I’m a feminist — but I love Bond Movies!
There, I finally said it!
I remember it vividly. My dad and I would snuggle up together on the sofa, and the black gun sight would slowly glide across the screen. The hairs on the back of my neck would stand as the brass started, then the ping of cymbals, closely followed by the famous guitar riff.
I was in heaven. Not only did I get to share a few precious hours with my dad, but also the greatest spy on earth. Bond, James Bond.
I loved the action scenes and fights, as well as the exotic locations and cool high-tech gadgets.
At the age of 9, I was ready to join MI6. I would be perfect!
Impact
I heard a statistic years ago that said 1 in 5 of the world’s population had seen at least 1 Bond film and I realised how important they were, not just in cinematic history, but as a small reflection of the Western World’s culture.
It made me think, are the films genuinely representative of how the West sees women? My brain started to hurt; then, I remembered a critical turning point in the franchise.
Two Words: Barbara Broccoli!
Before Barbara Broccoli took over from her father Cubby, the female role within the films was confined mainly to damsel to be rescued or henchwoman.
Please don’t get me wrong, Rosa Klebb and Mayday (played by Grace Jones) were strong women, but for me, most of the others didn’t inspire me as strong female characters.
In came Barbara Broccoli and everything changed. Goldeneye was the first Bond film that had a completely different feel. I am proud that Dame Judi Dench was chosen for the iconic role of ‘M’. She was incredible, and as an adolescent, I was so excited watching this unapologetic, uncompromising, female powerhouse.
Barbara wanted art to reflect life and Judi’s casting was in reponse to the groundbreaking appointment of Stella Rimmington; the first female Director General of MI6. Another strong, successful woman of whom I was in awe.
Finally, I felt that there was a powerful woman that I could aspire to be.
Judy was not the only change. The other key female characters, Xenia Onatop (a violent yet beautiful villainess) and Natalia Simonova (an intelligent, resourceful computer programmer) were also independently capable women, who worked with men, not relied upon them.
Some critics hated the new female domination, but I loved it!
Influence
Ever since Broccoli’s appointment, there has been a plethora of commanding female characters, whose struggles and complexity have driven the action and put Bond through his paces. A change that has both excited me and further galvanised my love of the genre.
Bond movies always represent their era — everything from the fashion and models of cars driven, to the social undertones and political climate.
The evolving role of women throughout the genre has been fascinating. If we contrast the portrayal of women in the earlier films with their modern female counterparts, it is easy to see the more significant role women have today within our society.
The earlier films do depict women as more reliant on men; however, for the most part, they would have been reflective of the social situation.
As a die-hard fan, as much as some of the female protagonists in the earlier films were weak and unrelatable, I still loved watching Bond triumph over evil.
There comes the point where if we over analyse, and take things too seriously, it completely ruins our enjoyment and love of something nostalgic and sentimental.
I will forever be a Bond girl!
