Bond in Review: The Man with the Golden Gun

I really like the James Bond franchise. This is part nine of a bimonthly, 24-part series of me watching James Bond movies and providing a stream of consciousness style commentary for a given film. I will also rank the movies so stay tuned for that at the bottom of the piece. The Man with the Golden Gun came out only a year after Live and Let Die in 1974, and takes place amid the real energy crisis of 1973. This marks Guy Hamilton’s final Bond movie and a swing to the camp side that would define the Moore legacy. The Man with the Golden Gun is named after the thirteenth Ian Fleming novel in the Bond series, published in 1965.

· After watching the gun barrel again, I feel like it is pretty good.

· Nick Nack struggling with the champagne on this open

· Christopher Lee revealed with a third nipple. I didn’t appreciate this was a nipple because, well, you just don’t expect it. I thought he was shot previously.

· How do we feel about seeing the primary villain so early in the movie? I think it is great to have everything presented cleanly.

· Maud Adams when she was a bad person before turning into a helpful good person, dying, being sorta bad, but good a decade later.

· If Rodney (gangster at beginning) looks familiar, it’s because he was also a gangster in Diamonds Are Forever. My guess he is playing the same character but it isn’t spoken

· So it looks like Nick Nack has set up Scaramanga with the help of Rodney. Pretty intriguing.

· And now we are in a fun house. Not a fan of fun houses generally. It sorta works in parts but gets too silly with the saloon section (playing the title song theme by the way)

· Al Capone gangster humor. Tsk.

· Not sure what the intention is but this feels very similar to the open of From Russia With Love: focus on the primary villain, navigating a confusing situation, death at the end, reference to Bond at the end.

· Wobbly Bond manikin is real Bond.

· “The Man with the Golden Gun” by Lulu.

· It should be noted that that people really dislike this song. John Barry didn’t like it and didn’t like integrating it into the score. It’s a weak song that is as silly as the movie.

· Moore does a nice job pausing before unloading an entire resume for Scaramanga. Such a know it all.

· Small nugget: he is known as “the man with the golden gun” because he always uses a golden bullet (not that he always uses a golden gun).

· List of people who would want to kill James Bond: jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors. Why would chefs be outraged at Bond?

· Solar energy on the minds of people in the 1970s and today we are debating climate change and alternative energy. Sheez.

· “M” giving subtle orders to stop the energy crisis mission to find Scaramanga is the boss we all would like

· “At least he died happy.” — Bill Fairbanks, dead in the arms of a belly dancer in Beirut.

· One of the most famous movie blunders: you can see the entire film crew in the reflection of the hit mirror in the dressing room

· Roger Moore fights are not a strong point. Pun game is unphased by a swallowed bullet or fight.

· Bond is very impatient during this scene and it’s one of the few times where I appreciate Q’s negative attitude from Bond

· First time we are in Macau and we will be back in an iconic seen in Skyfall

· I cannot stress this enough: the Lazar/Bond scene is I think the balance Moore movies attempted but never landed on. It is humor and seriousness but in context works:

o Bond is annoyed he missed the shot

o Uses his height to intimidate and give some information

o Uses the charm (“exactly” and “speak now or forever hold your piece”) when being threatening

o Call back to the inch too low…which may be a reference to, ahem, size.

· This gambling game is bonkers. Gambling below and people above gambling on the game below? That’s a lot.

· Hong Kong harbor and the Queen Elizabeth wreckage — reminder that British control is well established here.

· Bond seems so incredibly annoyed with Mary Goodnight from the start

· Moore is a bit more charming than Connery when manipulating hotel staff (Goldfinger) but still effective.

· People stay in showers with guns. That’s quite a nervous life to lead

· Another reference to smoking being bad (You Only Live Twice)

· Moore’s worst moment as Bond is this scene. It’s gross, out of character for him, and not believable.

· “Tall, slim, and dark.” Scaramanga or Bond’s aunt: you be the judge.

· This is the darkest Moore’s Bond gets: its direct, firm, but still light in its framing. I like it but again, post slap, it is more uncomfortable than I like

· So, this is something I don’t understand: why doesn’t Hip just inform him in the car that they are on the same side?!

· Scaramanga rubbing that gun over her is always uncomfortable

· Let that be a lesson to you: you don’t put an overturned ship in a harbor and not expect it to be used.

· M in the field with energy costs in mind and is displeased

· Bond, usually good at card games with odds, misses on this assessment of Hai Fat and Scaramanga never meeting

· Chew Mee….check minus.

· It’s really awkward to see Bond, in character, talking about Bond. Such an ego.

· The casual nipple toss is why Q is so irritated

· Mary Goodnight as jealous is annoying

· The Bond slapper is on full display here. A Goldeneye game staple and oddly effective.

· Bond’s life is saved by a rich guy not wanting murder at his home. Convenient.

