Previous Debate: Are you in favour of Craig staying on as Bond?

James Bond is not particularly important artistically, but from a sociocultural standpoint it is extremely important. Its longevity alone should tell you that.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

James Bond is not particularly important artistically, but from a sociocultural standpoint it is extremely important. Its longevity alone should tell you that.

He's there, he exists in the sociocultural context since '53, that's true. But that doesn't necessarily mean he's important as such. I always saw film Bond (and to some extent lit Bond) more as a canvas that picked up the topical themes, whatever they happened to be at the moment. Bond himself doesn't set these themes, isn't avant-garde any more, at least not since the days of YOLT and OHMSS. But he doesn't need to be to succeed as plain entertainment. People came to see the early films because the used to be THE BIG THING in the 60's. But they also came in droves when the novelty of the whole affair had worn off decidedly.

Also film Bond from the beginning went beyond the cold war limitations and didn't reduce itself to that scenario. It's important to remember that the sociocultural relevance of the cold war - of course a huge influence for audiences of the day - for Bond is only a random and temporary circumstance; he would have worked just as well with any other backdrop. Bond's heritage goes back to the works of Buchan, Sapper, Ambler, Wheatley, Rohmer, Chandler, Hammet and probably a dozen others. Had Fleming started his writing career twenty years earlier Bond would have prevented the Nazis from taking over Germany; had he begun twenty years later Bond would have battled oil sheikhs and cars from Japan. Bond as the archetype hero is timeless, that's why he's still around. Bond as the cold war hero was at the focus of a generation of readers, but that never really made it on the screen.

Audiences didn't make Bond the 60's icon because he fit their political makeup. People loved Bond because his philosophy was far more universal, a general enjoyment of life and gusto for the pleasures it had to offer. Film Bond is the consumerist manifesto of the post-war world and that was what made men want to be Bond and women to be with him. The preaching has become a bit worn-out but it's still going strong. I don't see anything that could change this in the forseeable future.

"Audiences didn't make Bond the 60's icon because he fit their political makeup. People loved Bond because his philosophy was far more universal, a general enjoyment of life and gusto for the pleasures it had to offer."

And that is precisely why Bond is so important. Bond is timeless. And Bond is timeless because he's spliced from the taproot of human nature. Fleming's genius--and to a lesser extent, that of his his filmic epigoni as well--was his grasp of human nature as manifested by James Bond and the world he inhabited. And the ability to grasp human nature and recapitulate it on paper and on film is the essential hallmark of literary genius. The opus magnum of a genius is, perforce, socioculturally important.

Alright folks, any ideas for the next debate?

Not bad, fully 24% voted Craig be gone, by no later then after the next film. I sense a movement.

Have I mentioned that I might be, not only one of the few to have actually seen Dream House, but also among the few who actually liked it, and who might watch it again on blu-ray. That officially makes me not a Craig-hater.

Sharky wrote:

Alright folks, any ideas for the next debate?

tiffanywint wrote:

Not bad, fully 24% voted Craig be gone, by no later then after the next film. I sense a movement.

Have I mentioned that I might be, not only one of the few to have actually seen Dream House, but also among the few who actually liked it, and who might watch it again on blu-ray. That officially makes me not a Craig-hater.

I shan't ashk you politely next time.

I think I have an idea.

Sharky wrote:

I shan't ashk you politely next time.

Sorry, mulling ideas, but I see M has one :idea:



(She should hit him back. Asshole!):x