An
examination of forms of masculinity presented by James Bond in the film Spectre
(2015) and the social and cultural changes in the 21st century that
have affected this presentation.
James Bond and what it means to be a man.
Ideals and notions of masculinity have been introduced and are discussed, in terms of
cultural icons like James Bond in the twentieth
and twenty first centuries. The
exaggerated and stereotyped notions of masculinity shown in the character of
Bond introduce a new way of defining what it means to be a man. Culturally and
societally embedded ideas within the Bond franchise play out in the
interactions and relationships Bond has with other men as well as his
interaction with women.
James Bond, the iconic 007, secret agent, embodies
the ideal form of masculinity. He is strong, handsome, smartly dressed,
dashing, fearless, courageous, brave. He is what is termed as being a sex icon,
which is seen in his popularity with woman whether it be seducing women or
forming a romance. A man might argue that Bond as the male character fulfills
the need in which women desire to be loved and to be protected "A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he
embodies a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long.” - Craig,
D. (2015). Others would argue that he is sexist and seduces women for
his own ends as a means for him to get what he wants. “Every
Bond film since the 1970s has promised to revolutionise the Bond girl and bring
something new to the table. But the table still looks pretty similar to Me.”
– Ashton, M (2015)
He is popular with men in that he creates a fantasy
in which men want to be Bond. His dress sense is immaculate; his attitude is
one far beyond the natural behavior of the average man in that we never see him
eat or be with his family (if he has one) “[Bond
is] very fucking lonely. There’s a great sadness. He’s fucking these beautiful
women, but then they leave and it’s…sad.” - Craig, D. (2015). He prefers
to drink vodka either in a particular way or
straight out of the bottle. He
drives suave cars like an astin martin; possess cool and sophisticated gadgets,
which we would all like to have a go at using. He fills a space, which most men
who watch the films would like to fantasize in filling themselves.
This is what is termed to be Masculinity as a
performance. In Casino Royale (2006) one of the female characters says to Bond
“You’ve got your armour back up”, which suggests that the masculine attributes
in Bond are all a deceptive façade “it’s how he embodies so many of the qualities that we
admire in a man. Confidence, strength, self-control (with one glaring exception), independence, and charm mixed with a bit of brute force.
He seems to hold the world in his hands, but he’d just as easily give it all
away.” – Schaefer,
C. (2008)
The most recent Bond film, ‘Spectre’ (2015) sees
Bond on the trail to uncovering a sinister organization. The Bond that we see
in “Spectre” as portrayed by Daniel Craig acts in a mature manner, which
displays a fully developed, adult attitude towards the seriousness of the plot
of the film, but also has elements of human emotion from within the performance.
“Daniel Craig is the Bond we deserve, a Bond who
takes seriously the job of embodying a savage yearning for a lost fantasy of
the 1950s. It is about masculinity, yes, but also about Britishness, about
whiteness and about heterosexuality, about the loss of certainty in all of
these in a changing world.” - Penny, L. (2015).
Craig gives his most confident and
experimental performance as Bond, an amalgamation of the Bond's past with his
own version of the character filling in the gaps of his psychology. This in turn shows that Craig can pull off the complex tasks of
displaying the grittiness of Bond’s character but also go onto display personality
features which have not been portrayed in the character before.
Bond has three different relationships with women
in Spectre, one of whom Lucia Sciarra, played by Monica Bellucci he kills her
husband and then later he saves from being murdered in her own home and then
sleeps with her in order to get information about the organization her husband
worked for; she has very little scene time on screen in the film. Her role in
the film is simply a plot device; a means of moving the story forward. An
example of meaningless sex shown in Spectre and how Bond can seduce woman as a
tool to get information he needs - “By losing the
negative consequences of sexuality, Bond also loses the positive consequences
of meaningful sex. He never feels the power of a woman’s genuine delight in him
or trades in cynical lust for committed love.” - Barber, A. (2015)
Another is Eve Moneypenny played by Naomie Harris, he
works with within the organization he works for, they have a working
relationship and there is no sign of one or other being attracted to one
another, they simply just work together.
