The Sexual Theme in Goldfinger - Report Example

Outline and analyse the representation OR gender OR age OR sexuality OR ‘race’ OR region in the films of the 1940s-1980s. One of the artifacts to have emerged out of the British film productions in the 1950s which reflected the British consciousness of the period is James Bond. The series of films adapted out of Ian Fleming’s novels about a fictitious MI6 agent was notorious for its depiction of sexuality. The success of this franchise demonstrated the culture or, at least, interest with the realities of sex in its depiction in the media. It has capitulated on this phenomenon that combined with violence, the sexual theme became the driving force behind iconic status of Bond starting 1956 onwards. This is depicted best in the third installment to the franchise, Goldfinger (1964). Background Goldfinger was, wrote Lehman and Luhr (2003), the film that solidified the Bond formula of sex and violence combined with the basic set of characters, circumstances and styles to be found in the succeeding Bond films: “At the center is Bond (Sean Connery) himself, a suave, rugged, British spy with great sexual appeal, gourmet tastes, and skill at using high-tech equipment in dangerous situations. His mission takes him to exotic locales where he thwarts international plots and meets beautiful but dangerous women.” (p129) The film saw Bond challenging Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), the notorious gold smuggler and hoarder. The conflict revolved around the villain’s plan to drain Britain and the US with their gold reserves and his attempt at storming the US Bullion Depository at Fort Knox in the process. There are critics who consider that Goldfinger is the best in all of the series. Indeed, if one watched it today, for instance, he can surmise that what made the film watchable was that the plot was believable, credible and contained many twists and turn leading the audience in a roller-coaster ride towards the denouement. The sexual tone was driven by Bond’s too condescending attitude toward women and this would guide his relationships with Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton), Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) and also Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell). The Sexual Theme The film, in the context of sexuality, represents the ethos of easy and liberated sexuality that communicated how sex is open, hence, not guilt-ridden and pursued for pleasure mostly. The film took much inspiration on a thought that occupied Bond’s mind in the original Goldfinger novel, when the agent was traveling by train: “Neither had had regrets. Had they committed a sin? If so which one? A sin against chastity… There was a quotation for that too, and from a saint – Saint Augustine: ‘Oh Lord, give me Chastity. But don’t give it yet!” (Fleming, p48) Indeed, the film is replete with actual sexual encounters or at least suggestions leading to it. There are, for example, four scenes that demonstrated this point. The first was already ingratiated in the viewer during the precredit scenes wherein Bond was set to be murdered. Secondly, there was the case of Jill Masterson, who was immediately seduced by Bond in the early part of the narrative. Unfortunately, such liaison earned for Masterson her tragic demise in the hands of her employer for the easy betrayal. After the sexual interlude, Oddjob, Goldfinger’s henchman entered the bedroom and knocked Bond unconscious and murdered the poor woman. Then, there came Jill’s sister, Tilly Masterson who was bent on avenging her death. Bond would foil, although unwittingly, such plans. But the sexual relationship was very potent. Their very first meeting was already suggestive of the fact. Tilly was observing Goldfinger and Bond suddenly emerged and made his way to where she was lounging. Through Bond’s prowess, Tilly was weakening her resistance to Bond until she was also eliminated from the picture, by being, herself, killed. In one of the bed scenes, Bond was talking on the phone and declining a meeting because “something big’s come up.” An important figure in the sexual theme of Goldfinger was Pussy Galore. She, along with Tilly Masterson, was depicted as lesbian in the story. In one of her self-introduction, she told Bond that she was “immune” to his charm. Unfortunately, such immunity did not last long and the spy had his way, melting the hard-hearted criminal in the process and penetrating through her sexual orientation. The sexual device was pivotal in finally driving Miss Galore to righteousness because, as later explanation would provide, she had initial misgivings about aiding Goldfinger to commit mass murder. A memorable scene was when both she and Bond bailed out of the American President’s crashing jet after the foiled kidnapping of its owner. They made love under the cover of the parachute in some remote tropical island. The story of Pussy Galore also had a subplot in it that is entirely sexual in nature and served to justify how she was eventually characterized in the Goldfinger story. Her lesbianism was attributed to an earlier experience of incest as she was repeatedly raped by her uncle beginning at the age of twelve. Lindner summarized the dynamics of these women’s roles and their fates in the whole scheme of things in Goldfinger: Woman no. 1 mixes with the wrong sort of man, who has her killed because she then mixes with the right sort of man. Woman no. 2 refuses the right sort of man because she prefers women, and is killed