and cause a global financial meltdown.
''GoldenEye'' was released in 1995 after legal troubles forced a six-year hiatus in the series, during which Timothy Dalton resigned from the role of James Bond and was replaced by Pierce Brosnan. M was also recast, with actress Judi Dench becoming the first female to portray the character. ''GoldenEye'' was the first Bond film made after the downfall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, which provided a background for the plot. The film was lauded by some critics and performed well at the box office, considerably better than Dalton's films.[1] Some critics viewed the film as a modernisation of the series, and felt Brosnan was a definite improvement over his predecessor.[2][3][4]
| Contents |
| Plot |
| Cast |
| Production |
| Filming |
| Themes |
| Music |
| Release and reception |
| Appearances in other media |
| References |
| External links |
Plot
In the pre-title sequence, Bond infiltrates the Arkangel chemical weapons facility in the Soviet Union, with his ally Alec Trevelyan (Agent 006). During the mission, Trevelyan is captured and shot by a Soviet Colonel, Arkady Ouromov, but Bond escapes and blows up the facility.
Nine years later, Xenia Onatopp, a member of the Janus crime syndicate, assisted by Ourumov who is now a General, steals a Tiger helicopter during a demonstration and flies it to the GoldenEye satellite weapon control complex in Severnaya. There, they kill the programmers and steal the control disk for the weapon. To cover the theft, they programme one of the two satellites to target the complex, causing an electromagnetic pulse that destroys the equipment in the base and makes an approaching MiG fighter crash into the building. They leave with a programmer and conspirator named Boris Grishenko who works for Janus. Another programmer, Natalya Simonova, is the only innocent survivor. She arranges a meeting with Grishenko in St. Petersburg where he betrays and captures her.
Bond and Simonova in Cuba.
Bond is assigned to look into the Severnaya disaster. In St. Petersburg, his CIA ally Jack Wade, arranges his meeting with Valentin Zukovsky, a Russian Mafia head. Zukovsky then arranges for Bond to meet the head of Janus, who reveals himself to be Trevelyan, having faked his own death at Arkangel. His plan involves using the second GoldenEye satellite over London, which will render all electrical systems in the city useless, concealing his theft from the Bank of England. Bond is then knocked unconscious and finds himself tied up in the Tiger helicopter with Simonova. The helicopter is programmed to fire two missiles at itself to kill them, but they escape using the ejection system.
Bond and Simonova are immediately arrested by the Russian government and interrogated by Ourumov and the Minister of Defence, Dmitri Mishkin. Simonova accuses Ourumov of targeting Severnaya. Realising that he has been exposed, Ourumov kills Mishkin and escapes with Simonova in a car. Bond pursues him in a tank through St. Petersburg, to an armoured train, where he meets Trevelyan and Onatopp. After a tense stand-off, Bond kills Ourumov and save Simonova, giving Trevelyan and Onatopp the chance to escape. As the train's self-destruct countdown begins, Bond uses his laser watch to cut through the floor and Simonova traces the train's remote control signal to Cuba. The two escape through the hole in the floor just before the train explodes.
Onatopp fighting Bond in the Cuban jungle, shortly before her death.
Bond and Simonova go to Cuba to find the satellite dish needed to use the second satellite. When their plane is shot down in the jungle, Onatopp rappels from a helicopter and immediately tries to achieve an orgasm by killing Bond. However, he fixes her rope back and shoots at the helicopter which pulls her into a tree, crushing her to death. Then the two notice a lake being drained of all its water, thus uncovering a satellite dish. They make their way into the control station of the dish, where Simonova programmes the satellite to initiate re-entry, causing it to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Trevelyan captures Simonova but fails to save the satellite. In no time, Bond triggers an explosion within the hideout using his Parker Jotter pen which conceals a "class-four" grenade. He then jams the moving gears of the cradle and thus prevents Grishenko from being able to reposition it (and regain control of the satellite). After a fight with Bond, Trevelyan falls to the bottom of the dish and is crushed by the collapsing cradle. Nearby, a leakage of liquid nitrogen freezes Grishenko to death. Bond escapes on a helicopter commandeered by Simonova. They are then rescued by Jack Wade.
Cast
★ 'Pierce Brosnan' as 'James Bond (007)': A British Secret Service Agent.
