Bond vs Goldfinger: Ideological Fetishism in Espionage Film

Abstract

The worldwide success of Ian Fleming's novels in the 1950s and 1960s clearly hinged upon the Cold War ideology of the time. However, in their screen adaptations, the representative ideology of the spy narratives becomes distinctively fetishistic. Looking specifically at the movie, Goldfinger, among others, this study explores the ideological apparatus operating behind the scenes in spy films. The main premise behind this work is that the capitalist system of order manipulates not only individual actions but also desires. It does this through its ability to territorialize. Discussion of how the system operates will explain how the dominant value system plays a critical role in the narrative around the main character, James Bond. Bond's seemingly dominant character is nothing but a force within the mechanism that elicits desire. At the same time, female characters play an intervening role by mediating his accomplishments in their role as spectacle and fetishistic objects. Studying the ideological structure of spy films will reveal the hidden relationship between Cold-War ideology and various gender perceptions which are still at least partly intact in most spy films.