Scholars that chose James Bond as an object have studied it in more or less obvious areas such as gender (more), or post-colonial studies (less). These representations however might not always be accurate and when attaching a well-known cultural theory such as Orientalism to the matter, adding to it another dimension, they may even be contested. They are the obvious choice, representing dangers in the real world. Russia, (other) parts of Asia, the Middle-East: these places and regions are convincing villainous areas to the Western audience.
Whereas nowadays international cyber terrorist syndicates are designated ‘Bond villains’, Communist Russia ruled the screen at the very start of the film series. These places, often exotic, are carefully selected to reflect the very real and existing contemporary geopolitical turmoil. A pop-culture icon of masculinity, with a notorious track record when it comes to fighting crime abroad in places that are traditionally, and in many ways, hostile to the West. “The name is Bond, James Bond.” Everyone knows the good-looking, suited up British fighting machine that never misses its target – be it a long-legged blonde or a long-faced villain.