★ 'Sean Bean' as 'Alec Trevelyan (006)': Initially an MI6 Agent and Bond's best friend, he fakes his death at Arkangelsk and then finds the the Janus syndicate in the following nine years.
★ 'Izabella Scorupco' as 'Natalya Simonova': The only innocent survivor of the Severnaya disaster. She helps Bond in his mission and also follows him to Cuba.
★ 'Famke Janssen' as 'Xenia Onatopp': A lust murderer, and Trevelyan's henchwoman.
★ 'Joe Don Baker' as 'Jack Wade': A CIA agent sent to assist Bond. Wade appears again in a later film, ''Tomorrow Never Dies''.
★ 'Judi Dench' as 'M': The strict head of MI6
★ 'Gottfried John' as 'General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov': Another ally of Trevelyan who has access to GoldenEye.
★ 'Robbie Coltrane' as 'Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky': A Russian gangster and ex-KGB agent through whom Bond uses to arrange a meeting with Janus (Trevelyan).
★ 'Alan Cumming' as 'Boris Grishenko': A programmer at Severnaya secretly working for Trevelyan.
★ 'Tchéky Karyo' as 'Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin': The Defense Minister and the person to whom Ourumov had to report. Ourumov shoots him when Simonova reveals the true events at Severnaya.
★ 'Desmond Llewelyn' as 'Q': Llewelyn was the only character to reprise a role from a previous Bond film.
★ 'Samantha Bond' as 'Miss Moneypenny': M's secretary. Samantha Bond made her first of four appearances as Moneypenny.
Production
The preceding Bond film, ''Licence to Kill'', had performed disappointingly at the box office. Also, in 1989, MGM/UA was sold to the Australian based broadcasting group Quintex, who wanted to merge the company with Pathé. Danjaq, the Swiss based parent company of EON, sued MGM/UA, the distributor of the movies, because the Bond back catalogue was being licensed to Pathé, who intended to broadcast the Bond series on television in several countries across the world without the approval of Danjaq. These legal disputes delayed the film for several years.[5]
While the legal disputes went on, Timothy Dalton was still expected to play Bond in the new film, as he had originally signed up for a three-film contract. In an interview in 1993, Dalton said that Michael France was writing the story for the film, which was due to begin production in January or February 1994.[6] However, the deadline was not met, and in April 1994, Dalton officially resigned the role.[7] To replace Dalton, the producers cast Pierce Brosnan, who had been prevented from taking over the role from Roger Moore in 1985 because of his contract with ''Remington Steele''.[8][9][10] Judi Dench was cast as M, thus making ''GoldenEye'' the first film of the series featuring a female M. The decision is widely believed to be inspired by Stella Rimington becoming head of MI5 in 1992.[11][12]
''GoldenEye'' was produced by Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions. With Albert Broccoli's health deteriorating (he died seven months after the film's release), his daughter Barbara Broccoli described him as taking "a bit of a back seat" in the production of the film, but still having a lot of influence.[13] In his stead, Barbara and Michael G. Wilson took the lead roles in production. The producers parted ways with John Glen, director of the previous five Bond movies, instead selecting New Zealander Martin Campbell as director. Brosnan later described Campbell as "warrior-like in his take on the piece" and that "there was a huge passion there on both our parts".[14] Campbell would go on to direct ''Casino Royale'' in 2006. The producers also chose not to use Richard Maibaum, long-time writer for the series.[15][16] After Michael France wrote the original screenplay, Jeffrey Caine was brought in to rewrite it.[17] Caine kept many of France's ideas but added the prologue prior to the credits. Kevin Wade polished the script and Bruce Feirstein added the finishing touches.[18] In the film, the writing credit was shared by Caine and Feirstein, while France was credited with only the story, an arrangement he felt was unfair,[19] particularly as he believed the additions made were not an improvement on his original version.[20] Wade did not receive an official credit, but was acknowledged in the naming of Jack Wade, the CIA character he created.
