Psycho Analyzing Daniel Craig’s James Bond

Comments

• chrisno1 LondonPosts: 3,598MI6 Agent

  October 2022

  To quote Daniel Craig in Skyfall "Good luck with that."
• caractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 4,108MI6 Agent

  October 2022

  well my first thought on this topic is you better learn the correct spelling of Psycho Anal before you deliver your thesis!

  
  

  Seriously its an interesting topic. A lot of folks here dislike the traumatic backstory aspect of the last five movies, but really if you're going to analyse them at all that's the obvious angle. I'm sure if you search the forum you'll find lots has already been written.

  Short answer would be: Craig's Bond is the by far most psychologically damaged of all the Bonds, and each adventure seems to give him new experiences to traumatize him further, plus all the backstory that keeps getting revealed

  and he's the only (cinematic) Bond who sees a psychiatrist*, albeit in the romantic sense. and she's not just his girlfriend, but also someone who is just as traumatised as he is! Why is the only person he can get close to a "daughter of SPECTRE"?

  if I were you, I would start with the conversation between Bond and Vesper on the train and work forward from there.

  
  

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  *was Dr Molony a psychiatrist in the books? I've forgotten his exact job title, but he did give psychiatric type advice in at least two books
• QuantumofSolange UKPosts: 133MI6 Agent

  October 2022

  If I were you, I'd type out analysis in full.

  Here's Dr Tobias Funke to explain the pitfalls of the shorthand for analysis/analyst:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bmk-WrYJKc

  Yes but my martini's still dry.
• Shady Tree London, UKPosts: 2,998MI6 Agent

  January 18 edited January 18

  In SF an allusion to Bunuel invites a psychoanalytic reading of the sadomasochistic dynamics between key characters. When Bond and Silva take turns to shoot duelling pistols in the direction of Severine (with Bond aiming to miss) this nods to a scene in 'Belle De Jour' (1967) in which Catherine Deneuve's character, of the same name, fantasises about being shot in the head while tied to a tree, during a duel between her husband Serizy and antagonist Husson: they suddenly turn their pistols on her. I watched 'Belle De Jour' recently for the first time in many years and spotted this connection with SF. It did occur to me that it was slightly pretentious of Bond to be referencing Bunuel.

  Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.
• Barbel ScotlandPosts: 37,856Chief of Staff

  January 19

  In the very next film Marcel Proust is referenced, even more highbrow.
• Shady Tree London, UKPosts: 2,998MI6 Agent

  January 19 edited January 20

  Yes, and the Proustian references are more substantial.

  In SF, for me, the killing of Severine just leaves a nasty taste, whereas in 'Belle De Jour' the shocking elements in Severine's fantasies - including the similar scene I've mentioned - at least make sense in terms of Bunuel's exploration of her psyche in the film as a whole.

  Critics and material I don't need. I haven't changed my act in 53 years.