A Maldição do Ouro

Like many movies from the 1970's and 80's, Gold was perhaps not fully appreciated for it's insight into the world of precious metal mining during the Apartheid era, based on Zambian born, Wilbur Smith's novel "Gold Mine"

Roger Moore is the eponymous hero of the film, as first The Underground Manager and later General Manager of a deep gold mine in South Africa. Susannah York provides classic English beauty in the form of the love interest and John Gielgud and Bradford Dillman exude villainy in it's most obtuse form. Simon Sabela is the quiet spoken, understated "Big King", a giant of a black miner and champion of workers treatment underground.

Filmed in 1974, this was Roger Moore's first film since his debut as James Bond in "Live and Let Die" and was sandwiched between his next outing in "The Man with The Golden Gun". It was also Susannah York's first film for two years since taking time out to have children. Producer Michael Klinger wanted to take another Wilbur Smith novel, "Shout at the Devil" to the screen but couldn't raise the finance so he made "Gold" first, which allowed him to raise the finance for the former.

This film is a fascinating insight into gold production and how both the price and availability of gold was strictly controlled and the lengths unscrupulous speculators would go to in order to cut production and increase the price. John Gielgud excels as the quintessential English financier, a role he played again in the same year in "11 Harrowhouse".

Bearing in mind that Moore was 46 years old, he makes a fine, handsome hero, as Rod Slater and the 35 year old Susannah York oozes class as Terry Steyner, the grand-daughter of mine owner Hurry Hirschfeld (Ray Milland). And a little golden nugget to boot is the performance of Tony Beckley, the mildly camp but almost psychotic geologist turned henchman. The action underground is first class and indeed quite gory in parts. It is perhaps. surprising that a film showing a miner having his face ripped off in an accident only has a 12 rating on DVD but then we live in different times.

The soundtrack for the film, composed by Elmer Bernstein, is both very "hip" for the period and has some beautiful orchestral pieces, particularly for the love scenes. Jimmy Helms' title track rendition is superb as are the two Don Black penned songs "Wherever Love Takes Me" (Oscar Nominated) and "Where Have You Been All My Life".

Finally, on a somewhat sombre note, virtually everybody of note from the actors and crew are sadly no longer with us. Only the writer, Wilbur Smith, lyricist Don Black and title song singer, Jimmy Helms remain. However, the film is a poignant reminder of a world where the colour of your skin literally determined your worth in life and in death.

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

Technically, "Gold" is rather uneven at best. There are quite a number of underground scenes that are simply too dark. Another problem is scenes that go on far too long drag on the film. The whirlwind romance between Roger Moore and Susannah York takes up too much time and could have been tactfully trimmed, thus tightening the overlong run time of 120 minutes. On the plus side, is an interesting plot to flood a South African gold mine, which would cut world production by 30%, and drive up the price of gold. Moore's heroic attempt to save the flooding mine and save 1000 trapped men provides plenty of excitement. .................. - MERK

Interesting picture based on fictitious events packed with gritty adventure , romance , action , thrills , violence , explosions and spectacular African outdoors. Dealing with a South African gold mine manager discovers a plot hatched by the mine owners and London bankers to flood the mine in order to curb gold production and consequently manipulate its price on the stock markets . There's only one man can stop the complex plan , he's Rod Slater (Roger Moore) the newly appointed General Manager of the Sonderditch gold mine, as he confronts the world's most daring conspiracy against the world's most precious metal. Along the way , he falls in love with the wife (Susannah York) of his nasty boss , Manfred Steyner (Bradford Dillman). Everything they touch turns to pure excitement!

This colorful film packs adventure , romance , large-scale blow-up , flood , plot-twists , routine script and lots of intrigue for the most part . It's a comfortable mix of adventure, thriller and suspense genre with a love story . Grand-scale adventure/thriller/action yarn about a scheming plot to control price of gold on world market by destroying South African mine , being its central plot adequately depicted on film, where a mining disaster would manipulate in recognized commodity the stock market ; in this case, gold shares . It was based on the non-fiction novel, "The Great Gold Conspiracy" by Wilbur Smith, featuring a plot to flood a gold mine and screenplay by Stanley Price and author Wilbur Smith himself. Stars attractive Roger Moore as a foreman become the chief of a powerful company , a stalwart hero who's duped into a twisted conspiracy carried out by the unscrupulous owners to make a set-up in the international gold market. Being one of four Africa set and shot movies in which Roger Moore performed during the 1970s. The others being : Wild Geese (1978) by Andrew V. McLagen , Shout the devil (1976) also directed by Peter R. Hunt , and The spy who loved me (1977) by Lewis Gilbert . Roger Moore is well accompanied by a notorious cast giving fine acting , such as : Susannah York, Ray Milland, Bradford Dillman, John Gielgud, Tony Beckley , Simon Sabela and brief appearance of Patsy Kensit as a little Girl at Christmas Party , among others.

It displays a rousing and thrilling musical score by classic composer Elmer Bernstein. As well as brilliant and breathtaking cinematography by Ousama Rawi filmed in Panavision. The overlong motion picture was professionally directed by Peter R. Hunt, though it has some flaws and gaps . Hunt was a notorious editor and occasionally filmmaker . Hunt had a long career as a cinematic editor . Having started out in the film industry as a clapper boy , by the 40's he was working in the editing department and by the 50's he was an assistant editor then a fully fledged editor. In 1962 as editor on the first James Bond film , "Dr No" . And shooting some films as ¨Shout at the Devil¨, ¨Gold¨, ¨Gulliver's travels ¨, being his biggest hit the only James Bond film starred by George Lazemby titled ¨ On her Majesty's service secret¨. Rating : 6 , this good adventure/thriller will appeal to Roger Moore fans.

Despite the collapse of the gold price in recent months here is a movie whose value is assured. Taken from the novel "Gold Mine" by the one and only Wilbur Smith we get to see just how dangerous the world of mining is. Nerve splitting scenes in the aftermath of a rock fall, explosions, underground amputations, the calamity of an underground flood, deceit, conspiracy, loyalty, betrayl, murder, sex, tribal dance, heroics, more heroics (it was penned by Wilbur Smith) and the lengths to which men will go just to put a charm around a ladys' neck.