the man with the golden gun

• The Man with The Golden Gun film poster


  December 1974
• The Man with the Golden Gun


  • James Bond film released on 19 December 1974, starring Roger Moore as 007
  • Based on a book of the same name, written by Ian Fleming
  • Produced by the British company Eon (Everything or Nothing) Productions and distributed by United Artists
  • Estimated $7 million budget and grossed over $97 million at the world wide box office
  • Reflected the popularity of the Martial Arts film genre, with the rise of stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan
  • Kung Fu scenes and the film was filmed predominantly in Asia, having being shot in Hong Kong, Thailand and Macau
• Artwork for poster

  Produced by artist and illustrator Robert McGinnis
• Historical context

  • Prior to the 1990s, illustrations were much more commonly used on film posters due to the limited technology that was available
  • The film was set in the middle of the 1973 energy crisis, when the oil producing Arab nations proclaimed an oil embargo causing an oil crisis which had both short and long-term effects across on politics and the economy across the globe
• Film posters

  • Very visual and rely on images and limited text to promote the film
  • The images need to give the audience an idea of the film genre and hint at the narrative
• Central image

  Mid-shot of James Bond, smartly dressed holding a gun across his body
• Bond's image

  • Dominance of his image suggests he is the film's protagonist and so probably a 'good guy'
  • His attire connotes business and professionalism
  • The gun, an iconic part of Bond's 'uniform', signifies danger and action
  • Looking directly at the audience, seemingly making eye contact
  • Intensity of his stare and the lack of a smile could connote how seriously he expects to be taken and that he appears calm despite the chaos surrounding him
• Film poster conventions

  • Actor's name(s) placed prominently as another way to entice the audience
  • The title of the film appears with the name of the author who wrote the books (on which the films are based) at the bottom of the poster
  • The credit block, detailing industry information such as other star's names, directors and producers, is much smaller and tucked away so as not to divert the audience away from the main image or the rest of the poster
• Bottom of the frame

  • Extreme close up of a golden gun pointed right at Bond
  • Someone is loading it with a bullet engraved with his name
  • The colour of the gun connotes wealth and status
  • The fact we can only see the hand of the shooter creates intrigue and an enigma code for the audience
• Bond


  The nation's favourite secret agent; charming, suave, good looking and, most importantly, always caught the 'bad guys'
• Representation of masculinity


  • Intelligent, strong and prepared to put yourself in dangerous situations
  • Successful, gain respect and women would want you
  • Assumed to be heterosexual
• Females on the poster

  • Two wearing bikinis showing off their slim bodies, heavily made up and wearing earrings and bracelets
  • One dressed in a karate uniform in a martial arts pose, with darker skin tone and flowing hair, seen as exotic and different
• Feminist theoretical perspective


  Sexualised representation of women suggests they are little more than bodies to be looked at
• One of the main themes in this Bond film was the 1973 global energy crisis, with the embargo on oil and countries considering alternative power sources
• By including this theme, the producers are encouraging audiences to consider what might happen if oil really did run out and predict what the outcomes would be for society
• Golden gun


  • Pointed at Bond
  • Bullet engraved with his name
• Colour of the gun


  Connotes wealth and status
• Hand of the shooter

  • Creates intrigue and an enigma code for the audience
• The person with the gun would be considered the 'villain' according to Propp's character theory
• Surrounding Bond


  • Enemies and people trying to kill him
• These images signify this is from the action/thriller genre
• Females flanking Bond


  • Wearing very few clothes
• Two highly sexualised women

  • Bikini-clad, slim with perfect hour glass figure and long flowing hair
• Body language of the women

  • One appears to be looking at the golden gun assassin whilst pointing at Bond
  • The other seems to be putting her arm out in front of him, seemingly protecting him
• The body language of the women is another enigma code, suggesting to the audience that Bond has female allies and enemies, yet all look the same making it hard for him to distinguish between them