Dylan Smith

"How James Bond Movies Enhance and Reflect American Fears about Russia"

James Bond is not only an action-packed and entertaining spy-thriller series but a device used to emphasize American perspectives towards Russia and Russians. The fictional universe, created by British writer Ian Fleming, puts the cunning, quick thinking, and suave super-spy hero James Bond against the world’s biggest threats. The American obsession with Bond movies, along with the Russian villains and historically relevant plots, allows Bond directors to create images of Russia and Russians, either accurate or inaccurate, for the American audience to see.

Two movies that involve and emphasize Russian characters and plots are GoldenEye (1995) and No Time to Die (2021). In GoldenEye, super-terriost Alec Trevelyan, a Cossack who attempts to gain power and money by using the goldeneye weapon, exhibits traditional Russian villain tropes such as his ruthless and cunning nature along with his treacherous backstory. Xenia Onatopp, the other Russian villain in the film, attempts to help Alec by killing and seducing powerful people, including an attempt on James Bond. Similarly, No Time to Die shows many of the same characteristics of these villains and is influenced by current events relating to Russia. In this film, Lyustifer Safin, a Russian terrorist obsessed with poisoning enemies, outwits Bond many times kills innocent people with ruthless intent. His relationship with poison can also be explained by the current Russian government’s use of poison on political enemies such as Ukrainian pro-western president Viktor Yushchenko and Alexei Navalny. The movie also shows a cowardly Russian scientist who only values his life and his work. The scientist consistently saves his life at the expense of others and continues to create a bio-weapon even though it could kill millions. He also fits a stereotype of a goofy Russian scientist because he is clumsy and only speaks English with a thick accent.

Both films portray the Russian characters as either smart, scheming and ruthless superterrorists, or dorky and cowardly scientists and hackers, reflecting American perspectives towards Russia at the times the films were produced. The films also emphasize plots that mimic historic/current events such as Russian government poisonings in No Time to Die and powerful Russian crime organizations gaining power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Analyzing the two films together not only shows how Russians are depicted in American popular culture but also how they could enhance or create new or existing fears Americans might have towards Russians.