Remarkable similarities between 'Skyfall' and 'The Man With The Golden Gun'

Gustav_Graves

When it comes to style, realism, the amount of cheesiness and humour, 'Skyfall' and 'The Man With The Golden Gun' don't seem very comparable. Sir Roger Moore was certainly a very different Bond than Daniel Craig is now. Still, apart from all this, the similarities in story, plot and screenplay between these two Bond films seem endless. A small list:

--> A bullit basically forms the 'breadcrumb' towards more leads; leads that are clues to the eventual secret of its plot. In both cases it's meant for 007. In SF Patrice shoots Bond in his chest. In TMWTGG the golden bullit sent to MI6 headquarters means a worrysome leak within MI6.
--> The locations for both Bond films were Asia. Macau, Thailand and Hong Kong in TMWTGG, China and Macau in SF.
--> In both Bond films the leading villain has some kind of weird, almost sexual attachment towards Bond and/or MI6. In TMWTGG Scaramanga has got a wax statue of Bond. In SF it goes even further. Silva feels some kind of homo-erotic equality between him and Bond.
--> A sniper, named Patrice, is killing a Chinese man that is part of an international, perhaps illegal, art trade. In TMWTGG 'sniper' Scaramanga kills Gibson to obtain the Solix Agitator Device.
--> In both Bond films, the sub plot is about a villains scheme to obtain a certain device. A harddrive for Silva containing a NATO list of spies. And the solex agitator unit to basically 'stockpile' the demand of solar energy.
--> In both Bond films the real villains plot is some kind of twisted meet-up combined with revenge. In SF it is 'M' who should be Silva's victim. In TMWTGG it is Bond who is Scaramanga's true victim. Allthough, later in 'Skyfall' Bond becomes the villain's 'playtoy' as well.
--> In both films MI6 eventually goes undercover in a very British way. In TMWTGG it is the rusted Queen Elizabeth. And in SF it is Churchill's WWII bunker.
--> Where Lazar in TMWTGG is contracted by Scaramanga, Patrice in SF is contracted by Silva.
--> The role of field agent is vital. Mary.......Goodnight helps out Bond. Albeit in a clumsy way. And in SF Eve........Moneypenny helps out Bond. Also, in a rather clumsy way.
--> Both films have a sacrificial lamb that at the same time is the villain's mistress. Severine in SF and Andrea Anders in TMWTGG.
--> Both Silva and Scaramanga treat their mistresses in a twisted way: They rape their girls 'mentally' to such an extend that their fear is driving their lives. Combined with twisted, forced physical abuse, both Andrea and Severine see in Bond a man that could kill their 'psychotic masters'.
--> Strong scenes in both SF and TMWTGG are the naked shower scenes. The one were Bond sneeks into Andrea Anders' hotelroom in the Peninsula. And the one were Bond sneeks onto Silva's yaught The Chimera.
--> Having said that, both villains enjoy the luxury of remarkable sailing yaughts: Silva with his Chimera and Scaramanga with his Yonk.
--> Pivotal to both Bond films are the manno-a-manno pistol games. In TMWTGG we see this in the pre credits sequence, where Scaramanga and mafia-boss Rodney are chasing each other with guns in Scaramanga's funhouse. Later off course, we see a manno-a-manno fight between Bond and Scaramanga. Bond with his Walther PPK and Scaramanga with his beloved golden gun. In SF it is the twisted pistol game that ultimately leads to Severine's terrible death.
--> Both Silva and Scaramanga fall dead in almost exactly the same way: as a last rat standing.
--> Both Silva and Scaramanga have their own private island. Meanwhile, from their islands, they execute their sadistic schemes that can endanger world politics.
--> Perhaps the only real difference is the location of the climax. In TMWTGG it is Scaramanga's villa. In SF it is Bond's ancestral home 'Skyfall'.

Okay, I think I can't think of any more similarities right now. I think it's just a funny thing to spot all these remarkable similarities. It certainly doesn't say 'Skyfall' is less original now. On the contrary, in tone and style TMWTGG and SF stay two very different films.

Gustav_Graves

Anyone else seeing the similarities as well?

jetsetwilly

I never saw similarities with TMWTGG film, but definitely with the original Fleming novel.

Scaramanga and Silva share many physical similarities, the obituary and Bond raising from the dead, the debrief on his return to normal duties, shooting the glass off the girls' head, the homosexual undertones.

thelivingroyale

I think it felt more similar to the TMWTGG novel than the film but looking at your post now it does seem like there were a few similarities.

RC7

Some good points @Gustav_Graves

Like the guys above have said, there's also a slight connection with the novel.

One thing that struck me is that the palette is very similar. There is less grey in TMWTGG, but I find both have an earthy feel.

SaintMark

thelivingroyale wrote:

I think it felt more similar to the TMWTGG novel than the film but looking at your post now it does seem like there were a few similarities.

More than a few similarities it seems.

O:-)