Unfortunately, that progression never really continued past the first few Bond films. Though her first appearance in the film depicted her emerging from the ocean in a bikini with a hunting knife, her character was quick-witted and independent, demonstrating that women of the '60s could be sassy, smart, and have sex appeal. No, 1962), the first real 'Bond girl,' was a fairly dynamic representation of women at the time. For the most part, however, 'Bond girls' are seen, slept with, and rarely heard from again.Īt the time of their inception, 'Bond girls' were considered progressive, a modern reflection of society’s current view of women. Women are one-hit wonders in the Bond series, with a few exceptions like M and Moneypenny. Over the course of the 23 James Bond films, Bond has sex with 55 women.

The films' producers didn't seem to be all that concerned with the portrayal of women in the franchise, except when they were placed on screen to be looked at by the men watching them. Men aspired towards 007’s effortless, unapologetic manliness and sexual prowess, and those men remain the James Bond franchise's target audience. An unwavering pillar of masculinity equipped with witty one-liners, smooth moves, casual misogyny, and a very particular drink order, he was immediately elevated to the status of an icon. While this was based on the sixth novel in Ian Fleming's series, this was the first time audiences had seen Bond brought to the silver screen. No was released in 1962, the world was introduced to Sean Connery’s James Bond. It's only when the films attempt to masquerade themselves as more progressive, heavy dramas (with Craig's Bond) that the misogyny becomes more serious and it all becomes harder to enjoy. The films offer a good time, an escape to simpler stories that don't require too much thought: hero fights villain, takes part in occasionally ludicrous fight scenes, saves the world just in time, and always gets the girl. The overt masculinity can never be taken too seriously, lest the fun is sucked out of viewing them. At the end of the day, misogyny aside, many of them are simply fun movies, especially if you take them with a grain of salt. Bond is quintessentially British, and that’s half his charm he faces off with a series of ridiculous villains, and he has a quirky team of supporters who back him up even when he's been terrible. There’s something delightful about the action sequences, something thrilling about the suspense, something intriguing about this self-involved, brooding character we’ve known for 23 films. But despite all of this, I still find myself enjoying these movies. They're sex objects, eye candy, and plot devices. The disposable nature of women in Bond films is something to which audiences have become accustomed. It might sound naive, but I had never considered that the new Bond films (which mask their misogyny far more stealthily than the older flicks in the franchise) were still treating women like such expendable figures-and now I've become incredibly conscious of it.

While was still largely able to enjoy the remainder of Skyfall, since then, I've been more wary of the Bond franchise. The film had just introduced what had appeared to be a fresh femme fatale, and promptly thrown it all away to use her as a plot device so that Bardem's villain could be introduced. Bond then glibly comments that her demise is merely a 'waste of good scotch.' This was unpalatable, and I could sense it in the shifting of some of my neighbors in the theater. Bond misses, but Silva shoots and kills her. After Bond comes face to face with the film’s villain, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), Sévérine is bound and Bond is challenged to shoot a glass of scotch off her head.

His tryst with supposed-enemy-turned-'Bond girl' Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) seemed pretty in line with Bond’s typical habits, but then, something changed. We all shared collective awe at the stunning opening sequence as Adele's voice soared over the images, laughter at Bond’s witty one-liners, and a clear sense of suspense during the fight sequences. This was an occasion.ĭespite only being a recent convert, I felt as though I was able to take part in the excitement of it all. A group of guys next to us cheerfully snuck Jack Daniels into their Coke cups and toasted to the latest 007 installment, and other patrons close to us-couples and friends, of a vast variety of ages-all shared the excitement, though perhaps sans the whiskey. When my roommate and I settled into our uncomfortable seats on the opening night of Skyfall, we were immediately submerged in the excited chatter of our fellow audience members.

NOTE: This article contains spoilers about Skyfall and Spectre.

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