James Bond

British spy. Invented by Ian Fleming.

Novels

James Bond, also known by 007, is a fictional agent of the British Secret Service MI6. He was invented by Ian Fleming in 1952. Fleming who probably gained personal experience in espionage during the Second World War, wrote 13 novels and three collections of short stories in the 1950s and 1960s which dealt with James Bond as protagonist. The first novel Casino Royale was successfully published in 1953. The novels became also more popular when they were published as paperback in 1955 resulting in increased sales. Moreover, the novel From Russia with Love was published as a series in the Daily Express in 1957.

Initially, Fleming started to write the Bond novels for his own pleasure and did not expect such a huge success. Nevertheless, the novels were written in a different style than other novels from this period. James Bond's adventures were not only about luxurious lifestyle with fast cars and gambling, but these books were the first crime novels in the 1950s that dealt with sexual adventures between the protagonist and the women he meets on his way. This corresponds to the gradual deviation from former views on sexuality in this period as new attitudes found their way into society. Consequently, the Bond novels reflect the social conditions in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, the situation of the Cold War is displayed since the villain is often from the Soviet Union in the first novels.

Movies

At the beginning of the 1960s, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman received the rights to produce the first James Bond film in 1962: Dr No. In the following years, all other novels served as a model for Bond movies and now titles not related to Fleming's novels are used. Today, the production of the films is very expensive because the films are staged around the world and the action sequences have become very popular. The James Bond series has turned into the most successful movie series of all time. Until now, 6 actors impersonated the figure of James Bond: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, who will be part of the next James Bond movie Skyfall again in November 2012.

Cultural Phenomenon

Since its first release, the James Bond series has become a cultural phenomenon around the world. The movies are modernized according to changing social attitudes and political events. Moreover, Bond functions as “popular hero, an icon of adventure, a guru of male style, an emblem of glamour, a champion of consumerism, the last word in gadgetry and [...] a loaded symbol of sex and violence” (Lindner 1). The series' cultural significance can also be seen in the media, e.g. in advertisement. However, there was and still is criticism about the Bond series concerning snobbery, racism, violence and sexism.

Sources

Chapman, James. Licence to Thrill. A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. 2nd ed. London: Tauris, 2007.

Denning, Michael. “Licensed to Look: James Bond and the Heroism of Consumption”. Contemporary Marxist Literary Criticism. Francis Mulhern (ed.). 2nd ed. London: Longman, 1993.

Lindner, Christoph (ed.). The James Bond Phenomenon. A Critical Reader. 2nd ed. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2009.

http://www.skyfall-movie.com/releasedates/ 25 April 2012.