by the wrong sort of man because she places her faith in women. Woman no. 3 mixes with the wrong sort of man because she prefers women, but is then converted by the right sort of man. (p193) In all of the above circumstances for the tragic but remarkable lives of the three Bond girls, the common denominator besides Bond and Goldfinger is sex. Or at least, without sex, the potency of the relationships of these major characters could not have been as effective and entertaining. In addition to this, or more specifically, sex as embodied in the person of Pussy Galore provided the resolution for all the conflicts that have transpired in the film. Sex was the story not unlike the political/economic problem represented by Goldfinger and his actions. Again Lindner, provided an excellent analogy: For Bond, “in the beginning there is pussy, in the brief form of Jill Masterton; then pussy fatally withheld with Tilly, then finally, with the third female character, pussy withheld and then galore.” (p194) A deeper exposition of this analogy would underscore how the female figures as well as the sexual dimensions they represented, served to demonstrate stages in the storytelling: Jill as the conquered, Tilly as the unsurpassable challenge, Galore I as another version of it; and, Galore II as the prize. It is clear that sex became a platform wherein the theme of the shining knight in his quest for his Holy Grail (Pussy or the lady to be won) had to battle the odds (Goldfinger) so he could make out with his lady. Goldfinger also had his share of the limelight. At one point in the story, his sex life was revealed, which, according to Tilly, involved hired women who had to cover themselves in gold for the villain’s perversity. The Double Entendres Another dimension to the sexual variable, besides the actual sexual encounters, in Goldfinger are the double entendres. This aspect contributed immensely to the sexual anticipation and by-play in the film. The name Pussy Galore, for example, was almost changed for Goldfinger’s American exhibition. The producers have had, in fact, a back-up name ready should censors found the name too offensive – Kitty Galore. Certainly, the name has another meaning besides the literal pussy=cat abundance. Even, Bond, himself, was pleasantly surprised when he heard it the first time. Pussy is slang for vagina and its tandem with galore suggest a connotation of sex and satiety. Besides the name, double meanings can also be identified with the objects and weapons used in the narrative. Bond’s gun, for instance, has been repeatedly referred to represent his sex. In one scene, there was the dancer’s query about why he always carried his gun with him to which the hero replied: “I have a slight inferiority complex.” Clearly, he was not talking about his personality because he did not need it to be secure. For one, he is quite adept without any weapon and could count at his charm and his way with women to gain advantage. Goldfinger’s weaponry and the manner he uses them is related to this point. The villain had, in his disposal, a huge arsenal of armaments. There were large and expensive but they proved futile against the hero. At one point, when Bond was captured a humungous laser was poised to dismember him. Goldfinger was lured to turn the device off and Bond wiggled out of the situation unscathed. The sexual point being suggested obviously was that size, as in sex, does not matter. It was the power that made the difference. One of the important elements that had made the Bond films remarkable, so far as Goldfinger is concerned is the music intro of the film. An undulating woman dancing to the theme song is an indispensable part of the Bond formula, setting the ambiance and firing up the anticipation on a story that is sure to be very sensual. This is true at least in the case of Goldfinger, its predecessors and the number of other succeeding Bond films. Conclusion The sexual theme in Goldfinger is very explicit and there were no apologies in depicting it or attempts at toning it down for in consideration with morals and what conservatives would think and say. This is particularly remarkable because during such time, the sexual theme or its explicitness is yet unheard of in the film industry. Yet, the film was positively received to the point it launched positively bolder succeeding Bond films. In explaining this high degree of sexuality in a film (in the context of the period it was produced) and its acceptance by the British public, it is helpful to examine the developments of the British society in general. The 1950s saw the diminishing stature of Britain as a world power. In its stead, there was some sort of reinvention in the form of cultural resurgence and the British welcomed it. As their country’s influence as a superpower waned, people turned to artifacts like James Bond to assuage their identity. Bond (and the Bond films) and how he embodied affluence, the boldness and seemingly forward attitude as depicted in his sexuality, seemed to sit well with the British public because assuage their feeling of superiority by glamorizing affluent life, materialism, travel, and as sufficiently pointed out by this paper, sexual conquest. References Fleming, I 2000, Goldfinger, Ailsa. Goldfinger 1965, (DVD), Eon Productions. Lehman, P and Luhr, W 2003, Thinking about movies: watching, questioning, enjoying, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford. Lindner, C 2003, The James Bond phenomenon: a critical reader, Manchester University Press. Read More