Bond Is Forever: "The Man with the Golden Gun"

Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), a professional assassin who sports a golden gun which houses only a single bullet, is such a proficient killer that he can demand one million dollars per hit. When it looks as if the hitman's next target is British agent, James Bond (Roger Moore), the spy travels to Macau to find the man who manufactured the gun's unique golden ammunition. It soon becomes clear that Scaramanga's ultimate purpose is the procurement of the solex agitator, a device for harnessing solar energy. Bond's mission takes him to Bangkok, Thailand, and eventually to Scaramanga's private island in China, where 007 has a showdown (actually, a duel) against the man with the golden gun.

There are two significant elements of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) which reflect the times. One such element was the oil crisis of 1973, during which time countries were researching alternate sources of energy, e.g. solar. The other notable aspect of the movie is the focus on martial arts. The previous year, Bruce Lee starred in his first American film, Enter the Dragon, which sparked a U.S. interest in martial arts films (such as Lee's earlier Hong Kong films). Interestingly, Enter the Dragon has been accused of adding Bond ingredients into the plot. For example, the movie's main villain, Han (Shih Kien), has his own private island and a deadly artificial hand (a la Dr. No), and even cradles and strokes a cat (a la Blofeld). However, The Man with the Golden Gun is clearly inspired by the success of the Bruce Lee film, and Scaramanga's room of mirrors is undoubtedly a take on a similar sequence with Lee and Shih.

It is additionally worth noting that the aforementioned plot points were not taken from author and Bond creator Ian Fleming's novel of the same name. In fact, aside from the title, the villain's name, and the character of Mary Goodnight (who was actually Bond's secretary in a few of the books), the majority of the story was written strictly for the big screen. Fleming's novel was published posthumously in 1965 and differs drastically from other Bond books. There has been speculation that The Man with the Golden Gun was incomplete at the time of Fleming's death and was subsequently completed by one or more other authors.

After the release of The Man with the Golden Gun, producer Harry Saltzman, reportedly due to financial turmoil, sold his half of the rights to Danjaq, LLC (then Danjaq, S.A.), the parent company of EON Productions. His wife died from cancer shortly afterwards, and Saltzman largely stayed out of the movie industry, co-producing two films based on the life of Vaslav Nijinsky (Nijinsky in 1980 and Time of the Gypsies in 1988). Albert "Cubby" Broccoli founded Danjaq and EON Productions with Saltzman (Danjaq was a combination of their wives' names, Dana Broccoli and Jacqueline Saltzman), but it was the latter man who initially secured the film rights to the James Bond character. (Broccoli had tried a few years earlier, but the deal fell through when Broccoli's then partner, Irving Allen, met with Ian Fleming in London -- as Broccoli cared for his sickly wife in the U.S. -- and supposedly told the author that his books were not "good enough for television.")

The Man with the Golden Gun is one of the more unpopular 007 outings, but the movie does have its strengths. First and foremost, Christopher Lee makes an indelible villain. He has incredible presence, which is why the actor remains one of the best Draculas to ever appear on screen. As Scaramanga, he mesmerizes, with a smile that is both attractive and potentially lethal. This is a man who has made a career out of murder, not just for monetary gain, but because he simply delights in it. Were it not for Lee's striking performance, Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack, Scaramanga's resourceful (and equally deadly) assistant, may have stolen the film.

Villechaize, perhaps most famous as Tattoo on the TV series, Fantasy Island, plays Nick Nack with some humor, but he never overdoes it, and he proves a formidable opponent to Bond. Best of all, the film itself does not seem to be mocking little people (or "midgets," as they said 30+ years ago). In one scene, Nick Nack has the drop on 007 during a Thai boxing match. As Bond and Scaramanga talk, Nick Nack snacks on a bag of peanuts while keeping what looks to be a Derringer aimed at 007's back. The man does not even seem interested in the discussion, as he seemingly pays more attention to the fight. It's both amusing and tense, as Nick Nack's fortitude is never called into question, and Bond respects the man enough to not move until he knows that he is gone.

The film has been criticized for its comedic moments. But the comedy is not overbearing, and the movie is sincere when necessary, such as the majority of fights (e.g., Bond's scuffle with some men in a belly dancer's dressing room). Likewise, much of the tongue-in-cheek dialogue works, such as when 007 questions who would want him assassinated, and M (Bernard Lee) responds: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors. The list is endless."

However, The Man with the Golden Gun is not without its flaws. One of the most superfluous characters from the previous year's Live and Let Die was the exasperating Louisiana sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James), who makes an unwelcome return in this film. Once again, the sheriff's attempts at comic relief are a series of misfires. Similarly, director Guy Hamilton, who also helmed Live and Let Die, includes another boat chase, which, fortunately, is not as lengthy as the first time. The women in The Man with the Golden Gun are underutilized. Maud Adams has little to do as Andrea Anders (she would have a much more substantial role as the title character in 1983's Octopussy). Britt Ekland's Mary Goodnight is one of the most worthless of the Bond Girls. For every one thing she does that is helpful, Goodnight does two or more things which prove detrimental. As a for instance, Goodnight helps Bond track Andrea to a hotel, but the spy lost Andrea's trail only because Goodnight parked her car in front of his taxi.

While the movie's treatment of the varying cultures is respectful, it is conjointly puzzling. Bond receives assistance from Lieutenant Hip (Soon-Tek Oh), whom he meets in Hong Kong. Hip's ethnic background is unclear, but his nieces in Bangkok, Thailand, according to the lieutenant, have a father who runs a karate school. Since karate is a Japanese style of martial arts, this would insinuate that either Hip's brother or his brother-in-law is Japanese. Additionally, Bond encounters sumo wrestlers in Bangkok, and is later captured and taken to what appears to be a dojo, where the students are dressed in uniforms most often associated with Japanese martial arts of karate or judo. To add to the confusion, actor Oh is of Korean descent, and Yuen Qiu, who plays one of the nieces who may be Thai and/or have a Japanese father, is Chinese. Oh would go on to play recurring characters in various American TV shows, such as Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O, Charlie's Angels, and M*A*S*H. Thirty years after The Man with the Golden Gun, Yuen would win awards, nominations, and praise for her outstanding performance as the landlady in Stephen Chow's wonderful Kung Fu Hustle (2004).

In honor of Paul's weekly Trivia Time, here's a trivia question for anyone interested: What four distinct components are assembled to form Scaramanga's golden gun? (Hint: Each piece has its own function prior to assembly.)

I would love to hear what everyone thinks of Roger Moore's second go-round as Bond, James Bond. Even if you aren't fond of the film, I'd like to hear your thoughts on why you aren't a fan.

Bond Is Forever will return next month with GoldenEye (1995).