Ever since his creation by Ian Fleming, James Bond has become an iconic character who set the standard for all fictional spies and secret agents to measure up to. To this day, mostly thanks to his popular series of films, Bond’s legacy is so deeply ingrained in Western culture that he is still been recognised as a model of a “badass gentleman” and a symbol of “true manliness”. Now, more than 50 years since the first Bond movie, is the James Bond ideal of masculinity still holding up as well as before? In order to answer this question, this essay will examine the theme of masculinity in the 2012 Bond movie Skyfall. The film starts with Bond and his female sidekick Eve chasing a mercenary named Patrice, who stole a hard drive containing the list …show more content…
of every undercover MI6 agent throughout the world. During the pursuit, Bond is accidentally shot by Eve and presumed dead, causing Patrice to escape with the hard drive. Three months later, MI6’s building and its agents are being attacked by a mysterious man with a vendetta. Bond, who survived the shot and lived in hiding, returns to London after learning about MI6’s situation. M, the head of MI6, sends Bond to Shanghai to investigate Patrice’s background and to assassinate him. Bond defeats Patrice and is noticed by Sévérine, another henchwoman for Patrice’s boss. Bond and Sévérine go to the private island of her boss Silva, who turns out to be an ex-agent for MI6 and the mastermind behind the attacks. Sévérine is killed, but Bond manages to capture Silva with the help of MI6. After being transferred to London, Silva escapes captivity and attempts to attack M. Bond and M drive to Skyfall, Bond’s childhood home, to prepare for Silva’s revenge. During the final confrontation, Silva is killed by Bond, but M is injured and later succumbs to her wounds. Within the first minute, the movie loses no time to reveal Bond’s stoicism and aggressiveness: Bond comes out of a shadow, shows a severe stare, then points a gun without saying a single word.
Throughout the movie, Bond’s character manages to embody every paradigms of masculinity. Indeed, Bond manifests his Stoicism and Independence by displaying a semi-permanent stern and smug facial expression and impressing men and women alike with his composure and level-headedness. He also works largely on his own, is unreserved and shows resistance to authority, going as far as calling M “bitch” when he was displeased with her. Status and Achievement is another paradigm that suits Bond well, as he is considered the most famous and competent agent of MI6, having achieved this status after years of hard work. He wears nothing but dapper suits for his job, which look imposing but are highly impractical. The car he and M used to escape to Skyfall is so luxurious that M commented ironically on its “inconspicuousness”. Furthermore, Bond displays Adventurousness and Aggressiveness as him committing manslaughter for his job generally does not result in any negative consequence for him. His discreet aggressiveness is shown as Bond fights his enemies head-on with a weapon or in close quarters combat, even if his body cannot take a beating as well as before. Finally, Anti-Femininity is represented through Bond’s constant stoicism and his lack of openness about his feelings, since he prefers to deal with them by making snarky comments like in M’s case. Likewise, his womanising skills are still sharp as he seduces and has sex with no less than two women in the movie, one of them being an ex-child sex
slave. However, though Bond’s idealistic masculinity is mostly shown as badass and enviable, the movie does have moment when this masculinity is somewhat criticised or humanised. Many characters have described Bond as “old-fashioned”, and a character named Mallory even suggested that he should retire since “[Field work] is a young man’s game”. This kind of reaction, which is rather unusual for a Bond movie, suggests that although Bond represents a model of masculinity popular in the past, he might not withstand for long anymore. Additionally, after years of receiving gunshots and performing stunts, Bond’s body is “in shambles” and much less tough than before, causing Bond to be less competent at his job (e. g. failing to capture Patrice on both occasions) and requiring external aid from Eve. Due to this, he regularly consumes painkillers and alcohol, and is implied to be addicted to them. Bond’s problem is very similar to what real life athletes may face after their retirement, as their old violent lifestyle has worn out their body. Additionally, though Bond maintains a poker face during most of the movie, he openly displays emotions upon M’s death, when he breaks down and starts crying, showing that even “real men” have to burst into tears sometimes. Other than through Bond’s representation, other characters also serve to reinforce the hegemonic masculinity present in the film catered toward white, young, smart, good-looking and heterosexual men. First off, the Caucasian race is the more represented than