The Man With the Golden Gun (1974): 9th Bond Movie

The Man With the Golden Gun from 1974 is the ninth official James Bond film and the second one featuring Roger Moore as Agent 007. James Bond's task is to acquire the solar agitator "Solex" – a device capable of harnessing and multiplying solar energy, but also to deal with his adversary Francisco Scaramanga, the man with the golden gun.

The role of the main antagonist, Francisco Scaramanga, was brilliantly portrayed by the charismatic British actor Christopher Lee (later known as Saruman from The Lord of the Rings or Count Dooku from Star Wars). One of the Bond girls, Andrea Anders, was played by Maud Adams, who appeared in two other Bond films Octopussy and A View to a Kill.

Plot

An envelope with a golden bullet bearing the symbol 007 is delivered to the headquarters of the British Secret Service MI6. M, the head of MI6, believes it to be a calling card of an assassin named Francisco Scaramanga, who shoots with a golden gun using golden bullets.

Scaramanga, who spent his youth in the circus, is known for his marksmanship. He spends his leisure time in duels at his amusement park, equipped with technology, mirrors, and a life-sized figure of James Bond. His dwarf manservant Nick Nack operates the attractions. Scaramanga has yet to find an equal opponent...

M is concerned that James Bond's life may be in danger, so he sends him on a mission connected with the work of a scientist named Gibson. This mission could have a significant impact on solving the energy crisis using solar energy. However, Bond unofficially sets out to track down Scaramanga.

Bond manages to acquire a used golden bullet from the navel of a belly dancer in Beirut. Q believes its production may be the work of Lazar, a private arms expert from Macau. At a local casino, Bond spots Andrea Anders, Scaramanga's mistress, who, rather than love, holds fear for him as she receives the golden bullets. Bond follows her to Hong Kong, where he forces her to speak about Scaramanga, his likeness, and his plans.

Andrea Anders leads Bond to the Bottoms Up club, where Scaramanga often drinks. It turns out that at the same place is another target of Scaramanga, the scientist Gibson. His murder has been ordered by the Thai industrialist Hai Fat, who wants to seize the Solex, a key component of a solar power plant. In front of Bond's eyes, Scaramanga shoots Gibson from a distance, and Nick Nack takes the Solex.

Bond, who claims he is innocent, is picked up on the street by Lieutenant Hip. Later, it turns out that Hip is his contact for Hong Kong and Bangkok, and he wanted to protect him from the local police. Hip takes Bond to meet with M and Q, whose headquarters are located in a tilted wreck of the Queen Elizabeth ship in the harbor.

M officially assigns Bond to acquire the Solex and eliminate Scaramanga.

Bond travels to Bangkok to personally meet with the local industrialist Hai Fat, whom he suspects of ordering Gibson's murder. Bond impersonates Scaramanga, whose distinguishing mark is three nipples. Bond uses a fake adhesive nipple to identify himself to Hai Fat. However, the real Scaramanga is also visiting Hai Fat at that moment.

Bond is captured, and Hai Fat orders him to be killed. Fortunately, Bond is helped to escape by Lieutenant Hip and his nieces, who, like him, are skilled in kung fu. Bond escapes by boat down the river and meets the second Bond girl, the British Secret Service blonde agent Mary Goodnight. Scaramanga announces that he is the new chairman of the board and shoots Hai Fat.

Andrea Anders, believing that Bond might free her from the curse named Francisco Scaramanga, visits Bond (the scene where Goodnight spends the rest of the night locked in the closet) and admits that it was she who sent the golden bullet to MI6.

In return, she promises to hand over the Solex at tomorrow's Thai boxing match. Bond sits next to Andrea and talks to her for a while, before realizing that she is not responding at all. He discovers a clean, non-bleeding bullet hole in her body, which Scaramanga later boasts was a challenging shot and one of his best.

Nick Nack is sitting in line behind Bond with a pistol. However, Bond notices the Solex on the ground, which must have fallen out of the purse, and manages to smuggle it to Hip, who is disguised as a drink waiter. Hip hands Solex to Goodnight, but she too conspicuously attempts to place a tracking device on Scaramanga's car, and Scaramanga throws her out and locks her in the trunk. Goodnight still has the Solex with her.

Scaramanga's car drives off, so Bond rushes into a nearby car showroom and takes a car, in which, to his surprise, Sheriff J.W. Pepper is sitting, who is on vacation in Thailand and came to test the car. Bond and the sheriff pursue Scaramanga, but he is driving on the opposite bank of the river. Bond manages to leap over the river with a stunt, but Scaramanga's car, like the famous Fantomas car, transforms into an airplane, and Scaramanga flies off to his private island.

Bond uses a tracking device from Goodnight and flies a small hydroplane within radar range to Scaramanga's island. Scaramanga greets him warmly and demonstrates how Solex works. He extends solar panels, which generate a huge amount of energy into a solar gun, which Scaramanga uses to destroy Bond's hydroplane.

The Man with the Golden Gun then challenges Bond to a duel at twenty paces, counted down by Nick Nack. Bond turns and fires, but into empty space, as Scaramanga has disappeared into his chamber, where he has yet to find a challenger. Bond outsmarts him by standing still like a statue and surprises Scaramanga, shooting him.

Goodnight manages to destroy the entire complex by pushing Scaramanga's man, who had made advances toward her, into the cooling device with liquid helium, which destabilizes the entire solar system.

Bond manages to save the Solex before the complex explodes. He then sails away with Goodnight on Scaramanga's ship, into which Nick Nack had managed to sneak before. He jumps from the ceiling with a knife, but Bond notices him in time, closes him in the trunk, and finally hangs him on the mast.

Title Song

The Man with the Golden Gun, performed by Lulu, serves as the title song for the James Bond film of the same name. Lulu's powerful vocals infuse the song with a sense of urgency and intrigue, perfectly complementing the film's action-packed storyline. With its driving rhythm and memorable melody, The Man with the Golden Gun captures the essence of the iconic spy franchise, immersing listeners in a world of espionage and danger.

Lyrically, the song evokes the enigmatic allure of the film's antagonist, Francisco Scaramanga, known as the titular Man with the Golden Gun. Lulu's dynamic delivery brings the character to life, painting a vivid portrait of cunning and menace. As the music swells and crescendos, listeners are swept away on a thrilling adventure, mirroring the heart-pounding excitement of Bond's escapades on the silver screen.

With its catchy hooks and infectious energy, The Man with the Golden Gun remains a standout among Bond theme songs, leaving an indelible mark on the franchise's storied history. Lulu's electrifying performance ensures that the song continues to captivate audiences, cementing its status as a timeless classic in the pantheon of Bond music.

Cast

You Might Be Also Interested

• 8th Bond Movie: Live and Let Die (1973) ← → 10th Bond Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977);
• Bond Films: Stories of James Bond, Agent 007;
• All Bond Songs: Iconic Title Songs From Bond Films
• Movies With Casino Themes and Betting.

Based on the original Czech article: Muž se zlatou zbraní (1974) – 9. bondovka.