Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Goldfinger

Actions

In Goldfinger, actions both define characters as we meet them and change our perceptions of them as we get to know them. When we first meet Goldfinger, we see him as a cheater. Then he becomes a smuggler, a thief, and a mass murderer. So, yeah, bad guy.

Pussy Galore has the opposite trajectory. We meet her with a gun pointed at our hero. We see her plan to gas soldiers at Fort Knox. Then she changes her mind and becomes a hero.

Bond, though, is the most complicated character. He is quick-witted and heroic, yes. But he also can be seen as condescending toward women, like when he dismisses a masseuse by saying, "Dink, say goodbye to Felix. Man talk." He also forces himself on Pussy, despite her repeated refusals of his advances. The two literally fight, and when he wins, his reward is to have sex with her.

Are Bond's actions rooted in the 1960s time period? Or does he have a women problem?

Names

The names in Goldfinger aren't subtle. The gold smuggler's name is literally Auric Goldfinger, which basically means Gold Goldfinger. His assistant, who will do any odd job that comes across his path, such as caddying or killing a pesky spy, is named Oddjob. And as for Pussy Galore…well, we'll leave it up to your imagination to decide what exactly the relationship is like between her and her band of busty young pilots.

Occupation

Everyone in this movie is defined by his or her occupation. James Bond is a spy, so he sneaks around and blows things up. Felix is also a spy, but an American one, so he spends his reconnaissance time eating KFC. Goldfinger is a gold baron, so naturally he finds ways to smuggle gold.

Things get a little tricky with the women, though. Moneypenny is a secretary, but it seems to be in her job description to flirt with Bond. Both Jill Masterson and Pussy Galore work for Goldfinger, and Bond wants to know exactly what is in their job descriptions. How close to their boss do they get? He questions them as if they would be of no interest to him if they actually did sleep with their boss, yet Bond's own conquests are of consequence to him. That's a perk to Bond's main profession—being a man.