The Evolution of Bond: Cultural Reflections in Film

Film is one of the many ways the views of our culture are expressed. They depict popular opinions on the roles of men and women, smoking, technology, appearances, and ethics, among other things. The changes through time can easily be seen in the long running James Bond series. Spanning 5o years, it provides a glimpse of society’s changing views over this time period. By comparing the three most well known Bond actors and the differences of how they portray the same character, we can see the evolution of our cultures views. The first six Bond movies starred Sean Connery, who played a cocky, rough, macho Bond. He is considered by many to be the iconic James Bond. The next actor we focused on was Pierce Brosnan, who brought a new level of sophistication and the advancement of technology to the Bond character. This era also introduced female characters as equals to Bond. The newest Bond, as interpreted by Daniel Craig, focuses less on technology and more on destruction. He’s willing to get the job done by any means necessary, in many ways bringing the character full circle. By examining Bond through multiple eras, we are given a clear picture of how we, as a culture has adapted and changed over time.