James Bond the serial killer?

Silhouette Man

Your thoughts on the subject, please.

James Bond as a serial killer?

Discuss, with special referencve to TMWTGG film and NSF Gardner serial killer novel.

Is James Bond a bit of a sicko?

Is he a mass killer?

Discuss.

Sir Miles

Maybe you could start this off first ? That would give people something to riff off...

Silhouette Man

Yes, sorry.

I think in some ways James Bond is a serial killer - an interersting piece in the Independent magazine accused him of such way back in October 2008 (mag writer called him "a bit of a sicko") and the germ of this idea/topic has rather stuck with me ever since. It has the potential to make a very interesting write-up. There is a thuggish element to James Bond the hitman - see TMWTGG novel, FYEO ss, TLD. Then there's the cold-blooded two slayings to earn the Double-O licence to kill in the line of duty status from which Bond becomes the secret agent we all know and love. There is also the element of his not killing in cold blood mentioned in FRWL and TSWLM novels - so its a rather confused picture. Add to this the opening chapter of GF and the death of the Mexican capungo (basically, Bond never liked killing, but he did it professionally and it was a rather inevitable part of his job as a govt. paid trouleshooter) and you've got the guts of a rather fascinating topic. James Bond meets the serial killer novel genre/bandwagon in John Gardner's Never Send Flowers is perhaps not so off-beat as many assumed. In FYEO and TLD ss we see Bond refer to planned assassinations, ratgher interestingly as murder - considering that's how he became a double-O agent - through state-sponsored murder. There's a lot going on beneath the surface with Bond's character in this area and perhaps the newly appointed William Boyd will explore this "unchartered territory" in his new James Bond novel in 2013.

Food for thought there...

Hope to get some riffs from this little lot!

Silhouette Man

Any interest on this one - it's caused a fair deal of debate (heated) over on MI6 Community HQ!

Napoleon Plural

Well, I suppose you could go on how odd it is that his killings can be justified. I mean, it's like that serial killer on US telly, name escapes me, but it's 'ok' cos his victims are horrible. Of course, the death is highly stylised so it's less to be taken seriously, at least in the early days with bowler hats, poison shoes and so on. It's cartoon like.

As I've argued, I don't see Bond as a sniper or assassin much, it's a continuation of a soldier's role but maybe in a more chivalrous context; with mass armies around the late Middle Ages, chivalry fell by the wayside as man-o-man duels died a death in preference to guns and so on. But remember, soldiers could kill in WW2, so killing wasn't seen as so out there, on the other hand the death penalty was very much ongoing for murder, so having a license to kill, well, that afforded a man some kudos.

He's more neocon since Brosnan really, getting involved in taking out suspect regimes whereas before he was more the target of the Russians, it's implied. In the pts he would go after bad guys, wheras before he would be hit upon unexpectedly eg TSWLM, FYEO, MR, OHMSS. Okay there are exceptions come to think, GF, TB, DAF he goes out and gets the bad guys come to think. But it did seem a lot less like political assassination back then.

Silhouette Man

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Well, I suppose you could go on how odd it is that his killings can be justified. I mean, it's like that serial killer on US telly, name escapes me, but it's 'ok' cos his victims are horrible. Of course, the death is highly stylised so it's less to be taken seriously, at least in the early days with bowler hats, poison shoes and so on. It's cartoon like.

As I've argued, I don't see Bond as a sniper or assassin much, it's a continuation of a soldier's role but maybe in a more chivalrous context; with mass armies around the late Middle Ages, chivalry fell by the wayside as man-o-man duels died a death in preference to guns and so on. But remember, soldiers could kill in WW2, so killing wasn't seen as so out there, on the other hand the death penalty was very much ongoing for murder, so having a license to kill, well, that afforded a man some kudos.

He's more neocon since Brosnan really, getting involved in taking out suspect regimes whereas before he was more the target of the Russians, it's implied. In the pts he would go after bad guys, wheras before he would be hit upon unexpectedly eg TSWLM, FYEO, MR, OHMSS. Okay there are exceptions come to think, GF, TB, DAF he goes out and gets the bad guys come to think. But it did seem a lot less like political assassination back then.

Thanks, Mr Plural. Are you referring to Dexter there? Never seen any episodes but I might track it down serial killer styly on DVDVD!

James Suzuki

I've always thought Bond as someone who didn't really like killing, but he did it because he had to.

Silhouette Man

xboy614 wrote:

I've always thought Bond as someone who didn't really like killing, but he did it because he had to.

...which is of course what Fleming had Bond think in the opening chapter of Goldfinger...but you knew that already, right?

James Suzuki

I've come across it in GF and DN

Silhouette Man

xboy614 wrote:

I've come across it in GF and DN

Well, yes, I think you're right, but I just rememberr the GF one better!

James Suzuki

Silhouette Man wrote:

xboy614 wrote:

I've come across it in GF and DN

Well, yes, I think you're right, but I just rememberr the GF one better!

Does that kind of prove that Bond being a serial killer is not true

Silhouette Man

xboy614 wrote:

Silhouette Man wrote:

xboy614 wrote:

I've come across it in GF and DN

Well, yes, I think you're right, but I just rememberr the GF one better!

Does that kind of prove that Bond being a serial killer is not true

Well, I'm playing Devil's Advocate - just saying that it's out there in academia - doesn't mean it's true or not true. That comes down to personal preference/belief, really.

Make of that what you will. -{