The third woman Madeline Swann, played by Lea
Seydoux, Bond made a promise to her father to protect her and shortly after
meeting her, saves her from being kidnapped by the bad guys, after which she seems
unattracted to him at first, not wanting to have anything to do with him, but later
as the adventures goes on she is drawn to him as someone to protect her from
danger. Bond goes to extraordinary lengths at the end of the film to save
Madeline from being killed when the villain Blofeld intends to blow up the old
MI6 building.
A reflection of the social and cultural changes in the
character of Bond is shown in the way he suffers in the new film. He is
described as being a misogynist, also a womanizer and an action hero, and in
Spectre, Craig’s Bond performs heavy action sequences, fast paced and quick-witted
stunts, unleashing incredible masculine power. However, he is also tortured in
the film and we see him suffer. He can be vulnerable to danger. “Bond’s masculinity is
one of a series of becomings, with no progress of linearity”- Reeser. T.W
(2011). It comes back to this notion of masculinity being
in crisis and is very similar to David
Blaine, Fathers 4 Justice, and the Spectacle of Heroic Masculinity.
James Bond: a fantasy object for women as well as
men?
Bond not only embodies the fantasies of men in men
wanting to be Bond “Bond has always been portrayed
as a sort of masculine ideal, the man that boys wish they could grow up to be.”
– Wang. B (2015) But he also embodies
the fantasies of women. The Bond girls depend on Bond in order to stay survive /
stay out of danger just as Bond depends on the woman for some of his work. In a
way it’s a way of the plot of a Bond film moving forward and allowing the story
to continue.
This is applied on many occasions throughout the
course of “Spectre”. Bond’s sex scene with Lucia is a means of Bond using sex
to gain information. Madeline in the
film challenges Bond. Later on, where Madeline is under attack, Bond says to
her “I’m the best chance you’ve got of staying alive”. So they get out of
trouble together. The girls in the film need Bond and Bond needs the girls. At
the same time, however, the girls in “Spectre”, particularly Madeline Swan,
rebel against Bond’s ways of control. “That’s
because we’ve surrounded him with very strong women who have no problem putting
him in his place.” – Craig, D (2015).
As a masculine figure in Spectre, Bond has plenty
of opportunities to show off masculine features, which appeal to men. An
example of this is in the famous fight scenes he has with enormous henchman Mr
Hinx on the train. Hinx is a henchmen in the same vein as
Jaws and Oddjob for example, so it is hard to see how anything in his
performance, particularly his many fight scenes could go wrong, that and how
much like Jaws and Oddjob, he doesn't have to speak a word to expose his true
menace. A strong man beating up another man, bigger and
perhaps in some cases stronger than him. This was something at the time had not
been shown in a Bond film in a long time.
Another example is the helicopter fight scene in
the pre title sequence, Bond rather horrifically risks his life in what is a
very graphic way to open a film in that he beats a man and hangs him out of a
moving helicopter. Not only that he kicks him out of the moving craft whilst it
is in mid air leaving him to fall to his death. To finish the scene off, he
puts the driver of the helicopter in a headlock before punching him several
times and finishing by kicking him out of the helicopter in mid flight taking
control of the vehicle. This is a representation of highly graphic violence
which is deemed upon as something quite horrific but in the fantasy style of
it, you know Bond is going to win because he is the action hero and no one
watching really cares about the other people in the scene he is fighting
because they are villains who are trying to kill him.
“This
way of conceiving of masculinity means that it is necessarily
non-hierarchical.” - Reeser. T.W (2011) There is no form of status in that
scene between who is superior to the other in terms of class or social
position, only strength and quick wittedness. You watch that scene and have
this feeling that you watch one big man taking on another big man; that
portrays a form of masculinity for men to aspire to.
Daniel Craig as James Bond – sexualised and
controlling. Is this the modern masculinity?
