Whether it
be the classic dialogues, dry humour, the vodka martinis or the tantalizing womanizer,
every cinephile has had their rendezvous with the ravishing British spy
created by Ian Fleming, and brought to life by numerous terrific actors over
the years. From the dashing Timothy Dalton, to a ravishing Roger Moore, all the
way to the classically handsome Pierce Brosnan, each of the actors has played
the character brilliantly and brought to life the intelligent and seductive
British spy. We’ve seen Bond jump roofs, romance the most beautiful of women
and live the life every young boy dreams of.
In contrast
to these dashing heroes, we see the selection of Daniel Craig, who does not
strike people as obviously handsome or as suave or even as athletic. But I
feel the selection of Daniel Craig as Bond shows a growing maturity in the industry.
The ancient mainstream action movie cliché was shrugged off with the
introduction of a protagonist who isn’t as macho or as stereotypically male as
his predecessors. Daniel Craig as Bond shows genuine progress in the industry,
from blatant punching, bloodshed and womanizing to a character who empathizes,
suffers loss, and becomes wholly human.
This is
what I feel makes Craig the best Bond – his ability to make the character
believable, to make him human. I remember sitting in the dark on my springy
couch, peering into the screen as I saw Bond struggle to free his lover. In
Casino Royale, Vesper (played by Eva Green) is seen drowning, and Bond is
tugging at immovable bars to free his love. The pain on his face was palpable,
and I saw a previously god-like character become human. I saw him transform
into a man before my very eyes, shedding his golden shell. I saw Bond fall in
love, lose his love and mourn his love. No matter who we are, loss comes to us
all; and in this scene, Craig created a mortal man from the pseudo-mythical
character.
I was part
of the generation that grew up watching Pierce Brosnan as Bond, with woman
ogling at him left and right. He seemed never to stumble, never fall, and
always get the girl. He was the ultimate spy. But this perfection was what made
him so apparently fictional!
When Craig
was cast, all such aspersions were shoved aside. Both in Skyfall (2012) and
Spectre (2015), we are allowed a peek in the psyche of Bond, of what makes him
tick. He still maintains his stiff upper lip and his suave manner, but in solo
scenes, we are exposed to a Bond who has seen and felt unimaginable pain. He
has failed and fallen, lost his love, been tortured and has seen his closest
confidants bleed out before him. The trauma of a survivor is portrayed
beautifully, and a holistic and believable picture of Bond is sculpted. There
is one scene in particular that has burned itself into the corners of my mind.
Bond is seen shooting targets. He begins with one hand and an easy posture. He
misses. He proceeds to improve his grip and posture, but misses again. Furious
with his failure, he rushes forward towards the target while firing multiple
shots, finally achieving his desired shot. This scene may seem rather plain,
but to me, it portrays the fall of a giant. We notice that the once impeccable
shot is now unable to attain perfection. It is almost like a fall from grace, a
leap from perfection. He is not the honed killer he once was. We see his hand shaking, the panic and fear evident on his face. That is what made Craig stand
apart. He was hurt. He has failed.
To me, any
character is easier to adore if he/she is similar to ourselves. Previously, Bond
was a character to simply be marvelled at, to be beheld from a distance. Craig was
the first to convey to the audience that “Look, I am just as human as you are.
I bleed like you. I feel pain like you. I am not extraordinary. I am one of
you.” In Skyfall, we see his immeasurable loss in the form of his old house,
the decaying memories of deceased parents and lost adventures. The dying of M
and the destruction of the house are symbolic; that part of his life has been
burnt out of existence. Spectre follows his recovery, and Daniel Craig’s
impressive portrayal of a man trying to stitch himself together leaves me
thinking about one of John Mayer’s immortal tracks where he sings,
“I’m in repair, I’m not together but I’m
getting there”.
- Surjo Siddhanta Ray
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