The following is a short original essay which I wrote during my freshman year of college for my English class in March of 2002. This is an "informational" essay, which is directed towards people who are unfamiliar with a subject. It's similar to a newspaper editorial. I recently found the disk which I saved this essay on, so, I'd like to share my work with you. Feel free to E-mail me if you have any comments!
What makes a good secret agent a great one? First, imagine an extremely suave and sophisticated man with a passion of saving the people of the world from evil. Now, give him a British accent, a handgun, and extraordinary sex appeal. All of those characteristics are what loosely makes up the movie industry's most popular fictional super spy.
Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, wrote a novel called Casino Royale in 1952 in which he introduced the fictional spy character. He wanted the secret agent to be a representation of Fleming himself. He stated that the name James Bond was very "dull" and "anonymous", but at the same time, he hoped his audience would be able to imagine an "interesting man to whom extraordinary things happen." Teaming up with producers Albert Broccoli & Harry Saltzman, Fleming was able to watch his work go from paperback to the big screen.
Although James Bond is not a real person, the movies based on his character portray a vivid image for the audience. Bond's skill at casino gambling and his knowledge of the best wines, exotic automobiles, and cigarettes make him an example of a man with "class." From Dom Perignon champagne to Aston Martin sports cars, James Bond has elegant taste. When ordering vodka at a restaurant, he prefers it to be "shaken, not stirred" because mixing the drink creates air bubbles which helps the beverage to taste better. Calling Bond an ordinary man is certainly an understatement. Deeming him the ideal gentleman suits his description perfectly.
A terrific shot, Bond usually needs only his Walther handgun to defend himself. In certain cases, people at his headquarters feel that leaving him with only a gun in hand would be suicide. In those situations, the gadget department, called the "Q" Branch, supplies Bond with an arsenal of weapons not found anywhere else. Gadgets--like jetpacks, for a quick getaway; hidden cameras, for capturing proof of evidence; and custom made cars--are some of the "toys" Bond is given before some of his ventures.
In any of the twenty movies about this secret agent, Bond's superior, who is simply called "M," gives him mission objectives. He is faced with a set of tasks to complete and he then departs from his headquarters in England to go out and find the person or persons responsible for causing the world extreme harm.
The antagonists in each of these films are always manipulative and they never act before they think. All of their schemes are well planned out and seem sometimes realistic. Other schemes thought up by the villains in the movies seem either too predictable or even too good to be true. For example, in one movie, a villain plans on creating the "perfect species" of humans and wants to send them to a space station to start a human race better than the one that already exists. In another movie, a different villain launches missiles from his boat at China and the United States, and then writes headlines in newspapers to show that these countries are actually waging war against each other.
Each of the villains has their own distinct traits, which sometimes even mirror Bond's personality. Bond has a witty sense of humor, which he uses in attempt to persuade the villain into rethinking his or her plans of world domination. Usually, the villain will reply back with a joke or two on how inferior he or she thinks James Bond is to them. Bond follows what his instincts tell him but he always keeps in mind that he works for England and that the mission is more important than anything else. James' archenemies constantly remind him that he doesn't have the heart to risk failing a mission even if that means saving a friend, or, in most cases, a woman, from dying.
James Bond is nothing short of a "ladies man." He uses his class and persuasion to lure a woman into bed and in exchange he sometimes receives useful information about the villain. He doesn't think of these tactics as taking advantage of the woman, but simply as getting information and doing his job by any means necessary. Usually, in each film, a "damsel in distress" that Bond might encounter is what the producers call a "Bond girl." The women are gorgeous, first and foremost. In some movies, more than one "Bond girl" accompanies James during his adventure. These so-called "Bond girls" are expected in each of the films now because of the trend that was set by the very first movie in 1962.
Each movie usually has a certain formula, which makes the story pretty easy to follow. A problem arises and Bond gets his orders, he tracks down his villain and finds an attractive woman along the way. After figuring out what the villain's motives are, he finds a way to foil their plans and kill off the bad guy somehow. When everything is said and done, Bond's superiors congratulate him on a job well done.
The story lines usually seem complex to people who have never heard of James Bond or the movies based on his character. One who was unfamiliar with the secret agent should now be able to watch a James Bond film and get the gist of why some have considered James Bond the greatest fictional movie character of all time.