I Know Where You Keep Your Gun:

Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid

in Casino Royale
L I S A F UNNEL L
P
ROCLAIMED AS THE RETURN OF JAMES BOND TO HIS LITERARY
spy thriller roots, the 2006 lm Casino Royale directed by
Martin Campbell has received critical praise for its delity to
Ian Flemings 1954 novel of the same title. The performance of Daniel
Craig in the main role has been viewed through the lens of literary
faithfulness and his portrayal of Bond read as the re-establishment
and possible rectication of Flemings original vision in lmic form.
Critical reception of Casino Royale appears to be informed by a hier-
archal valuing of the Bond literary tradition over cinematic franchise
and strongly relies on nostalgia to conceptualize, elevate, and dislocate
the prequel from the Bond lm canon. Accordingly, Casino Royales
graphic violence and dark tone have helped to distance James Bond
from the campy persona made famous by his predecessors (Gleiberman
1; Phillips 1; Wilonsky 1). This argument for the rebirth of Bond
appears to be inuenced by a push in critical literature to read into
Casino Royale a desired Fleming purism via adaptive delity.
This declaration of delity strongly relies on an antiquated con-
ceptual model which has since been rendered inadequate by current
trends in adaptation studies. Linda Hutcheon argues for a movement
away from the morally loaded discourse of delity which implies
textual reproduction, taking into limited consideration the shift in
medium, the interpretive process of creative (re-)animation, and
the intertextual nature of the lm product (7). Robert Stam argues for
a discourse centered on performativity and transtextuality in critical
The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2011
r 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
455
adaptation literature (xiii). He suggests that intertextual dialogism
the conversation between a particular text with other texts and/or their
respective authorsoffers a more rich understanding of media and art
forms. In other words, Casino Royale should be discussed less in terms
of delity to Flemings work and more in relation to the conversation
between Casino Royale and other lm texts.
A consideration of Casino Royale in relation to the established
iconography of the Bond lm franchise reveals the absence of the
British lover masculine model from the construction of Bonds heroic
identity. Consequently, the characterization of Craigs Bond cannot be
exclusively considered the result of delity to Fleming but rather is the
product of a discourse between Hollywood models of heroic mascu-
linity and Bond generic tradition. This is notable in the presentation of
Craigs Bond as youthful, spectacular, and feminized relative to the
gaze through the passive positioning of his exposed muscular body in
scenes where he is disengaged from physical activity. Moreover,
through intertextual referencing of renowned Bond Girl iconography,
exemplied through Bonds double emergence from the sea, Craigs
Bond is positioned as a visual spectacle and aligned with the Bond Girl
character type rather than with his Bond predecessors in the lmic
franchise. While critics have predominantly read Craigs Bond in re-
lation to the pre-existing literary and/or cinematic Bond traditions,
they overlook Casino Royales introduction and employment of a new
heroic model for James Bond informed by Hollywood heroic mascu-
linity and Bond Girl iconography, the BondBond Girl Hybrid.
The Popular Appeal of Bond
The characterization and character phases of James Bond are strongly
dependent on individual performance; the direction and tone of the
lm series have been inuenced by casting decisions for the title role,
actor interpretation and portrayal of James Bond, and audience reac-
tion/response to the performances. As the premiere James Bond, Sean
Connery (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971) established for Bond a
generic identity centered on brawn, physicality, and sardonic wit,
combining British snobbery with the violent ethic of the spy thriller
(Chapman 65, 150, 231). In 1969 George Lazenby replaced Connery as
James Bond in On Her Majestys Secret Service and revealed a more emo-
456 Lisa Funnell
tional and vulnerable side to Bond, who was struggling with the con-
ict of love versus duty (Chapman 14041). As the most faithful
adaptation of a Fleming novel, On Her Majestys Secret Service ends on an
unhappy, if not devastating, note with Bonds marriage to Tracy
DiVincenzo (Diana Rigg) followed by her murder. In light of the lms
box-ofce failure and the poor public opinion of Lazenbys Bond, lm
producers decided to part ways with Flemings novels and began de-
veloping lm scripts independent of the literary tradition (13738).