another race in the movie, as most of the important characters are white. People of colour are the sexualised sidekick, the ruthless villain, or nameless minor or background characters (like Sévérine’s Chinese bodyguards) that often end up defeated by Bond. Additionally, if Bond has being called out as “out-of-date” by various characters, the new Quartermaster (Q) represents a more contemporary “nerdy” masculinity. He is a young adult sporting glasses and a much less formal outfit than Bond. While he shows amazing intelligence and wit, he lacks the courage of a “real man”, as he is afraid of flight. The fact that he and Bond judge each other because of their different age displays how the notion of masculinity changes from generation to generation, creating a sort of “masculinity gap”. Furthermore, since the only character who displays more overt hints of homosexuality is the villain Silva, the movie sends an indirect message that homosexuality is unvirtuous compared to heterosexuality. Also, despite being a woman, M is very much a masculine-coded character, due to her frequent display of the first, second and third paradigms. As the leader of MI6, M is unapologetic about her actions and believes that “Regret in unprofessional”. Her frowny face is more prominent than Bond’s and she often denies having any affection for her agents. In short, as a woman in a position of power, she is portrayed with masculine characteristics which are considered normative for a leader. Another way to examine the presentation of masculinity in Skyfall is to compare its treatment of male and female characters, which reveals to be much more favourable toward men. Notably, there are twice as many named male characters (Bond, Tanner, Mallory, Patrice, Q, Silva, and Kincaid) as named female characters (M, Eve, and Sévérine). Similarly, women are much more disposable than men, as Silva mercilessly kills Sévérine when she outlived her usefulness, but didn’t shoot Kincaid when he disrupted Silva on his way to shoot M. Therefore, a woman’s life is less important than men’s in the movie. James Bond’s trademark womanising prowess is also thoroughly displayed in the movie: the first time he is seen after his apparent death, he is having sex with an unnamed woman who is never seen again, emphasising women’s disposableness. Bond also tries to undress Eve without her previous consent and though she stops him, she doesn’t seem to be displeased by his sexual aggression. Bond’s worst sexual offense in the movie might him sneaking up to Sévérine showering and starts to caress her when she wasn’t expecting him. She responds by promptly and enthusiastically having sex with him. Not only is this scene very close to rape since Bond basically starts to molest Sévérine when she is defenceless, but the situation portrays Sévérine, an ex-child-slave nonetheless, as an eye candy and a prize for Bond after he manages to defeat his enemies, reinforcing the dominance of Bond over women. Lastly, by the end of the movie, most important men (Bond, Tanner, Mallory and Q) get to keep or return to their status quo, while the important women are either dead (M and Sévérine) or decide to step down from their position (Eve). Thus, men come out of the situation in a better position than women, which again shows the importance of men over women. In conclusion, the old Bond masculinity is portrayed in Skyfall as antiquated and falling out of favour. Even so, though Skyfall makes an attempt at criticising and deconstructing the traditional Bond ideal of manhood, it is not devoid of gender-coding and glorifying the hegemonic masculinity of white, heterosexual and privileged men. In future James Bond films, in order to truly deconstruct the problematic nature of Bond, the representation of women, people of colour, non-heterosexual characters, etc. and of the repercussions of Bond’s killings need to be improved. Some ways to achieve this goal would be to add female characters that resist his charm and don’t end up sleeping with him, make Bond realise the consequences of his violence, etc.
Both Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler and Population: 485 by Michael Perry explore ideas of masculinity and manhood, but I think Butler shares a more diverse representation of masculinity through his different characters. What it means to be a man The concept of masculinity is considered as the qualities and characteristics of a man, typical of what is appropriate to a man. In this article, A Community Psychology of Men and Masculinity: Historical and Conceptual Review, the authors Eric S. Mankowski and Kenneth I. Maton, analyze four main themes: "Men as gendered beings, the privilege and damage of being a masculine man, men as a privileged group, and men’s power and subjective powerlessness. " The second and fourth themes are described as paradoxes that have created difficulty in efforts to analyze and understand men’s gender and masculinity." However, the point of view of masculinity that Perry raises in population 485 has a different aspect.
