Tuesday, October 12, 2021
James Bond hasn't changed much, and neither have his problematic villains after 25 films
Salon.com: In many ways, Daniel Craig's Bond swan song "No Time to Die" delivers everything fans have come to expect from the franchise: thrilling action sequences, beautiful women, snappy one-liners . . . and a disfigured villain.
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I know absolutely nothing about the James Bond franchise. I know known of these characters, so I had no prior knowledge of the villains that the article claims are problematic. However, I know that in film, villains often typecasted/play into stereotypes of oppressed groups. I often think about this only in terms of race or religion, but this article points something out that I never noticed. Most villains have scars or another physical disability, which then links deformity to evilness. And this is INCREDIBLY common! It is almost hard for me to think of a villain that doesn't in some way not present as traditionally able bodied. It is equally as upsetting to think about why villains are given these traits, and what they reveal about how we view those with physical disabilities. I am not going into writing, but this is an article / topic I believe all writers should think about.
Jen Campbell is right, many people including myself don’t think about the impact of how facial deformity is utilized in media. There aren’t really superheroes that have facial deformities. Heroes are portrayed as perfect, beautiful, handsome, hot, and a lot of other positive traits. Villains are left to be victims of their deformities and flaws (heroes have flaws too, but we are typically more concerned with their rippling muscles and sculpted facial features than thinking about their inner demons) I respect opinions on both sides of the matter (the matter being how deformity should be utilized in storytelling and how it affects the audiences watching) I do like the closing statement of “It’s high time that the franchise realize that someone doesn’t necessarily have to look physically “perfect” to be heroic” but then at the same time is it really James Bond (and the Bond girls) if it isn’t about appearance? Sometimes isn’t it just better to make something new? Move on to a different franchise if you dislike what this franchise stands for? It is admirable to want to change something (if you feel that it will make the world better) but instead of looking to destroy or diminish the franchise how about we create new ones that stand for the change we want to see in the world?
I wondered when people were going to start calling out the James Bond films. I have a feeling that perhaps people have always been calling them out for one thing or another, but because it was so loved by the general population, they weren’t heard out in the way they should have. The series has had decades to change its ways so its very disappointing to see that not much has changed; particularly when it comes to their villains. The quote in the article about how screen villains are linked to deformity, disfigurements, and disability and how this is a tired old trope that causes nothing but harm and perpetuates stereotypes is true. If the writers of James Bond can’t create new villains then maybe they shouldn’t continue the series. I understand that some growth has happened in the series since the 50s, but more updates and considerations need to be taken moving forward.
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