“I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War.” – M (Judi Dench) to James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) in “Goldeneye”
Guess what, M? James Bond actually agrees with you! Or rather, Daniel Craig does in a new interview with Esquire, where the current Bond star calls historical portrayals of the spy — yes — “sexist and misogynistic.” Is he the first 007 to refer to the character as such? Hard to say, but it's a pretty bold (and honest) statement from a man who is still actively playing the womanizing spy on screen. (Note: this is not the first Bond controversy to break today.)
“Hopefully, my Bond is not as sexist and misogynistic as [earlier incarnations],” said Craig in the interview.. “The world has changed. I am certainly not that person. But he is, and so what does that mean? It means you cast great actresses and make the parts as good as you can for the women in the movies.”
Look, this shouldn't be controversial (though it clearly is, for some folks). The legacy of the “Bond Girl” — uniformly beautiful (albeit often strong) women objectified in 24 Bond movies and counting — harkens back to a less enlightened age, and yet the label and its sexist associations have remained stubbornly persistent in our more politically-correct age. For his part, Craig clearly has very conflicted, complex feelings about the character he plays.
“I don”t know if I”d like to spend too much time with him,” said the actor elsewhere in the interview. “Maybe an evening but it would have to be early doors. What goes on after hours, I”m not so sure about. But I don”t judge him. It”s not the job of an actor to judge your character.”
And later:
“He”s very fucking lonely…There”s a great sadness. He”s fucking these beautiful women but then they leave and it”s… sad. And as a man gets older it”s not a good look. It might be a nice fantasy – that”s debatable – but the reality, after a couple of months…”
How do you feel about Craig's comments? Do you think his Bond is less sexist than previous versions?
“Spectre” hits theaters on November 6 (October 26 in the U.K.).
[h/t Huffington Post]