“The Other Wes Moore” By Wes Moore, reveals how two men can develop differently in the same social environment, and yet and have different intrapersonal views. The two men grew up in the same impoverished city, yet both have different experiences and views of what it means to be a man. The other Wes Moore, living his whole life in a poverty-stricken society, believes that being a man means to be powerful and unforgiving. The author, Wes Moore, living in two different worlds, views himself as a man when he becomes an exceptional leader and responsible for others lives. These concepts both tie into the constructs of masculinity in the United States where men are supposed to be protectors of society. The two Wes’ notions of manhood derive from
In the novel the Maltese Falcon, the main theme in the play is the masculinity attributes of the piece. In this particular work, there are key characters that from their basis, one comprehends how this author views what masculinity should look like. Masculinity comes to symbolize both strong heroic operate mannerism while expounding on the costs incurred through achievement of this theme in the Maltese Falcon (Huston et al., 45).
The figure of the ‘new lad’ has been a feature of popular culture in the United Kingdom, United States, and elsewhere since the early 1990s. In the book, The Trouble with Men: Masculinities in European and Hollywood Cinema, the author relates to Nick Hornby’s, a screenwriter and English novelist, thoughts on lads. He states that there are two versions of the modern male that have anxieties between the two main constructions of contemporary masculinity: New man and New Lad (Phil Powrie 2004, pp.84). By the start of the twentieth century, the word ‘masculinity’ was always associated with the word ‘crisis’; this is now portrayed in ‘lad flicks’. Masculinity is the central object of contemporary ‘lad flicks’; they combine different genre elements to focus specifically on difficulties that face contemporary masculinity. The male characters in these films...
In the classical Western and Noir films, narrative is driven by the action of a male protagonist towards a clearly defined, relatable goal. Any lack of motivation or action on the part of the protagonist problematizes the classical association between masculinity and action. Due to inherent genre expectations, this crisis of action is equivalent to a crisis of masculinity. Because these genres are structured around male action, the crises of action and masculinity impose a crisis of genre. In the absence of traditional narrative elements and character tropes, these films can only identify as members of their genres through saturation with otherwise empty genre symbols. The equivalency between the crises of genre and masculinity frames this symbol saturation as a sort of compensatory masculine posturing.
Examining different scenarios, such as toy proportions, outlook from inmates in jail, and the ideas portrayed of what the ideal man consist from the viewpoint of man, the movie depicts these things to show how pop culture, social constructs, and masculine identities influence their opinions. Consequently, men believe they can gain respect and admiration from others from their use of violence and threats. Katz asked inmates about their ideology of masculinity; they said that masculinity is about having power and respect. Furthermore, they showed concerned about what the other inmates thought of them and their masculinity. Boys and men have to carefully shape their persona to fit the ideal standard of masculinity, no matter the cost. Katz and Earp break down the social constructs of masculinity by looking at the ideas of the “ideal man,” violence leading to masculinity, and degradation of masculinity by attacking individuals with the notion that they are acting
It is disgraceful. What comes to mind when you think of the conception of an all-white male hero? James Bond, Gladiator, Ethan Hunt- heroic, handsome, humble- all abide to the conventional norms. Conveyed in every Bond film, Bond is seen as an overbearing, dominant male figure while in comparison to his female counterparts who are on the other hand, frivolous and submissive. Ironically, Austin Powers is the opposite; there’s no other way to say it. He’s hideous and brainless. Myers effectively spoofs these perceptions through the satirical technique of reversal, flipping the script in an attempt to objectify men for a sense of balance. This provides a refreshing depiction contrary to the influx of stereotypical male movies. Drenched throughout the movie with cat calls, these sexual taunts help expose the un-canniness of sexism; providing a unique and humorous way to acknowledge the absurdity of men’s’ attitudes towards women. The reversal of roles conveys discourse on Bond’s treatment of women, as Powers himself is a lead without a speck of masculinity that is so aptly evident in the Bond films. Myers delves into the spectrum of caricature in the likes of fat bastard- monstrous, morbidly obese, miserable- which is a powerful use of exaggeration to influence the audience to see him as an abominable depiction of a male. In comparison, the diminution of the tiny Mini-me, a one-eight sized clone further illustrates the bizarre and grotesque nature of men that we have become so unaccustomed to see in films. This is important as it further diminishes the role of men in the film, thus placing more attention towards the female characters. The ridiculous colloquialism of, “get in my belly!” is a typical representation of burlesque which aids in depicting men as very un-attractive
Masculinity is described as possession of attributes considered typical of a man. Hegemonic masculinity is a form of masculine character with cultural idealism and emphasis that connects masculinity to competitiveness, toughness, and women subordination. Masculinity hegemonic is the enforcement of male dominion over a society. Masculine ideology dates back to the time of agrarian and the industrial revolution in Europe when survival compelled men to leave their homesteads to work in industries to earn a living for their families while women remained at home to take care of family affairs (Good and Sherrod 210). Women did not work in industries then because industrial labor was considered too physical beyond their capacity. This led to definition of roles which placated the position of men in a society while condemning women as mere subordinates who cannot do without men. The critics of gender stereotypes in America describe the following five hegemonic features of masculinity: frontiersman ship, heterosexuality, occupational achievement, familial patriarchy, and physical force and control (Trujillo 4). The advent of the 20th century led to sweeping changes in American masculinity.
