FILM REVIEW: QUANTUM OF SOLACE

ALAN BARRON

Having just seen the new James Bond film, the `Quantum of Solace’ , I couldn’t help but make a comparison between Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Sean Connery’s original portrayal of the original secret agent, 007. It seemed Craig’s thoroughly modern Bond was a world away from Connery’s swashbuckling hero of the mid 1960s.

The 60s agent was his own man. He was in charge of his universe. He was tall, dark and handsome. The quintessential ‘lady’s man’ whose charisma and sense of humour, swept
countless women off their feet including the lesbian Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. I’m not endorsing every aspect of this fictional character. One of the reasons I believe behind the huge success of the James Bond franchise was that the producer’s and director’s (Albert Broccoli andHarry Saltzman) formulaic depiction of the manly Bond got it right. They portrayed a charismatic character who lived the sort of life us lesser mortals wanted to emulate in some way.

Connery’s Bond lived the glamour life flipping from one exotic location to another unfettered by bureaucratic constraints and personal responsibility. He was indeed the international man of mystery who mastered and possessed all sorts of skills which ensured his success in the high status office of international spy and counter terrorist, and whose wondrous acts not only enthralled audiences by saving the world from some dire threat, but he endeared himself to us because he always got the girl in the end.

Contrast this to director Marc Forster’s Bond in Quantum of Solace. While certainly times have changed, the world men find themselves in today is a far cry from the heady days of the 1960s. Men no longer rule the roost. Our lives at all levels are governed by equal outcomes legislation. The new Bond reflects these changes. Forster’s Bond is sanitised to make him politically correct to modern egalitarian society. Unlike Connery, Daniel Craig has a tough female boss (‘M’ played by Judy Dench), has sensitive feelings, is waxed, a non-smoker, and no longer has time to sweep fair maidens off their feet; but still has his drinks “shaken, not stirred.”

Craig’s Bond is a sensitive new age guy, humourless for the most part, and thoroughly dedicated to his job. He has become a sort of an English version of Bruce Willis, a tough, no frills sort of guy who simply wants to get on and do his job, which for the most part consists of eliminating the enemies of state in one action packed scene after the other. Action scenes make up for his lack of charisma.

The Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli depiction of the manly Connery Bond was much more male affirming than the automaton portrayed by Daniel Craig. While there is much to like about the new Bond, for me the original Bond is the far more attractive character despite his obvious shortcomings.
[Alan Barron is the convenor of the Institute of Men’s Studies]