17th installment of the James Bond license, “GoldenEye” is the first film whose screenplay is not based on any element of a plot thought by Ian Fleming, apart from the characters. But the feature film nevertheless pays homage to the creator of the British spy through its title.
GoldenEye : Pierce Brosnan enters the scene
Due to legal disputes over the franchise’s broadcast rights, 007 fans have to wait six years between License to kill and GoldenEye, i.e. the biggest gap between two films in the saga (and the same as the one between Spectrum and To die can wait). While he was supposed to resume the role of the British spy, the dark Timothy Dalton resigns in 1994 and finally leaves his place to the phlegmatic Pierce Brosnan.
The feature film comes out a year later and logically evokes the fall of the USSR. In this 17e shutter, James Bond sets out in pursuit of Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) and her former enemy General Ourumov (Gottfried John). They are both in the pay of the dreaded Russian crime syndicate Janus and have taken control of the GoldenEye satellite, secret weapon whose power is capable of scratching any place on the globe.
During her mission that takes her to the four corners of the planet, 007 can count on the support of programmer Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) and CIA agent Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker). The agent also meets his new superior, played by Judi Dench. He also reunites with an old acquaintance he thought was dead, played by Sean Bean.
Alan Cumming, Robbie Coltrane and Tchéky Karyo complete the cast of this opus orchestrated by Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro). In 2006, the director will be responsible for breathing new life into the license by finding himself at the helm of Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig.
A first totally original script
GoldenEye is the first film in the franchise that not based on any plot of Ian Fleming’s work. Michael France writes the initial version of the script, which differs in many ways from the final result. The prologue during which General Ourumov defeats Alec Trevelyan (or 006) is notably absent.
Afterwards, Jeffrey Caine, Kevin Wade and Bruce Feirstein take care of the rewrites. During the latter, the secret weapon called Tempest becomes GoldenEye. An appellation that makes explicitly referring to the creator by James Bond.
Ian Fleming’s Jamaican Residence
As recalled by Telegraph, Goldeneye is the name of the colonial residence by Ian Fleming located in Jamaica. It was on this property that he had built in 1946 that the naval intelligence officer, journalist and novelist would have gave birth to James Bond, with the image of Cary Grant in mind. The first book dedicated to 007, Casino Royale, released in 1953.
Between 1940 and 1943, during World War II, Ian Fleming is also leading Operation Goldeneye. Its objective is to ensure that the Royal Navy and the allies retain strategic control of Gibraltar. It is set up to counter the threat of an alliance between Germany and Spain, Adolf Hitler and Francisco Franco having planned to invade the strait, a maritime control point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
