James Bond 007 and the Name of the Order
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fearless hero, brave to the point of recklessness, and impervious to torture, as
demonstrated in Casino Royale (novel and film), Live and Lei Die (novel and
film), or Tomorrow Never Dies (film and novelization). In Dr. No (novel), in
spite of being at the mercy of the evil Julius No and his murdering “Chigro”
thugs, Bond does not hesitate to insult his adversary: “It’s the same old business
of thinking you’re the King of England or the President of the United State, or
God. The asylums are full of them.. . . Why does sitting shut up in this cell give
you the illusion of power?” (213) This is quite characteristic of Bond’s
interactions with the enemy, for neither Le Chiffre, Mr. Big, nor Drax, Blofeld,
or Scaramanga will prove anymore successful in bullying 007.
In the films, as the narrative structure is reduced to its more functional
elements, James Bond’s courage has been over-emphasized to the point of
caricature and his famous one liners, usually placed after the hero has escaped
life threatening circumstances, further emphasize his ability to overcome
emotional distress a s well as his undefeatable bravery: 007 literally laughs in the
face of death. Even M seems recently unable to intimidate James Bond—
although conceived originally as a “blunt instrument in the hands of the
government”—as shown in License to Kill as well in two more recent
installments, Die Another Day and Casino Royal. In The Man With the Golden
Gun (film), James Bond goes after Scaramanga unofficially but with the full
acknowledgment, if not the blessings of his superior. In the novels and in the
films featuring Connery and Moore as 007, Bond’s interaction with M is that of
an inferior with his superior; James Bond is respectful and compliant, even
when he obviously disagrees with M, as when he is ordered to leave his Beretta
behind to adopt a Walther PPK in Dr. No (novel and film), or when he is
requested to spend a reinvigorating week at the health spa Shrublands in
Thunderball (novel). In License to Kill (film and novelization), however, he
openly disobeys direct orders from M and goes after the villain on his own as a
rogue agent in order to avenge his long time friend, CIA agent, Felix Leiter. In
Die Another Day, the last of the Brosnan installments, James Bond explicitly
reprimands his chief during their meeting in an abandoned underground station:
“Maybe it’s time you let me get along with my job.” In the schematic
representation of a would-be super-hero that James Bond has become lately on
the screen, his courage includes the audacity of transcending the hierarchy of his
own organization, the very reason for his existence in the first place. The latest
installment, Casino Royale follows this trend and presents an open conflict
between M and James Bond, for “young 007” is perceived to be somewhat of a
loose cannon: he refuses to report, breaks into M’s house, and must have a micro
chip locator inserted into his forearm in order for his superior to keep track of
her agent. However, as noted earlier, Casino Royale is meant to be a new
beginning for the franchise, therefore Bond’s opposition to M might be
interpreted simply as a lack of adjustment, not necessarily a determining
feature.7