Is Gold a Hidden Treasure or Dumpster Fire?
Blu-ray Distributed By: Kino Lorber / September 18, 2018
Roger Moore (Live and Let Die, Street People) and Susannah York (The Killing of Sister George) star in this explosive 1974 international conspiracy thriller, set in the South African goldfields and directed by Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Death Hunt). A ruthless global cabal of financial investors plans to manipulate the price of gold on the world market – by sabotaging one of South Africa’s top gold mines and flooding it with millions of gallons of water. All they need is someone to take the blame. Manager Rod Slater (Moore) seems the perfect choice. He’s brash, rough and impulsive – just the sort of man to make a fatal mistake. As Slater embarks on an affair with Terry (York), the heiress granddaughter of mine owner Hurry Hirschfeld (Ray Milland, Panic in Year Zero!), the conspiracy tightens all around him and thousands of lives hang by a thread… Based on a best-selling novel by Wilbur Smith (Dark of the Sun, Shout at the Devil) and filmed entirely on location in South Africa, Gold is an unforgettable thriller with a breathtaking climax and a fantastic cast which also includes John Gielgud (The Whistle Blower) and Bradford Dillman (Compulsion).
Roger Moore (Live and Let Die, Street People) and Susannah York (The Killing of Sister George) star in this explosive 1974 international conspiracy thriller, set in the South African goldfields and directed by Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Death Hunt). A ruthless global cabal of financial investors plans to manipulate the price of gold on the world market – by sabotaging one of South Africa’s top gold mines and flooding it with millions of gallons of water. All they need is someone to take the blame. Manager Rod Slater (Moore) seems the perfect choice. He’s brash, rough and impulsive – just the sort of man to make a fatal mistake. As Slater embarks on an affair with Terry (York), the heiress granddaughter of mine owner Hurry Hirschfeld (Ray Milland, Panic in Year Zero!), the conspiracy tightens all around him and thousands of lives hang by a thread… Based on a best-selling novel by Wilbur Smith (Dark of the Sun, Shout at the Devil) and filmed entirely on location in South Africa, Gold is an unforgettable thriller with a breathtaking climax and a fantastic cast which also includes John Gielgud (The Whistle Blower) and Bradford Dillman (Compulsion).
Jimbo’s Take 
(3.5 / 5)
Jimbo’s Take In today’s cultural and political climate a lot of youngsters blame the white, wealthy patriarchy for all of life’s problems. I don’t think Gold would be a hit today because personal views on politics would get in the way.
In Gold we are asked to sympathize with a lot of white men whose sole purpose is to dig up the precious mineral for other rich, white dudes.
And to give further credence to today’s SJW playbook, all of the mine workers are ill-treated, lower-class, black South Africans. If the movie were made today, more screen time and sub-plot would be developed for the most prominent black character, ‘Big King’ (Simon Sabela), who more than once saves his fellow miners from catastrophe. It’s my understanding that the original novel, Gold Mine, by Wilbur Smith does include plenty of source material and backstory for ‘King’. Instead, most of the movie’s focus resides with Rod Slater (Moore).
Slater is a playboy that has a taste for expensive things. We learn he’s divorced, and the woman he is courting, Terry Steyner (Susannah York), is a married woman. Granted Mrs. Steyner is married to Manfred Steyner (Bradford Dillman), the key orchestrator of the mine collapse. That makes it okay?
Although I find Moore’s performance as charming as his Bond persona, unfortunately I find it a little hard to like Rod Slater. Even if he is having an affair with the antagonist’s wife, the film forgets that this isn’t a James Bond fantasy. (Or does it?)
Gold was filmed between James Bond pictures, Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. And the crew was made up of a lot the same people in the Bond workforce, including Director Peter Hunt, who also directed my all-time favorite Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Therefore, it’s completely understandable that Hunt may assume audiences would blindly accept the British charms of leading man, Roger Moore. After all, both Slater and Bond are virtually the same charming womanizers. And 1974 critics seem to have enjoyed this movie as much as the Bond films that bookend Gold.
But as they say, times change. Even though the film was viewed as a critical success by 1974 standards, 2018 standards are a whole different beast. Daniel Craig’s Bond isn’t the same womanizer as Moore’s. 2018 Bond is damaged. 1974 Bond liked seducing pretty girls, and he was celebrated for it.
But I also think there is a, admittedly very thin, distinction between Slater and Bond. When Bond sleeps around you know he’s going to save the world. And, of course, James Bond is pure fantasy.
But Gold isn’t set in a fantasy world. It depicts men in real-life threatening situations. And when the film reaches its climactic moments, and the mine is in danger, Slater cannot be found to help save his dying men because he’s busy with another man’s wife. This doesn’t make Slater look like a hero. It makes the character look selfish, irresponsible, and distracted, placing his own selfish desires before the lives of his own men.
I think Peter Hunt’s and Roger Moore’s greatest missed opportunity comes from their failure to develop Slater (and Mrs. Steyner for that matter) as more flawed than likable. There is a profound subtext in the film, but it requires the audience to shift perspectives. No man (or woman) is without sin in Gold. A line can be drawn between our character’s flaws and the inherent ability for gold (and greed) to corrupt the soul. But don’t expect Hunt to lead you to that conclusion.
Despite all of my criticisms, I think this is a very good movie. Even if Slater isn’t typical “good guy” material, you still have to root for him because who else is going to stand in the way of the greedy financial advisers? And Hunt is a very good at creating suspense. Whether it is tension between characters or the action set pieces he orchestrates in the mines, Hunt delivers an exciting movie experience. I just question whether the audience of 2018 and beyond can put aside their own political prejudices to appreciate a film made by 1974 standards. Gold is a very well crafted conspiracy thriller worth checking out.
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
Kino Lorber’s blu-ray release of Gold provides decent picture quality and a passable soundtrack. Disc extras are sparse but the audio commentary with film historian regulars, Howard Berger and Nathaniel Thompson, is informative and interesting. It’s not a perfect movie and today’s viewers are going to have to do some of the heavy lifting if you want to view it by 2018 male/female standards. Or viewers can just accept it for what it is, and enjoy Gold by 1974 standards.
Jimbo says: Hidden Treasure!
| Jimbo's Take: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| Blu-ray Extras: |  (2.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (2.8 / 5) |
Special Features
- Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson
- Original Theatrical Trailers
- Gold
- The Naked Face
- The Killing of Sister George
- Panic In Year Zero
- Chosen Survivors
- The Wicked Lady
