“You are looking at an industrial laser, which admits an extraordinary light not to be found in nature.” Auric Goldfinger
For 60 years, James Bond has been wielding an arsenal of amazing apparatus made by the propellerheads at Q Branch. Bond films are known for offering a glimpse into what's technologically possible. From nifty reuses of everyday devices to attention-grabbing one-off inventions, here are the gadgets that have gone from reel to real[ity].
Laser for gold and gland
Goldfinger
“Do you expect me to talk?” “No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!”
In this iconic scene, the villainous Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) chuckles as he starts to exit the scene while Sean Connery's Bond watches a red laser creep ominously towards his nether regions, cutting through the slab of gold to which our hero is bound.
The scene was a masterful concoction of sixties set design and visual effects. Connery was bound to a table, with a prop ‘laser’ gun slid above him. The bright red line was superimposed on the final print during post-production.
At the time of Goldfinger’s release, laser technology research was taking great strides, with then low-powered products. Could an international gold smuggler acquire such a weapon in the real world today?
Most definitely.