· This fight scene at school goes far too long but the ceremony is appreciated

· The kick to the face after the extended warm up feels like the inspiration to the famous scene in “Raiders of the Lost Ark”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YyBtMxZgQs

· Great respect for Bond bowing after throwing that straight right hand

· Insert karate scene where young women eschew norms to take out group of people. Classic.

· They just left him there. Narrative convenience

· “Mexican screw off.” ???

· The movie just sorta trails off into amusing set pieces that hit and miss. The young boy’s dialog with the elephant makes me laugh

· RACISM! 1970s! The people loved JW Pepper so more Pepper for everyone. ☹

· The boat torn in half works. The racism didn’t. That Pepper ends up in the water was not satisfying either.

· The reveal that the golden gun is series of every day items placed together is fantastic. Coupled with the “Chairman of the Board” line, this is a proper reset.

· That Bond toast was pretty good. Not going to reveal if I’ve used it at a wedding

· AND BOND IS DENIED! And he is salty about it. Best Goodnight thing since she knew where all the green Rolls…nope she is there.

· Phone off the hook — classic.

· So I know the three pillow routine hardly works in real life but it works in movies way too often. Fooled Professor Dent in Dr. No.

· Andrea Anders sent the bullet so Bond could kill Scaramanga. That’s a very good plot twist

· The way by which Bond is a liberator for Anders is of the time but so basic.

· Blue onesie. Classic.

· Bond setting that pillow on the floor so he could have a reason to distract is subtle and really good

· Bond is so pleased with himself with that victory not quite cigar but definitely not a cigarette.

· Highlighting the kick boxing scene is a nice novelty.

· Here is the thing: I would love to see Scaramanga go against Connery’s Bond. Scaramanga is cold, charming in a way, and has clear rules of life

· Another thing that works: Scaramanga doesn’t have a gripe with Bond and doesn’t want to start problems.

· Car must have a ton of trunk space to easily put a body in.

· WHAT IN THE HELL IS AN AMC MATADOR SHOP DOING THERE?!

· Also, why is American JW Pepper trying to get a test drive of the AMC Hornet there?

· Scaramanga is driving an AMC Matador being chased by Bond driving an AMC Hornet in Bangkok. Yup!

· The car stunt driving in this movie is outstanding.

· OK the stunt! Corkscrew jump over the river. This happened in one take. The first take. It was the first stunt to be designed by a computer. It happened so fast that is had to be slowed down in post-production to have everyone appreciate it. Also, that slide whistle is an embarrassment. John Barry added it and hated it but it stayed in the movie because Cubby Broccoli thought it was good. It wasn’t. Love that stunt.

· Car turns into plane. Yup!

· How on earth would Goodnight assume that they stopped?! That’s pathetic.

· Q got shutdown by M who is in a really awful mood (but her signal did get picked up so Q has to feel good about his equipment working)

· These gorgeous islands are in the Phang Nga Bay of Thailand. The primary island is Ko Khao Phing Kan with the mushroom islet known as the “James Bond Island.”

· Scaramanga is so eager to show off his lifestyle, driven by the idea that they understand each other.

· Kra. Sideburns for days.

· I enjoy the prospect of this scheme: I have some new technology that is in high demand. People will pay me for it and I’ll make a ton of money. That’s really it.

· Imagine if he and Elliot Carver were around today. It would feel very relatable.

· Christopher Lee obviously played a lot of villains over time. He is a legend. I know this and I still think: wow he is a great villain and has that feel all the time.

· The score that kicks in when Scaramanga reveals the gun is especially good. Only good part of the score.

· I really wanted Bond to just turn around after three paces and end it.

· Reminder of the Bond manikin sets you up to know how this will end. It is far too on the nose

· I think you should only go to the fun house routine once. You can allude to it in the beginning but you lose some of the impact now. This was a bit disappointing until he runs into the edge of the stage.

· Dropped his gun like in Thunderball — this movie really does make some call backs.

· So what happened here: Bond dropped his gun, he either 1) went down to get it, crawls up, puts on a tie, and stands still or 2) the Bond manikin has a loaded gun all the time? It feels like 2 but the timing makes ZERO sense

· The tacked on solex agitator scene feels so long. I really zoned out here

· So, this was an awful situation because Britt Ekland really messed her knee up on that fall after the explosion

· This keeps up a new Bond tradition (started in Diamonds Are Forever) where the main villain is killed first and Bond has to deal with the henchmen right before the end of the movie

· There should be wine everywhere along with the glass!

· So they stuffed Nick Nack into a suitcase but he didn’t kill him. Oddly charitable.

· HOW DOES M HAVE A LINE INTO SCARAMANGA’s SHIP?!

· Puns all over and we end with Bond engaged with a woman on a water vessel. Classic.

So there you go. A movie that on the merits has major holes and choices but I cannot help but enjoying this every time its on. Let’s update the rankings:

1) From Russia With Love

2) Goldfinger

3) OHMSS

4) Live and Let Die

5) The Man with the Golden Gun

6) Dr. No

7) YOLT

8) Diamonds Are Forever

9) Thunderball