I think there's a difference between being racist and generally hateful, and just unknowingly perpetuating certain racial stereotypes at the time.
For example, I don't think it's racist that Goldfinger, Drax, and Scaramanga's servants were Asian/Hispanic rather than white. But I also think those choices were purely coincidence. Choosing a black manservant would be super-controversial, and subject to crazy criticism. But choosing a white manservant would have conveyed a different feeling too.
LALD, particularly, is labeled racist. The more I watch it, the more I realize that it may be goofy and idiotic at times, but it's probably more progressive than most movies of its day and it tried really hard to make their black characters intelligent, strong, fully fleshed. If Kananga were plain buffoonish, that would probably be racist, but he's one of the most intelligent villains in the series.
If you look hard enough and dissect long enough there may be isolated incidents which could be called racist by todays standards but 40-50 years ago these things were normal in everyday life - a time when people were able to laugh at themselves and have banter with each other.
My wife, who is Asian, loves TMWTGG especially JW Pepper and finds him hilarious and it is very high on her best Bond list whereas in my list it ranks close to last due to being a weak entry.
If anyone finds Bond films racist they truly do not know the meaning of the word - there are many films out there dealing seriously with the subject of racism and the abhorrent acts against people of all races, Bond films are escapist fun, let them stay that way.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Casual racism and sexism was part of the era in which the earlier Bond films were made. They don't strike me as being more racist than what would have been usual for films at the time; certainly I don't detect any hatred.
It's just something we have to accept; literature and films of an earlier period reflect the society they were made in, many aspects of which may be unpleasant or certain elements (Bond dressing up as a Japanese man) that we now find distasteful but for the times in which it was made, these things wouldn't have been culturally unacceptable.
This reminds me of a line from The Go-Between: "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."
It's been heavily discussed there, and I'd suggest a read through these may be of interest. For my part, the much slated "fetch my shoes" line from DN doesn't suggest Bond is a racist- as a member called Conduit Cut pointed out some years ago, Bond is curt and borderline rude to many people in DN (eg the police superintendent, Prof Dent) irrespective of race.
It comes across better in the books, but Bond and Quarrel genuinely like each other and have mutual respect. Quarrel is one of Fleming's warmest characters, at least on par with FRWL's Kerim.
Of course, there are many other lines and sections from the novels that paint Bond/Fleming's views in a less flattering light (LALD in particular, but there are other examples) and some of these are indefensible... but that belongs in one of the threads quoted above.
IMO, the early to mid 60's Bond films were reflections of their times. Dr. No was released in '62 and while it was a trailblazer in its portrayal of violence and sex in a mainstream film, it still had one foot in the 50's with regards to race and culture. While Quarrel is certainly liked, valued and respected by Bond, his fear and superstition would be seen as stereotypical by more modern standards.
One of the great weaknesses of LALD IMO, is its co-opting of the "Blaxploitation" films of that era. There's just something really uncomfortable and creepy about it, sort of like your drunken Uncle saying something inappropriate and/or racist at the holiday dinner. The Blaxploitation films created their own new stereotypes, but didn't come off as racist because the heroes were Black and the bad guys usually a mix of Whites and Blacks unlike LALD were the hero was White (and European) and all the bad guys, Black.
A racist holdover moment: In '73 I played the track "Baron Samedi's dance of death" (which I loved) on LP for my Uncle who responded "It's a bunch of ni**ers beating drums." I instantly wrote him off as an A-hole. 8-)
Comments
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Bond is simply and officer, but no gentleman.
Makes me wonder who ever came up with the stupid idea that James Bond is a nice man? :v
For example, I don't think it's racist that Goldfinger, Drax, and Scaramanga's servants were Asian/Hispanic rather than white. But I also think those choices were purely coincidence. Choosing a black manservant would be super-controversial, and subject to crazy criticism. But choosing a white manservant would have conveyed a different feeling too.
LALD, particularly, is labeled racist. The more I watch it, the more I realize that it may be goofy and idiotic at times, but it's probably more progressive than most movies of its day and it tried really hard to make their black characters intelligent, strong, fully fleshed. If Kananga were plain buffoonish, that would probably be racist, but he's one of the most intelligent villains in the series.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
• what a stupid and redundant theme to discuss
• are some people Bond fans or rather critics
no offense to anyone but come on ?:)
If you look hard enough and dissect long enough there may be isolated incidents which could be called racist by todays standards but 40-50 years ago these things were normal in everyday life - a time when people were able to laugh at themselves and have banter with each other.
My wife, who is Asian, loves TMWTGG especially JW Pepper and finds him hilarious and it is very high on her best Bond list whereas in my list it ranks close to last due to being a weak entry.
If anyone finds Bond films racist they truly do not know the meaning of the word - there are many films out there dealing seriously with the subject of racism and the abhorrent acts against people of all races, Bond films are escapist fun, let them stay that way.
It's just something we have to accept; literature and films of an earlier period reflect the society they were made in, many aspects of which may be unpleasant or certain elements (Bond dressing up as a Japanese man) that we now find distasteful but for the times in which it was made, these things wouldn't have been culturally unacceptable.
This reminds me of a line from The Go-Between: "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."
I think it's possible to have a reasonable discussion without resorting to "THIS IS RACIST!!!!!!!!" or "STOP TALKING THIS PC CRAP!!!".
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/33256/the-racism-in-bond/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/40883/ian-fleming-casual-racism/
http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/29780/ian-fleming-racism/
It's been heavily discussed there, and I'd suggest a read through these may be of interest. For my part, the much slated "fetch my shoes" line from DN doesn't suggest Bond is a racist- as a member called Conduit Cut pointed out some years ago, Bond is curt and borderline rude to many people in DN (eg the police superintendent, Prof Dent) irrespective of race.
It comes across better in the books, but Bond and Quarrel genuinely like each other and have mutual respect. Quarrel is one of Fleming's warmest characters, at least on par with FRWL's Kerim.
Of course, there are many other lines and sections from the novels that paint Bond/Fleming's views in a less flattering light (LALD in particular, but there are other examples) and some of these are indefensible... but that belongs in one of the threads quoted above.
One of the great weaknesses of LALD IMO, is its co-opting of the "Blaxploitation" films of that era. There's just something really uncomfortable and creepy about it, sort of like your drunken Uncle saying something inappropriate and/or racist at the holiday dinner. The Blaxploitation films created their own new stereotypes, but didn't come off as racist because the heroes were Black and the bad guys usually a mix of Whites and Blacks unlike LALD were the hero was White (and European) and all the bad guys, Black.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS