GoldenEye (1995): 17th Bond Movie
GoldenEye is the first Bond film in which British actor Pierce Brosnan played the leading role of agent 007. This espionage action classic brought a new era of Bond adventures and quickly gained international popularity.
Mission
In this film, Pierce Brosnan first appeared as James Bond, the British secret agent with the code name 007. His task is to uncover the secret organization Janus and stop its plans to take over the world. Bond must deal with intrigues, betrayal, and dangerous adversaries, including Xenia Onatopp, a peculiar Russian agent with unusual sexual preferences, and former agent 006, Alec Trevelyan.
Figure: Illustration of the GoldenEye (source: Craiyon)
Plot
James Bond is called into action after Russian satellite weapon systems disappear during an attack on a base in Siberia. He discovers that the theft is orchestrated by the organization Janus, led by his former colleague from the secret service, Alec Trevelyan. Bond is sent to Russia to gather information about Janus and to find out their plans with the stolen weapon technology.
Bond meets Natalya Simonova, a Russian programmer, who helps him penetrate a Russian bank where crucial information is located. Together, they uncover that Janus intends to use the stolen weapon technology, called GoldenEye, to trigger an electromagnetic pulse that would disable all electronics in London. This would cause chaos and enable Janus to control world economies.
Bond finds himself in danger when he is exposed and captured by Trevelyan. He is subjected to torture, but eventually manages to escape and kill Trevelyan. He then teams up with Natalya to stop Janus and neutralize GoldenEye.
In a dramatic finale, Bond reaches the base where GoldenEye is located. He must confront Xenia Onatopp and other enemies who try to prevent the successful completion of the mission. Bond eventually manages to neutralize GoldenEye and prevent its activation, saving London and the world from disaster.
Bond Song
The Bond film GoldenEye is graced with the powerful and sultry opening theme GoldenEye, performed by the legendary British singer Tina Turner. Penned by Bono from the acclaimed Irish rock band U2 and The Edge, this electrifying track quickly cemented itself as an iconic Bond song, perfectly complementing the film's dynamic title sequence.
Tina Turner's soul-stirring vocals inject the song with a palpable sense of drama and intensity, setting the stage for the high-octane action and intrigue that awaits viewers. From the moment the first notes reverberate, listeners are drawn into a world of espionage and adventure, where danger lurks at every turn.
The lyrics of GoldenEye delve into themes of betrayal, redemption, and resilience, mirroring the film's narrative arc and adding depth to its characters and plot. With its pulsating rhythm and anthemic chorus, the song captures the essence of the Bond universe, seamlessly blending elements of rock and pop to create a truly electrifying musical experience.
As the opening theme of GoldenEye, Tina Turner's rendition of the title song serves as the perfect introduction to Pierce Brosnan's tenure as 007, infusing the film with energy and style. Its enduring popularity and widespread acclaim have solidified its status as one of the standout tracks in the Bond soundtrack canon, ensuring its place in the pantheon of iconic Bond themes for years to come.
Cast
| Role | Actor | Role Description |
|---|---|---|
| James Bond | Pierce Brosnan | The main protagonist, British secret agent James Bond, also known as agent 007. He is charming, brave, and fearless, specializing in espionage and action missions. |
| Natalya Simonova | Izabella Scorupco | A Russian programmer who becomes an ally and lover of Bond. She is intelligent, daring, and assists Bond in his mission to uncover Janus's plans. |
| Alec Trevelyan | Sean Bean | A former colleague of James Bond and agent 006, who betrayed MI6 and joined the Janus organization. He is cunning, manipulative, and seeks revenge. |
| Xenia Onatopp | Famke Janssen | A Russian agent and member of the Janus organization. She is sadistic and ruthless, finding pleasure in violence and possessing an unusual sexual nature. |
| Q | Desmond Llewelyn | MI6 technical expert who supplies Bond with special inventions and gadgets. He is responsible for the armament and equipment of agent 007. |
| M | Judi Dench | The head of the British Secret Service MI6, Bond's superior. She has a tough attitude and trusts Bond's abilities, but also criticizes him for his unconventional methods. |
Trivia
- The film GoldenEye was originally intended to be made in 1987 with Timothy Dalton playing James Bond. However, due to script and production issues, filming was delayed, and Dalton later decided to leave the role of Bond.
- GoldenEye is the first Bond film made after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the end of the Cold War. The film thus attempts to reflect the new political and social environment after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- The scene in which James Bond jumps from a high dam was actually performed by stuntman Wayne Michaels as Pierce Brosnan's double. This scene became iconic and significantly contributed to Brosnan's charisma in the role of Bond.
- GoldenEye is the first Bond film that does not derive its title from any previous Fleming novel. The title was created specifically for this film.
- The main antagonist in the film is Alec Trevelyan, portrayed by Sean Bean. Bean chose his role precisely because his character survives until the third act, which was unusual in his film career as he often played characters who die early.
- Filming took place in various exotic locations, including Monaco, Russia, and the Cuban resort of Varadero. Each location contributed to the film with its unique visuals and atmosphere.
- In the scene where James Bond introduces himself to Xenia Onatopp, he says, "Bond, James Bond." This is a classic line that James Bond uses to introduce himself, and it is first used in this film with Pierce Brosnan.
- The song GoldenEye performed by Tina Turner became one of the most successful Bond songs of all time.
- During filming, some complications arose. During one action scene, Brosnan wore a suit from Italian designer Brioni, which was not sufficiently mobile for action scenes. Brosnan had to switch to another suit that was more comfortable for film stunt performers.
- The appearance of the tank in one of the action scenes was modified during filming. The tank was originally red, but it did not meet the director's requirements. Therefore, it was repainted green to better match the atmosphere of the film.
- Actor Sean Bean had a narrow escape during filming. During a scene where his character Trevelyan is supposed to be buried under falling debris, one of the real debris fell too close to his head, almost hitting him. Fortunately, everything turned out well, and Bean avoided serious injury.
- Although the film GoldenEye marked Pierce Brosnan's first Bond role, it was not Brosnan's first attempt to become James Bond. He was already selected for the role in 1986, but due to commitments in the television series Remington Steele, he was forced to decline the role. It wasn't until seven years later that he finally succeeded in adding the role of James Bond to his repertoire.
- The film GoldenEye brought many innovations to the Bond film franchise. One of them was a new design concept for the film's title sequence, which used computer graphics and various abstract visual effects.
- Pierce Brosnan became very popular as James Bond, and his performance in GoldenEye was widely praised. The film brought a new era of Bond films and initiated Brosnan's successful four-film series in the role of the British secret agent 007.
You Might Be Also Interested
- 16th Bond Movie: Licence to Kill (1989) ← → 18th Bond Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997);
- Bond Films: Stories of James Bond, Agent 007;
- All Bond Songs: Iconic Title Songs From Bond Films
- Movies With Casino Themes and Betting.
Based on the original Czech article: Zlaté oko (1995) – 17. bondovka.