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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"Goldfinger" is arguably the
best James Bond movie ever made. At least it is
the most beloved by fans of the series. Staring
Sean Connery as Agent 007, this time Bond is
assigned to keep an eye on Auric Goldfinger (Gert
Frobes), an international industrialist who is
suspected, among other things, of cheating at
cards and murdering Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton)
by covering her body in gold paint.
Determined to uncover the truth behind
Goldfinger's sterling reputation, Bond reveals a
diabolical plot in which Goldfinger plans to
murder thousands by using a poisonous gas, then
detonating a nuclear bomb inside the U.S. gold
reserves at Fort Knox -- making his own gold
reserves the only uncontaminated trading standard
on the market.
In the echelons of henchmen, Goldfinger has two of
the best: mute manservant, Oddjob (Harold Sakata),
whose decapitating bowler brim is perhaps the most
fondly remembered weapon of choice in the film,
and an ace flyer, the sultry Pussy Galore (Honor
Blackman). The film also employs a first in
weaponry: the laser beam. After Bond has been
captured while snooping around Goldfinger's
smelting plant, he is spread eagle and chained to
a table with a gigantic laser beam bearing down on
him, destined to cut him in two with a searing hot
light. And finally, "Goldfinger" contains James
Bond's most infamous and gadget-packed mode of
transportation, the Aston Martin DB-9, a silver
dream car laden with enough weaponry to stop a
small war. By all accounts, the Bond series came
of cinematic age with this hyper-fantasy spy
caper. In the years that followed there have been
bigger Bond adventures. Arguably, this one remains
the best.
Unfortunately, there is no such commitment on the
part of MGM to make "Goldfinger" look anything
near its best on DVD. Despite being advertised on
its packaging as being a remastered widescreen
presentation for optimal audio and picture
quality, the fact is that the deluxe laserdisc
edition of this film was available in the early
90s with a remixed stereophonic soundtrack. This
DVD is mono and very unnatural sounding, at times
suffering from a strident treble and very tinny
sounding bass.
The video elements have not held up well either.
Colors can be vibrant but, on the whole, exhibit a
decidedly dated and faded characteristic. Flesh
tones are not natural looking at all. There are
many occasions where film grain and age-related
artifacts dominate and detract. Overall, there's
too much digital grit for a visual presentation
that is never smooth or easy on the eyes. Extras
include two very comprehensive documentaries
dealing with the film and its phenomenal success,
an audio commentary, stills and a theatrical
trailer. MGM at least gets high marks for its
supplemental features. |