If you wish to change Bond, there are only certain
features that one can change or alter in order to not completely change the
dynamics of the set up of Bond’s background. Daniel Craig’s interpretation of
Bond in terms of appearance gives off the impression of the sexualised male and
the controlling male. He shows signs of Hegemony, which are displayed in his
posture and by his presence on screen. And it is explored by his mode of
maintaining leadership by his dominant command of authority in keeping a scene
together. He is the centre of attention in every scene he is in. “Craig animates the automaton that is Bond by asking just
what it would take to make a person behave in this horrific way and like any
piece of well-done puppetry, the effect is sinister.” – Penny. L (2015)
Craig’s Bond is more emotional than
Connery’s Bond for example and gives hints of human feeling when responding to
a crisis. He even shows, that he cares about people, which Connery never did. An
example of this is in ‘Spectre’ Bond goes to extraordinary lengths to save
Madeline Swann from the bad guys who have kidnapped her, all because he made a
promise to her father to keep her safe.
He portrays the character well in
that he does what no other Bond has done before him, by showing hints of human
emotion. He also relates to the other Bonds in that he is gritty and is not shy
to get in a punch up and is popular with the ladies as he has the rugged good looks,
which attract him to women but he also shows human features, which have shaped
the character through the cultural and social changes of the 21st
century. Sean Connery’s interpretation of Bond is described as being “retained the easy,
confident elan of the clubland hero, he is clearly not from this world.” - Spicer, A. whereas Craig is described as being
“He is just a Hero”. - Penny. L (2015)
Sean Connery was the first James
Bond. He is described as having “dark good looks, thin, cruel mouth, and calculating self
possession” – Spicer, A (2001) A complete
contrast to Daniel Craig. He introduced the character of Bond to viewers in the film “Dr
No” (1962) “He embodies a sardonic spy, a tough Scot who
refuses to give in and seems to smile in the face of adversity and danger.” – Vellenda
C (2013). He portrayed a butch, Scottish, elegant
adaptation of the character which Ian Fleming originally created, as well as
that also captured a representation of the culture of the 1960’s. “It was this paradoxical
rugged elegance, insouciant but aggressively macho, that allowed Connery to
project Bond’s transitional status, incarnating both the unwavering patriotism
andering of the international playboy who embodied the ‘swinging’ sixties.” – Spicer
A (2001).
Connery’s Bond carried with him the
same sense of chauvinism as that of Flemings Bond. However, he did soften the
misogyny approach the Bond of the novels projected. This Bond merely saw women
as a form of playthings. Still there is the element of sexual conquest in the
films. For example, Bond’s bedding of Pussy Galore in “Goldfinger” is seen as
more of a display of his male superiority than anything else. “Rewatching the barn scene on YouTube, however, it’s clear that
Bond raped Galore: she said no, and he proceeded. Perhaps the most horrifying
aspect of the scene is that it’s presented a playful romp in the hay, as
signified by the cheerful music, and not as a deeply disturbing depiction of
sexual assault.” - Wang. B, (2015)
Following
Connery in the role was George Lazenby in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” in
1969. Lazenby having only done one film doesn’t seem to stand out as well as
Connery, Moore or Craig do but what he does have is the physicality and will
power of the character that he was able to grasp so well. “His
was a handsome, more physically aggressive Bond who continued the legacy of his
predecessor.”
– Vellenda C (2013).
Roger
Moore who did seven Bond films was described as being the creature of his time.
Moore as an actor is a man who knows how to act to camera, who is a man who can
act. He played Bond as a tongue and cheek character, who was a sophisticated
more polished version of Bond in comparison to Connery, he had a trademark look
of eyebrows up, eyebrows down or one up and one down. He was still a womanizer,
still nostalgic and stereotypical. Moore gave bond his own style of naughty
humour but he had a more boarder line respect for women in that he respected
the skills of the women he met. Moore’s bond was often paired with female
allies and the Moore Bond films portrayed women as major characters for the
first time, a highlighted example is the villain in Moore’s last Bond film “ A
view to Kill” is a woman. Moore was a classic example of a tradition of heroes
of the 1970’s. “He ushered in a campier version of Bond, a man with
a nostalgic view of the war, who never gets bloody or dirty, and is really slick and unruffled.” –
Vellenda C (2013).
Timothy Dalton was after him appearing in two films
between 1987 – 89. Like Lazenby, Dalton
doesn’t stay in the role of Bond for very long. But let that not be said that
he doesn’t create an impact. He is in a way the Bond that is most similar to
Daniel Craig in the sense of having a similar control in the role that Craig
has. He didn’t fight that much with his fists he relied on gadgets to get him
out of trouble. “The definitive broody
Bond, who fights less with his hands and more with the possibilities that
science fiction gadgets provide.” – Vellenda C (2013).
