James Bond Will Return : Critical Perspectives on the 007 Film Franchise

As the longest-running English-language film series, the James Bond franchise has remained popular across generations of viewers, historical time periods and political eras. Films in the series have been essentially comedic, while others are more dramatic; some speak to realistic political issues - particularly Cold War threats - and others are more fantastic. The most recent era of the franchise, featuring Daniel Craig as Bond, has brought greater critical praise of the films than ever before. This collection will approach the Bond films from a variety of perspectives, reflecting the diversity of tone and subject matter among the films themselves. Divided into eras based on the actor playing Bond, each chapter will give a focused reading of an individual film. Chapters include an examination of Dr. No's peculiar upbeat optimism amid fears of the crumbling British Empire and the inception of Jamaican independence; the relationship between atomic fears and innovative film techniques in Thunderball; the exocitizing racial dynamics in Live and Let Die; the challenge of adapting the series to the post-Cold War period in the Brosnan films; and the shifting gender dynamics of Casino Royale and other Craig films, which transfer much of the Bond girl" iconography to Bond himself"--

Author: Claire Hines, Terence McSweeney, Stuart Joy

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Publication Date: Jan 09, 2024

Number of Pages: NA pages

Language: English

Binding: Hardcover

ISBN-10: 0231207409

ISBN-13: 9780231207409