GoldenEye (1995)

“So, what's the choice, James? Two targets. Time enough for one shot: the girl or the mission?” — Alec Trevelyan

From the first notes of the synthesizer in the opening gun barrel sequence, a sense of smooth suspense takes hold. The barrel sequence is familiar and yet different. Shinier than before. Brighter, faster, and on the move. Its target as always is James Bond, but this is 007 as we’ve never seen him before.

When GoldenEye was released in 1995, it had been six years since audiences had looked down this barrel at James Bond. After a slew of legal difficulties between distributor MGM and production company Eon, the departures of actor Timothy Dalton and director John Glen, and the death of title designer Maurice Binder in 1991, the franchise was on shaky ground. At the same time, Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, co-founder of Eon Productions and producer on the Bond films for 40 years, stepped down from his duties due to health problems and tapped his daughter Barbara Broccoli to succeed him. Some critics speculated that it was time to throw in the towel, suggesting as The Sunday Times’ Tom Shone did in 1992 that it was “time to junk Bond.”

But GoldenEye, the 17th film in the series, saw James Bond return a new man. Director Martin Campbell was enlisted to helm the picture (he'd later return to direct 2006's Casino Royale), Pierce Brosnan became the face of Bond for this and the next three entries, and Barbara Broccoli set about breathing new life into the franchise.

Realizing the need to bring the suave superspy into the digital era, she and co-producer Michael G. Wilson turned to music video director Daniel Kleinman to carry the Bond title design standard forward. Throughout the 1980s, Kleinman had directed more than 100 music videos, experimenting with montage, special effects, and surreal, dream-like sequences. With technology changing in leaps and bounds in the late ’80s and into the ’90s, pushing the franchise's graphic sensibility into the modern era was crucial.

Kleinman's first task was to update the iconic gun barrel sequence in which Bond turns and shoots, a staple of the series since Binder created it for 1962's Dr. No. The barrel is jogged out of its static form and recreated digitally, following Bond as he walks across the screen. After the conventional pre-title sequence, a second gun barrel appears. One explosion begets another, and suddenly we are blasting down the barrel, traveling through the cylinder alongside a bullet. This barrel is a departure from the first, with photorealistic reflections, shadows, and movement, ushering in what would become a new effects-laden visual language for the franchise. As Tina Turner sings about reflections and darkness in depths, fire engulfs the screen and women dance, languidly and in silhouette. More scantily clad women wield sledgehammers, demolishing giant Communist statues and symbols against vibrant full-colour screens in a sequence that implies the passage of time as well as the fall of the Soviet Union. With this combination of elements, Kleinman acknowledges the title design tradition of Bond – girls, guns, and glamour – while leading it into the future through new techniques and expanded narrative possibilities.

Hiring Kleinman proved a savvy choice, as Binder described his own title sequences for Bond as "the forerunners of today’s pop videos." Indeed, Kleinman's work reinforced the connection between music and image, using lyrical and aural cues to inform the narratives, visuals, and editing, ultimately giving rise to a new generation of Bond power ballads that were intimately linked with the films. Though it had only been six years since 007’s last jaunt, the world and the means of telling screen-based stories had changed dramatically. GoldenEye’s updated gun barrel and slick main title sequence announced the return of James Bond and reclaimed his status as a sophisticated, seductive, and cutting-edge character. The titles also gave the franchise a strong foothold in the Hollywood spotlight, ensuring Bond’s continued relevance as the world revolved toward a mysterious and increasingly digital new millennium.

A discussion with GoldenEye title sequence director DANIEL KLEINMAN.

So, GoldenEye came out in 1995. This was your first foray into title design. Before GoldenEye, you had primarily worked as a music video and commercial director. What was that transition like for you?

DK: Oddly, it was not that difficult. Because of my graphics background, I was quite interested in special effects and creating images that were not just caught in camera but montages. I was quite used to working to a music track. Normally, doing music videos, you had to have the band in the video and I didn’t…

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