While the story was not based on a work by Ian Fleming, the title ''GoldenEye'' is based on the name of Fleming's Jamaican estate where he wrote the Bond novels. Fleming gave a number of origins for the name of his estate, including Carson McCullers' ''Reflections in a Golden Eye''[21] and Operation Goldeneye, a contingency plan Fleming himself developed during World War II in case of a Nazi invasion through Spain.[22][23]
Filming
The film's producers were unable to film at Pinewood Studios, the usual location for Bond films, because it had been reserved. Instead, an old Rolls Royce factory at Leavesdon Aerodrome in Hertfordshire was converted into a new studio. The producers later said Pinewood would have been too small. The film's casino scenes were shot in Monte Carlo, as was the Tiger helicopter's demonstration. Reference footage for the tank chase was shot on location in St. Petersburg and matched to the studio at Leavesden. The final scenes on the radio telescope were shot at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. M's office was located at MI6's headquarters, next to the River Thames in London.[24]
The producers gained the assistance of the French Navy, which provided full use of the frigate FS ''La Fayette'' and the navy's newest helicopter, the Eurocopter Tiger. The French government also allowed the use of Navy logos as part of the promotional campaign for the film. However, the producers had a dispute with the Ministry of Defence over Brosnan's opposition to French nuclear weapons testing and his involvement with Greenpeace; as a result, the French cancelled the French premiere of the film.[25]
The sequences involving the armoured train were filmed on Nene Valley Railway, near Peterborough in the UK. The train comprised a British Rail Class 20 diesel-electric locomotive and a pair of BR Mk 2 coaches. All three were heavily disguised to resemble a Soviet armoured train.[24][27]
The opening 220 m bungee jump at Archangel, shot at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland and performed by Wayne Michaels, was voted the best movie stunt of all time as of 2002 and set a record for the highest bungee jump off a fixed structure.[28] The largest stunt sequence in the film was the tank chase, which took around six weeks to film, partly on location in St. Petersburg and partly at Leavesden.[29]
Themes
''Goldeneye's'' opening title sequence featured a woman destroying the hammer and sickle.
The fall of communism in Russia is the main focus of the opening titles, designed by Daniel Kleinman (who took over from Maurice Binder after his death in 1991). They show the collapse and destruction of several structures associated with the Soviet Union, such as the red star and hammer and sickle. In an interview, Kleinman said they were meant to be "a kind of story telling sequence" showing that "what was happening in Communist countries was Communism was falling down".[30]
''GoldenEye'' was the first film bound by BMW's three picture deal,[31] so producers were offered BMW's latest roadster, the BMW Z3. It was featured in the film months before its release, and a limited edition "007 model" sold out within a day of being available to order. As part of the car's marketing strategy, several Z3's were used to drive journalists from a complimentary meal at the Rainbow Room restaurant to ''GoldenEye's'' premiere at Radio City Music Hall.[24] For the film, a convertible Z3 is equipped with the usual Q refinements, including a self-destruct feature and Stinger missiles behind the headlights.[33]
''GoldenEye'' was the first James Bond film in which Bond does not wear a Rolex. Brosnan wore an Omega watch to help modernise Bond's image. Lindy Hemming, the film's costume designer, told ''The European Magazine'' Rolex had "become a bit ordinary".[34] The producers also wanted to work with a company that would cooperate in cross promotions, which Rolex did not wish to do. Omega produced a limited edition "James Bond" variation of the watch used in ''GoldenEye''.[35] In the film, Bond's watch, standard issue for MI6 agents, can remotely detonate mines and has a built-in laser that can cut through metal.
Music
Main articles: GoldenEye (soundtrack)
The theme song, "GoldenEye", was written by Bono and The Edge, and was performed by Tina Turner.[36] As the producers did not collaborate with Bono or The Edge, alternate versions of the song did not appear throughout ''GoldenEye'', as was the case in previous James Bond films.[24]
The soundtrack to ''GoldenEye'' was composed by Éric Serra. Prolific Bond composer John Barry said he was offered it by Barbara Broccoli, but turned it down.[38] Serra's score has been heavily criticised: Richard von Busack, in ''Metro'', wrote that it was "more appropriate for a ride on an elevator than a ride on a roller coaster",[39] and Filmtracks said Serra "failed completely in his attempt to tie Goldeneye to the franchise's past."[40]
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". 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.
Release and reception
''GoldenEye'' premiered on November 13, 1995, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and went on general release in the USA on November 17 1995. The UK premiere, attended by Prince Charles, followed on November 22 1995 at the Odeon Leicester Square, with general release two days later.[41] Brosnan boycotted the French premiere to support Greenpeace's protest against the French nuclear testing program, causing the premiere to be cancelled.[42] The film was later released in a further 31 countries, under three alternate titles.[43]
The film made over $26 million during its opening weekend in the USA. Its worldwide sales were around $350 million.[44] It had the fourth highest worldwide gross of all films in 1995[45] and, taking inflation into account, was the most successful Bond film since ''Moonraker''.
