What explains James Bond’s enduring legacy?

'The name is Bond, James Bond,' first heard six decades ago, is reverberating again. The actors mouthing the famous line have changed over the years, but that the phrase has retained its magic and machismo is evident
with the huge success of the 25th and possibly the concluding episode — No Time To Die.

What makes Bond so enduring? Perhaps his ability to connect with the present and evolve with the changing times. Yes, the Bond movies have always been ahead of their times since the first installment ‘Dr No’ in 1962, but not so far ahead that they resemble science fiction.

The slick and suave British spy, who seduces women with just a charming smile in one scene and foils dangerous coups at an exotic location in the very next, may appear unreal, but he is more believable than the superheroes in other action franchises like ‘Fast and Furious’.

For Bangaloreans of the 1970s and ‘80s, a Bond release was part of a celebration as it used to coincide with Deepavali. Sadly, Lido and Plaza, two landmark theatres that used to show Bond films, are now just a part of nostalgia.

This writer vividly remembers being part of an extended family watching the 6.30 pm show of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977) at Lido and going for a drive-in dinner at Udyavan on MG Road.

The other factor that binds generations with the franchise is the ease with which they can relate to its films of different eras. For example, a father and son, or any two individuals of different generations, can compare and contrast their favourite Bond movies with ease while they might have rigidly divergent views on other classics and, therefore, no common ground to debate.

Bond movies have also held their own even with the advent of new genres, new techniques and a new generation of filmmakers. Similarly, almost all Bond actors are synonymous with the character — right from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig. Connery was suave and stylish, Roger Moore absolutely romantic, Pierce Brosnan a favourite of the Millennials, and Craig, with his rough and rugged looks, the ultimate Bond.

Bond’s fondness for vodka martini, his favourite car (Aston Martin, which incredibly becomes a submarine), his choicest gadgets, including a pen which turns into a poison dispenser, are subjects for endless discussions as are his quirky lines. “Do you mind if my friend sits this one out? She’s just dead,” from ‘Thunderball’ (1965) is one of this writer’s favourites.

Bond has been a thorough entertainer and survived the test of time and changing tastes and, of course, the pandemic and charges of misogyny (‘blatant objectification of women’ is the common complaint).

The future of the franchise may be uncertain, but Bond continues to spark speculation — will the next Bond be a black or a woman? Or both?

Named after an American ornithologist, James Bond, with a code number 007 and pronounced double-O-7, has indeed come a long way.

(The writer is a Bengaluru-based freelancer).