Trust
One of the things about being a spy is that you can trust no one. Bond must move through the world of espionage always wondering if the people around him are actually looking out for his best interest. In the sequence in Latin America before the opening credits, we see Bond having an affair with a young woman whom he thinks he can trust. Soon enough, however, he realizes she has betrayed him, literally seeing the reflection of an assailant in her eyes.
Later, Goldfinger's villainy is connected to his untrustworthiness. He is a committed cheater, cheating at nearly everything in order to increase his assets. Bond must move through this underworld of crime with the assumption that no one is to be trusted and that he can only count on himself to get the job done. In the world of James Bond, trust is something that is earned, and even then it's precarious.
Greed
Goldfinger's unsavory moral attitudes, and his tendency to cheat, are motivated by his insatiable greed. He wants badly to accumulate a large amount of wealth and he is willing to do so in completely unethical ways. He is not satisfied by being a rich man; he wants to be the richest man, and destabilize the American economy along the way. True to his name, he wants to become the King Midas of the world, making gold and profit for himself wheresoever he goes, no matter the consequences.
Sex
Bond is an exceptional spy, but he is also notable as a talented seducer. On his off-moments, Bond loves nothing more than to make a woman fall in love with him, and at various points this can serve him well or detract from his efforts. In the beginning, the woman in Latin America does not prove a trustworthy sexual partner. However, by the end, Bond has managed to seduce a woman who has said she is "immune" to his charms, and she helps to save the day and alert the CIA about "Operation Grand Slam." Bond's appetite for sex and seduction are one of his humanizing qualities (in light of his hyper cool attitude and competence as a spy) and it also serves him on his mission.
Apart from Bond's appetite for sex, the film oozes a swanky sexuality, and there is sex in the details. The image of Jill Masterson suffocated by gold paint is a horrific one, but it also a sensual one. Additionally, Pussy Galore's name leaves little to the imagination.
East vs. West
Goldfinger was made in the wake of the Cold War, in which Western powers were frightened about the growing threat of Communism. The film exploits the large-scale political fear by incorporating it into the plot. Goldfinger is not simply a villain because he is greedy and wants to become a rich man, but because he has teamed with non-Western associates in a plot to destabilize the American economy in order to boost his own net worth. As such, Goldfinger is the living embodiment of the perceived threat coming from Russia and Eastern countries in the mid-20th century.
Style
In addition to his irresistible sex appeal, James Bond is defined by his composure and superb contemporary style. In nearly every scene, he is wearing a finely pressed suit or tuxedo, and his hair is perfectly coiffed. Bond is not the rugged hero of the American Western or the grizzled detective of film noir, but a put-together, fashionable specimen of urbanity and sophistication, driving an Aston Martin no less. In between near-death experiences, he makes highly specific drink orders (a martini, shaken not stirred; a mint julep, not too sweet), demonstrating that he is a man who knows and gets what he wants.
Violence
While the violence is never gruesome, there is a thread of violence that runs throughout the entire film. In the beginning, Bond must defend his life against an assailant by fighting him and eventually dumping him in a tub to get electrocuted. Later, Goldfinger threatens to kill Bond by dividing him (from the crotch up) with a giant laser. Oddjob, Goldfinger's assistant, is an exceptionally strong and solid specimen, with an evil smirk and a capacity for great violence. The threat of violence is one that reverberates throughout the whole film, and Bond must keep his cool in the most high-pressure of scenarios.
Technology
Goldfinger was notable for its implementation of gadgetry and technology into the James Bond franchise. While the previous films had not featured must technology, Goldfinger includes an outrageous number of gadgets and technology to aid Bond on his mission. His Aston Martin comes equipped with an oil spill, a passenger seat ejector, tire slashers, and a number of bugs in order to track his enemies' movements. These various gizmos are employed at different moments to help Bond get out of some pretty tight pinches, and represent the ways that technology was evolving in the 1960s.
