Gold - il segno del potere

I saw this film while living in Geneva Switzerland in 1981, courtesy of a borrowed video cassette copy. I was a lot younger then, thirty, and less discerning, but I was utterly enchanted by actress Susannah York, and have been ever since. It had the feel of a good James Bond adventure and I thought that actor Roger Moore was at his best, and in fact was better in this film then in any of his James Bond movies. I've never visited South Africa, but had studied the history of the country, and I enjoyed viewing the on-location scenes of the country. There are great scenes workers in the mines, as well as Zulu warriors in their regalia.

Shirt-shedding Roger Moore (as Rodney "Rod" Slater) works in a Johannesburg, South Africa mine. After a suspicious accident, Mr. Moore gets promoted to General Manager, by nasty non-smoking Bradford Dillman (as Manfred Steyner); then, he meets Mr. Dillman's unfulfilled blonde wife, Susannah York (as Terry). Ms. York is the granddaughter of cigar-chomping mine-owner Ray Milland (as Hurry "H.H." Hirschfeld). Eventually, Moore unbuttons his shirt, then York unbuttons hers. While his wife skinny dips with Moore, Dillman plots to flood Mr. Milland's mine, drive up the price of "Gold", and collect the cash.

It's difficult to picture the suave, immaculate Moore spending years in the dirt - he sure cleans up well. But, the main problem with "Gold" lays with the boring romance - Moore and York look good together, but are saddled with a long, unexciting aboveground "who cares?" affair. The less seen Dillman and Milland are better without even kissing. And, frankly, the characters played by Tony Beckley (Stephen Marais) and Simon Sabela (John "Big King" Nkulu) seem more interesting. With at least six degrees of Oscar-connections, Maureen McGovern's non-hit "Wherever Love Takes Me" received "Academy Award" notice.

***** Gold (9/5/74) Peter Hunt ~ Roger Moore, Susannah York, Bradford Dillman, Ray Milland

Gold is a superb adaptation of Wilbur Smith's novel. The plot concerns a group of greed-driven businessmen conspiring to flood a South African gold mine.

Roger Moore is terrific as our mine manager hero (and unknowing pawn) and he shares an entertaining chemistry with co-star, Susannah York. Bradford Dillman also impresses in his role as one of the more conflicted of the conspirators. With Ray Milland, Sir John Gielgud and Simon Sabela supporting, it's a great cast all round.

Director Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) ensures that the audience feels the ominous, claustrophobic atmosphere of the mine, and he doesn't shy away from showing the impact of a flood in such surroundings. Along with Hunt, many James Bond veterans worked on Gold, and this shows particularly in how smoothly the location work in South Africa has been integrated with the soundstage work at Pinewood.

Composer Elmer Bernstein uses Jimmy Helms' title song as an orchestral theme to stirring effect, while Maurice Binder (another Bond veteran) gets the ball rolling with his uniquely designed opening credits.

Gold comes highly recommended!

An underrated and forgotten thriller that offers something authentic to a contemporary audience. It stands out for its unique backdrop and realistic, gritty feel - not a surprise given its credentials: Directed by Peter R. Hunt, who also helmed the similarly non-gimmicky, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and produced by Michael Klinger, the man behind Get Carter. Roger Moore is largely an 'average' man, playing against type: a womaniser yes, but an under-achiever set up to take a fall. The rest of the cast is good, including Suzanna York, who holds her own in a well-rounded female role. An ideal match for Moore, their relationship is grown-up and believable. Ray Milliand is the dominant, straight-talking patriarch. John Gielgud, Bradford Dillman and Tony Beckley are all excellent in their different ways as the bad guys.

Unlike similar movies of the time, the production values hold up well, in part due to being filmed on location in South Africa, with a lack of green screen. In the mine scenes, you feel like you're under the ground - it's oppressive and claustrophobic - because that's where it was partly shot. That contrasts well with the action above ground, including some spectacular aerial work. The plot is fine, occasionally lacking pace, but engaging and entertaining, giving an insight into the gold industry and market. There is little social commentary: one of the villains of the story is a white racist; one of the heroes, a black man; there is a shadowy London-based elite. Overall, it does its job with some great set pieces - my favourite, a mountain-top scene with a Rolls Royce.

The apartheid regime setting - controversial, when the film was shot - makes it a rare and interesting watch. Aside from actually being made in the country, there is very little that is objectionable specific to the film. Proceedings are captured in a matter-of-fact, almost fly-on-the-wall style, which includes the gold mines, city life and the beautiful surrounding landscape, with some authentic African dance scenes. There are no awkward verbal faux pas, as there can be from this period. Generally - wisely, perhaps - it doesn't make any strong political statements. The backdrop is presented as more a slice of life, with bigger themes going uncommented on and of less concern than its own particular story. It was not aiming to be on the right side of history - or the wrong side - it was just trying to be entertaining. It does that but also works on a relatively neutral, documentary level.

I hadn't seen Gold for 20-30 years. The film stayed with me from my childhood but has largely disappeared from our screens, partly due its age but almost certainly because of where it was filmed (there was even a trigger warning on Talking Pictures TV). I don't fully understand the controversy as it is now more of a monument to its time, like being transported back to the 1970s - both literally and fictionally - without the social commentary or agenda that biases so much contemporary work. An initial choice for director was Steven Spielberg who probably wouldn't have given the film the same hard edge as Hunt. Laughably - for political reasons - Wales was put forward to double for South Africa, something that would have produced a hollow counterfeit of what the film is. Released between Moore's first two Bond films, it stands the test of time better than either.

Gold is still very watchable and, with the passing of several decades and all that has happened since, has the added benefit of being an interesting and genuine historical work. Well worth your viewing time.

This is not a great film, but it has its moments. In 1974 probably not too many people knew much about South Africa and the gold mining process, so for that reason it was educational. The mine sequences are interesting although undoubtedly filmed on a studio set. For me the most interesting action sequence though is when the hero is trying to land a plane on a tailings pile at a speed low enough to almost stall out. Most interesting of all, thirty years ago it was almost unheard of to see frontal nudity in a major film. When Susannah York's breast appeared out of the suds in the bathtub scene, my jaw dropped open. I couldn't believe I was really seeing it. For sheer surprise it ranks right up there with Charlton Heston kissing a black woman in that science fiction film that I think was called The Omega Man. Today of course such things are commonplace.