Goldfinger Essay Questions

How is Bond different from other spies?

James Bond in Goldfinger, as portrayed by Sean Connery, is the living embodiment of the charm and looseness of the "swinging 60s" in which the film was released. With never a hair out of place and never a wrinkle in his stylish suit, Connery's Bond wanders through some high-intensity, life-threatening scenarios with the ease of a man about town, ordering martinis and seducing women in between dismantling nuclear bombs. His poise, cool attitude and inimitable style set him apart and make him an iconic figure in film history.

What is Goldfinger's Operation Grand Slam?

While Bond initially thinks that Operation Grand Slam is just a plot to steal all of the gold at Fort Knox, he soon deduces that it is even more nefarious than that. Goldfinger happily admits that he doesn't plan to take the gold, but rather to detonate an atomic bomb on the premises that will render the gold radioactive for 58 years, and thus nullify its worth in the Western economy. By destabilizing the American economy, Goldfinger will then up the value of his own gold supply.

Who helps Bond in the end?

While she told him earlier on that she is "immune" to him, Pussy Galore ends up falling for James Bond, and his seductive powers are what convince her to betray Goldfinger and help the American cause. She contacts the CIA and together they stage a ruse; the military men on the base pretend to die from the effects of the nerve gas, but there in fact is no nerve gas at all. Then, they apprehend Goldfinger when he least expects it.

What is James Bond's central weapon and tool as a spy?

James Bond has many qualities which make him a good spy and he is able to solve mysteries and apprehend villains in impressive ways throughout the film. Perhaps his most valuable asset, however, is his charm and sex appeal. It is his seduction of Pussy Galore that allows the Americans to triumph in the end, and thus the film (rather problematically) posits that masculine persuasiveness (he is shown to force himself on Pussy in the horse barn) is Bond's greatest weapon in fighting the threat of nuclear collapse.

How does the film use dramatic irony to heighten the suspense?

Throughout the film, there are many instances in which the viewer knows more than the characters. These situations heighten the suspense, because as viewers, we are powerless to help or prevent what is going on, and thus must put our trust in the characters to problem-solve. The first instance of this is when James Bond is kissing the woman in Latin America, and an unseen assailant comes up behind him. Luckily he sees a reflection of the man in the woman's eyes, but in the moment just before, the viewer worries that Bond might get hurt. Scenarios like this abound in the film, keeping the viewer on their toes, wondering how Bond will get himself out of a pinch this time.