The critical reception of the film was mostly positive with the film review collection website ''Rotten Tomatoes'' giving it an 84% Fresh approval,[46] although similar site Metacritic gave it only 65%.[47] In the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and said Brosnan's Bond was "somehow more sensitive, more vulnerable, more psychologically complete" than the previous ones, also commenting on Bond's "loss of innocence" since previous films.[48] James Berardinelli described Brosnan as "a decided improvement over his immediate predecessor" with a "flair for wit to go along with his natural charm", but added that "fully one-quarter of ''Goldeneye'' is momentum-killing padding."[49] Several reviews praised the new M's appraisal of Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur",[50][51] with Todd McCarthy in ''Variety'' saying ''GoldenEye'' "breathes fresh creative and commercial life" into the series. John Puccio of DVD Town said that ''GoldenEye'' was "an eye and ear-pleasing, action-packed entry in the Bond series" and that the film gave Bond "a bit of humanity, too".[52] Ian Nathan of ''Empire'' said that ''GoldenEye'' "revamps that indomitable British spirit" and that the ''Die Hard'' movies "don't even come close to 007". Tom Sonne of the ''Sunday Times'' wrote that ''GoldenEye'' was "by far the best since ''The Spy Who Loved Me''" and Jose Arroyo of ''Sight & Sound'' said that "Goldeneye's greatest success...is in modernising Bond".
Since ''Licence to Kill'', the world had changed drastically: ''GoldenEye'' was the first James Bond film to be produced since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. This cast doubt over whether James Bond was still relevant in the modern world, as many of the previous films pitted Bond against Soviet adversaries. Indeed, much of the film industry felt that it would be "futile" to attempt a comeback for the Bond series, and that it was best left as "an icon of the past"[24] However, when released, the film was viewed as a successful revival of the series, and that it effectively adapted the series for the 1990s.[3] One of ''GoldenEye's'' more modern aspects was the casting of a female as M, the first James Bond film to do so. In the film, the new M quickly establishes her authority, remarking that Bond is a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" and a "relic of the Cold War". This is an early indication that Bond is portrayed as far less cold than Timothy Dalton's Bond from 1989.[55]
Richard Schickel of ''Time'' wrote that after "a third of a century's hard use", Bond's conventions survived on "wobbly knees",[56] while in ''Entertainment Weekly'', Owen Gleiberman thought the series had "entered a near-terminal state of exhaustion."[57] Dragon Antulov said that ''GoldenEye'' had a "standard (and rather predictable) series of scenes",[58] and Kenneth Turan of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said that the film was "a middle-aged entity anxious to appear trendy at all costs".[59] David Eimer of ''Premiere'' wrote that "the trademark humour is in short supply" and that "Goldeneye isn't classic Bond by any stretch of the imagination."[60]
''GoldenEye'' was nominated for two BAFTAs for "Best Achievement in Special Effects" and "Best Sound", but lost to ''Apollo 13'' and ''Braveheart'' respectively.[61]
''GoldenEye'' was edited in order to be guaranteed a PG-13 rating from the MPAA and a 12 rating from the BBFC. The cuts include the visible bullet impact to Trevelyan's head when he is shot in the film's opening, several additional deaths during the sequence in which Onatopp guns down the workers at the Severnaya station, more explicit footage and violent behaviour in the Admiral's death, extra seconds of footage of Onatopp's death, and Bond giving Onatopp a rabbit punch in the car. In 2006, the film was remastered and re-edited for the James Bond Ultimate Edition DVD in which the BBFC cuts were restored, including a number of headbutts and some violent sound effects being restored to their original volume levels, causing the BBFC rating to be changed to 15.[62] However, all DVDs worldwide still retain the original MPAA cuts outlined above.
Appearances in other media
''GoldenEye'' was the second and final Bond film to be adapted to a novel by novelist John Gardner, and was to be his penultimate Bond novel. The book closely follows the film's storyline, but Gardner added a violent sequence prior to the opening bungee jump in which Bond kills a group of Russian guards (a change that the video game ''GoldenEye 007'' retained).