Pierce Brosnan was Bond in four films from the time
of 1995 – 2002. He is a very handsome, dapper, diviner caricature who is
described in the role as being “A
tad flighty and disconnected from the dangers he faces, more focused on his
leading lady and her safety, and dealing with technology and computerized
versions of terrorist cells.” – Vellenda C (2013). He may arguably lack
the brutish forcefulness of Connery and he’s not as butch as Connery or Dalton,
however in maintains authority and authenticity in the role, sarcastically
submissive to the new female ‘M’ He is different to Craig in the way the early
era lead up to Craig’s Bond in establishing Bond working with different kinds
of Bond girls, and making women less futile in the Bond franchise.
To conclude it has been well established that James
Bond is a character that embodies stereotypical types of masculinity. Wither it
be forms of patriarchy and/or forms of hegemony. He is a fictional role model
to men as he inspires men, who watch the films to be like him. He encourages
sexual attitudes in his manner in the company of women. He is misogynistic in
that he has complex relations with women but he cannot seem to avoid women at
the same time. He has power over women in that they can’t resist him. He is a
great ‘performer’ of masculine ideals. However, cultural changes in the last
fifty years have meant that Bond has had to become more mature.
He’s a macho man and an action hero who indulges in
heavy action sequences such as helicopter fight scenes and car chases, but he
is also someone with emotional instability. This could reflect masculinity in
crisis.
The character of James Bond may not
be on the face of it, one to look to if looking for a clear view on the modern
day man but is it important to note just how much change has occurred in what
is in theory a male fantasy world of violence and sex. When this form of macho
fantasy reflects the decline of misogyny and the empowerment of women, its
shows a clear indication of society on the whole has changed dramatically.
SS SECRET SERVICE COMING SOON FROM DANBURY PRODUCTIONS
Bibliography
BOOKS
· Lavery,
D. (ed) (2006) Reading the Sopranos: HIT TV From HBO
·
Walsh, F. (2010) Male
Trouble: Masculinity and The Performance of Crisis, New York: Palgrave
Macmillian Ltd.
·
Brunsdon, C. (2000) The
Feminist, The Housewife and the Soap Opera, Oxford: Clarendon
·
Lotz, Amanda D. (2014).
Cable Guys: Television and Masculinities in the 21st Century, New
York: NYU Press
·
Spicer, A. (2001) Typical
Men and the Representation of Masculinity in Popular British Cinema, London:I.
B. Tauris.
· Reeser. T.W (2011)
Masculinity in theory: An Introduction, Wiley.
FILMS
· Spectre – Dir., Sam Mendes (2015)
· Casino Royale – Dir., Martin Campbell (2006)
· Dr No – Dir., Terence Young (1962)
· Goldfinger – Dir., Guy Hamilton (1964)
· On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Dir., Peter R Hunt (1969)
· A View to Kill – Dir., John Glen (1985)
· The Living Daylights – Dir., John Glen (1987)
· GoldenEye – Dir., Martin Campbell (1995)
WEBSITES
·
Relevant
Magazine: James Bond, Sex and Masculinity – Barber, A. – (Nov 2015)
· NewStatsman - The Tragedy
of James Bond – Penny. L – (Oct 2015)
· The Toxic Masculine Ideal of Bond, James Bond. – Wang. B, Daily
Collegian – (Nov 2015)
· ON
MEN: Shaken and stirred- Velleda C. Ceccoli Ph.D – (Oct 2013)
· Reviewing Spectre while having a
crisis of masculinity – Hooton, C – The Independent (Oct 2015)
· Spectre: James Bond is still a sexist
dinosaur – but audiences love it – Ashton, M – The Independent (Nov 2015)
· James
Bond and Lessons in Manliness | The Art of Manliness - 6
Lessons in Manliness from James Bond - Schaefer, C. (Nov 2008)
INTERVIEWS
· Daniel Craig – Esquire U.K – (Sept 2015)
· Daniel Craig – The Red Bulletin – (Oct 2015)