A prominent theme in William Shakespeare’s novel Macbeth is the idea of universal masculinity. Throughout the play, Shakespeare utilizes male gender stereotypes to present conflicting views on the definition of manhood. Macbeth tells the reader about a man who allows both societal pressures inflicted upon him by his wife and his intense ambition to drag Macbeth into a spiral of committing obscene acts of violence. Characters often associate being a man with courage, cruelty and power. This pervading caricature of a “man” is evident to the reader throughout the play. Lady Macbeth, for instance, goads Macbeth about his masculinity to the point of murder. Additionally, Malcolm and Macduff’s rigid discussion on revenge reveals a defined notion of “true” masculinity. Perhaps the culmination of rigid gender stereotypes is evident in Macbeth's pondering of the legitimacy of the hired murderers' manhood. Clearly, Shakespeare upholds male gender stereotypes throughout Macbeth.
Ian Fleming published his first novel, Casino Royale, in 1953. Later on, in 2006 a film was made based on the novel. Fleming published his novel pertaining a man, James Bond, who is a British secret agent and is licensed to kill. Bond is told to gamble with Le Chiffre, who is a member of the Russian secret service. James Bond is assigned a female partner, Vesper Lynd, who is actually a double agent for Russia and Great Britain. Throughout Casino Royale, James Bond is brought to the readers as very hard and insensitive. Whereas the film in 2006, Bond is brought to the film watchers as sensitive and caring. Men in the 1950’s society treat women than in today’s society. A lady should be treated with respect and given dignity. Men should
Throughout history, time has created and shaped the ideal type of men, while society chooses what it means to be a real man..The ideal real men needed to be strong, provider of his family, decision maker, economically, educationally, physically, and politically dominant (Myers). The difference between the masculinity of the 20th century and the 21st has changed significantly. The ideal men status in 1900’s was rich, educated, powerful, and successful. In today’s perspectives, men needs to be strong, tall, handsome, capable, and unemotional. The contrast of these two centuries are mostly about men’s social status and appearances. Before, it was all about what a man is capable of doing and how powerful he could be compared to today’s ideal,
Before we go any further lets divide the Bond Movies in four significant patterns. First wave of Bond movies shall belong to time period of Sean Connery. The second wave shall belong to Roger Moore. Third wave belongs to Pierce Brosnan and lastly the fourth and the recent wave belongs to Daniel Craig. I have not included Timothy Dalton’s contribution as James Bond since he can only be credited for two Bond movies which were not even as famous as the above four Bonds’. George Lazenby’s movie stands alone as an exception and his movie is discussed in detail.
Masculinity refers to the social roles, behaviors, and meanings prescribed for men in any given society at any one time. As such, it emphasizes gender, not biological sex, and the diversity of identities among different groups of men. Although we experience gender to be an internal facet of identity, the concept of masculinity is produced within the institutions of society and through our daily interactions.
Masculinity is a subject that has been debated in our society for quite some time. Many wonder what it means to be masculine, as it is difficult to define this one –sided term. Pairing this already controversial term with “feminist studies” can bring about some thought - provoking conversation. Feminist studies of men have been around for many years with regards to the feminist movement. It seeks to create gradual improvements to society through its main principle of modifying the ways in which everyone views what it means to be a man. Feminist studies of men bring forth the discussion of hegemonic masculinity; how this contributes to the gender hierarchy, the radicalized glass escalator and ultimately the faults of this theory.
In Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth‚ the theme of masculinity is explored. As Macbeth matures‚ there are times when his masculinity is put to the test, mostly after the murder of Duncan. There are four main themes in which masculinity is presented in the play.