Popular Geopolitics in Motion Pictures: A Study of Selected James Bond Movies on their Representation of the Cold War

Abstract

Since its inception in 1962, James Bond is the longest running and most commercially successful cinematic franchise of all time. At its surface, James Bond or “007” is a popular Western pop icon. At a deeper level however, there are meaningful undercurrents, themes, symbols, and messages that operate as popular geopolitics. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the Cold War as presented in the Bond films. It discusses how each film can be connected to contemporary world events; how Bond acknowledges other states; how British, American and Russian identities are presented in the viewpoint of the West; and the how Communism and Espionage are symbolized in the movies. The study is based on the detailed examination of six James Bond movies, namely From Russia with Love (1963), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Octopussy (1983), and The Living Daylights (1987). They were compared and contrasted for visual and textual representations of the Cold War. The critical conversation revolves around the extent to which the selected James Bond movies have been influenced by Cold War politics. The importance of studying geopolitical images and themes of Bond movies rests in their capability of influencing mass audiences and functioning as propaganda. The paper concludes that the Bond movies draw people’s attention to the social insecurities of the era before ultimately reinforcing the message that the West and its allies will prevail against any threat to security