Presenters
Abstract
As arguably one of the widest-reaching, longest-standing and most influential film franchises of our time, it is important to interrogate the James Bond series and the ideas it conveys to audiences. Of particular interest to me is the representation of James Bond as a British hero: the construction of his character in the context of national identity and the implications for this portrayal. As the contemporary Bond, Daniel Craig’s inaugural interpretation of the role, in Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006), had scholars claiming ‘Bond is now a global, hybrid composite with a dominant strain of American’ (Goggin and Glas, 2009: 73). However, in Craig’s most recent outing as Bond, Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015), his character feels decidedly different and reminiscent of the quintessentially British hero defined by the older films of the series. This leads to several questions: How has the representation of Bond differed throughout Daniel Craig’s tenure? What does this mean in the context of the character’s national identity? What might be the influences on and implications for these shifting representations? This paper will attempt to answer these questions through close analysis of Craig’s portrayal of Bond, particularly in Casino Royale and Spectre, and through reference to relevant literature on this subject.