STEPHEN'S MOVIE GUIDE

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON GOLDENEYE

Licence to Kill had marked the end of an era in Bond movies. It’s poor reception with the public (despite generally good reviews) were disheartening to Cubby Brocolli. That, and his growing ill health, led to him announce he planned to sell the company he had created to hold the copyright of Bond – Danjaq. Would Bond continue to have a cultural presence..? Was Licence to Kill the last movie? Many felt that the growing competition from high caliber action movies and the era of AIDS and safe sex meant that Bond was no longer relevant.. but that had been said before. Dalton had a contract for 3 movies or 6 years.. a delay meant he had a choice whether to continue or not. The waters were muddied further when MGM / United Artists were sold, leading to a series of court cases. The new owners sought a merger with Pathé, and as part of the run up they leased the back catalogue to them, but at a low rate and without consulting Danjaq. Brocolli sued, and in the meantime Pathe’s takeover bid failed. The legal issues and proposed sale of Danjaq kept Brocolli fully occupied, and he put his daughter Barbara in the hot seat of EON productions who made the Bond movies, alongside Michael Wilson. The legal issues were not resolved until 1993, 4 years after Licence to Kill. In the end, the delay had an interesting effect – it actually built expectation. In the absence of a Bond movie, the gap was filled with a growing demand in merchandise, other spy movies, and an animated series for kids, the adventures of 003 ½ Jimmy Bond as well as others. Adverts traded on Bond tropes, popular culture referenced Bond, Saturday Night Live did Bond skits. The peak of this activity around Bond came in 1995, the predicted release date of Goldeneye. Goldeneye was pushed back to a winter time slot, but audiences instead got to see “True Lies”, the success of which was a true indication that audiences still craved Bond, given that the movie was completely predicated on a Bond like character – down to the pulling off a wetsuit to see a tuxedo underneath.

There's lots to like - Famke Jensen is one of the most deliciously over the top hench(wo)man in decades, Sean Bean plays 006 with great style, and there are surprising cameos - Robbie Coltrane, Minnie Driver, for example. Eric Serra's synth-rich score works pretty well, with enough of the classic themes coming through at moments you want them to - like the start of the glorious tank chase. And let's not forget two of Goldeneye's key successes - Judi Dench as M was certainly surprising casting, but it turned out to add a hugely successful character foil to Bond's `misogynist dinosaur'. Aside from Judi Dench bringing the role of women in Bond movies into the modern world, Isabella Scorupco plays a fine traditional Bond girl, with added sassiness. And then there is that whole self aware aspect - Bond is recognised for being a `relic of the cold war', and there is even a few half heartedly psychological moments where Gasp! We are encouraged to understand the character a little better.

The new producers rang in some changes – although there were many of the same crew working behind the scenes, such as production designer Peter Lamont, additional unit director Arthur Wooster, a new policy of ‘guest director’s was instigated. Rather than a pool of a few preferred directors, new directors would be chosen for each movie – and this also meant that they would prefer to work with some of their “own people”. So when Martin Campbell (“No Return”, “Mark of Zorro”) was hired (John Woo was asked, but declined), he brought his own second unit director and cinematographer on board. This movie would also be the first in decades not to have Maurice Binder doing the credits, after his death at the age of 65 from lung cancer in 1991. Daniel Kleinman, a commercial and music video director, was brought in to do the credits, and stayed with the series until today (only missing Quantum of Solace). His credits for Goldeneye cleverly kept some of the key elements of Binder’s titles, but also embraced the theme of the movie, the decline of the Soviet union, telling the audiences already they were in for something familiar, but in a new world.

Long time writer Richard Maibaum also passed away in 1991. More importantly perhaps than who was behind the camera – which Bond would be in front of it. It had been a long time since Brosnan first appeared on a Bond set in 1981 with his then wife, Cassandra Harris who had a role in the movie. At that time Brocolli earmarked him as a potential Bond, and he was considered when Moore hung up his guns, but due to commitments on Remington Steele had to drop out of the running, and Dalton stepped in. Now, Dalton had turned down the opportunity to reprise the role, not being happy with the Michael France (Cliffhanger, Fantastic Four) written script for Goldeneye and his contract having expired… plus some would say, due to some pressure from MGM who wanted fresh blood and did not have faith in Dalton’s ability to bring in the crowds. Brosnan was a shoo-in. The cast was rounded off with Sean Bean in a key role as 006, Isabella Scorupco as the Bond girl and the wonderfully over the top Famke Jenssen as Xenia Onatopp, in her first cinema role, after a memorable introduction as “The Perfect Mate” in Star Trek :The Next Generation.

Notably it introduced Judi Dench as ‘M’, in a nod to world reality at that time, since a woman (Stella Remington) had been put in charge of MI5.. It even had Robbie Coltrane as a Russian, and a blink and you’ll miss it cameo from Minnie Driver (you’ll have to pay attention for that one). Dench’s role in particular won over audiences, and was a real indication of the tone of the movie. As one of the writers summarized the approach that was to be taken for this incarnation of Bond “The world has changed. Bond has not.”. This could also be seen, for example in Bond’s relationship with Moneypenny. Bond still flirts outrageously, but Moneypenny is much less ‘schoolgirl crush’-like in her response, and more naturalistic.