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.[63] For reasons unknown, Topps cancelled the entire adaptation after only the first issue had been published, and to date the adaptation has never been released in its entirety.[64]
The film was the basis for ''GoldenEye 007'', a successful video game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Rareware.[65][66] It was considered a flagship game for the console, and viewed as revolutionary in its development of the first-person shooter format. In a January 2000 poll, readers of the British video game magazine ''Computer and Video Games'' voted ''GoldenEye 007'' to first place in a list of "the hundred greatest video games".[67] In ''Edge's'' 10th anniversary issue in 2003, the game was included as one of their top ten shooters of all time,[68] and in 2005, a "Best Games of All-Time" poll at GameFAQs placed it at 7th.[69] It is based upon the film, but many of the missions were extended or modified.[70]
An alternative version of ''GoldenEye 007'' was also intended to be released for the Virtual Boy console, but was cancelled before release.[71]
References
1. James Bond Films at the Boxoffice, 1962-
2. GoldenEye
3. GoldenEye
4. GoldenEye
5. GoldenEye - The Road To Production
6. Interview with Dalton
7. Biography:Timothy Dalton
8. Pierce Brosnan Is New James Bond Maggie Fox
9. Pierce Brosnan's Long and Winding Road To Bond Kimberly Last
10. Biography:Pierce Brosnan
11. Her majesty's not-so-secret service
12. Woman tipped to head MI5 in footsteps of Stella Rimington Nigel Morris
13. Richard Ashton Interview Michael G. Wilson
14. 'My heavens, I haven't been found out yet' Richard Jobson
15. Production Notes - GoldenEye
16. Hollywood mogul puts 0m price on James Bond's head; Albert "Cubby" Broccoli
17. The Spirit of the Story: The Constant Gardener's Jeffrey Caine Nick Birren
18. His Word is Bond: An Interview With 007 Screenwriter Bruce Feirstein
19. Screenwriting Punishment with Michael France
20. 10 Questions: Mike France Stax
21. The Life of Ian Fleming, Pearson, John, , , Vintage/Ebury, 1966, ISBN 0-224-61136-4
22. The Real James Bond
23. Adultery, Cambridge spies, a Jamaican idyll — Ian Fleming's biographer Andrew Lycett traces the origins of James Bond Andrew Lycett
24. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
25. Bond drops a bomb
26. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
27. Licensed to Thrill
28. 007's bungee jump tops best movie stunt poll
29. Interview - Steve Street (Part 1)
30. Opening Sequence W/ Daniel Kleinman
31. Clive Owen in BMW's "The Hire"
32. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
33. BMW Z3
34. "The Names Bond, Euro Bond", , , , The European Magazine,
35. The 007 Connection
36. Tina Turner performs theme song to new James Bond movie, 'GoldenEye.'
37. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
38. John Barry The Gstaad Memorandum
39. Bond for Glory
40. Filmtracks Editorial Review
41. GoldenEye - Première & Press
42. Pierce Brosnan boycotts French premiere of GoldenEye to support Greenpeace protests
43. Release Information - GoldenEye
44. GoldenEye
45. 1995 Worldwide Grosses
46. GoldenEye (1995)
47. GoldenEye
48. GoldenEye Roger Ebert
49. GoldenEye
50. 14-Karat ‘GoldenEye’: A Polished New Bond Hal Hinson
51. New Bond More Action Than Style
52. DVD review of GoldenEye John J. Puccio
53. The Essential Bond: The Authorized Guide to the World of 007, , Lee, Pfeiffer, Boxtree, ,
54. GoldenEye
55. GoldenEye
56. Shaky, Not Stirring Richard Schickel
57. GoldenEye Owen Gleiberman
58. Retrospective: GoldenEye (1995)
59. GoldenEye - MOVIE REVIEW Kenneth Turan
60. GoldenEye - Premiere & Press
61. Film Winners 1990-1999 PDF
62. GoldenEye (1995)
63. The James Bond 007 Comics Checklist
64. When Bond Battled Dinosaurs
65. GoldenEye 007 Reviews
66. Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd
67. 100 Greatest Games Of All Time, , , , Computer and Video Games, 2000
68. Ten Top Tens: Shooters, , , , Edge, 2003
69. The 10 Best Games Ever
70. The Making of GoldenEye 007
71. The Lost GoldenEye Videogame
External links
★ MGM's official ''GoldenEye'' website
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