Roger Moore (1973, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985) proved
to be a more suitable replacement. Realigned with an old-fashioned
image of Englishness, Moores Bond is presented as a national hero
with an unequivocal sense of loyalty and duty to England (Chapman
201). Moore drew upon his notable television personas from The Saint
(196269) and The Persuaders! (197172) to construct a more pol-
ished and sophisticated portrait of James Bond (150). Although no-
table for his witty one-liners, Moores comedic performance gradually
evolved into a parody of itself and resulted in his replacement in the
franchise by Timothy Dalton (1987, 1989). Daltons moody and angst-
ridden performance reveals a darker side to James Bond, who is
plagued by moral ambiguities and struggles to differentiate his per-
sonal from his professional life. In 1989, License to Kill offered the
greatest deviation from the Bond generic formula, and ofcial publicity
for the lm suggested that Daltons performance was closer to Ian
Flemings conception of Bond (Black 232). The degree change offered
by License to Kill in terms of storyline, characterization and tone re-
sulted in the limited box-ofce success of the lm and public distaste
for Daltons Bond.
After a six-year hiatus, Pierce Brosnan (1995, 1997, 1999, 2002)
was cast in the role of Bond and helped (re)launch the franchise to
unprecedented box-ofce success. In GoldenEye (1995), Brosnans Bond
is repositioned as the champion of Britannia and is presented with a
revived self-condence, sexuality, physical capacity, intelligent wit, and
skills with weaponry. Although Bond is repackaged with updated
technology, fast-paced action sequences, and spectacular special effects,
GoldenEye succeeds where License to Kill failed by maintaining, as well
as updating, the generic identity of the Bond lm (Black 248).
The evolution of the Bond lm has not been a linear progression.
Centered on the casting and characterization of the title character, the
direction and tone of the lm series strongly depends on maintaining a
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 457
balance between continuity (i.e., retaining the Bond lms generic iden-
tity) and change (i.e., offering variety in each lm to make it appealing
to its loyal fan base). Audiences have traditionally responded more pos-
itively to the wittier portrayals of Bond (Connery, Moore, Brosnan) over
darker and dramatic performances (Lazenby, Dalton). Audiences appear
to be more receptive toward portrayals of Bond more closely aligned
with the generic traditions of the lm series rather than with the char-
acterization of Bond prominently featured in Flemings novels.
Hollywood/American Heroic Iconography
From the outset of the series, the lmic James Bond has been rmly
located within the lineage of British heroes. Envisaged through the
lover literary tradition, Bond joins some of Britains most glamorous
literary and early cinematic heroes who were presented as brilliant,
witty, urbane, cultivated and sensitive, as well as gentle heroes, men of
action who risk everything for a higher cause and the women they love
(Hawkins 2930). Heroic competency in the Bond lm is directly
related to Bonds (hetero)sexuality and libido. Black argues that Bonds
sexual appetite is central to his characterization, virility, and ultimately
the success of his missions, presenting to the audience a visual guar-
antee of the maleness of the Secret Service (107). Moreover, the con-
nection between James Bond and British identity is visually achieved
through the alignment of the title character with notable British pop-
ular cultural iconography, including images of Big Ben, the Thames,
and Whitehall (93).
Since the 1960s, the Bond franchise has maintained a consistent
interest in the American lm market. In order to appeal to American
audiences, producer Albert R. Broccoli envisioned for James Bond a
more mid-Atlantic image with a tougher and less overtly British
persona. According to Jeremy Black, Connerys Bond stands out as a
unique protagonist in a sea of angry young men, a prominent char-
acter type in British lms of the time (114). Similarly, Chapman con-
tends that Connerys rugged masculinity, physical presence and virile
sexuality more [closely] associated [him] with American stars such as
Clark Gable or Gary Cooper rather than with the traditional English
gentlemen heroes portrayed by actors like Ronald Colman, Robert
Donat, and David Niven (281). In fact, during the preliminary casting
for Dr. No (1962), Fleming suggested David Niven for the title role
458 Lisa Funnell
but was overruled by Broccolis vision for the lm series. By diluting
and transforming Flemings literary character into a man of the people
for a mass audience, Broccoli attempted to present a man of action
with limited jarring British mannerisms in order to attract American
lmgoers (Black 114).
While attempting to appeal to the American market, the Bond
franchise produced a different action hero from the protagonists
featured in Hollywood blockbusters of the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike
the Bond lm which is rooted in the British lover tradition, Holly-
wood action lms are notable for their use of a specic body-centered
model of masculinity as heroic ideal. Susan Jeffords traces the devel-
opment of this Hollywood heroic model through the iconic perfor-
mances of hard body heroes Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester
Stallone during the 1980s. The protagonists exposed muscular torso,
cinematically metonymic of the male body in action, can be understood
as canvas upon which the narrative, moral, and political dichotomies of
the lm are presented and performed (24). Jeffords argues that the hard
body is a product of the Regan era, visually enveloping the ideals of
strength, labour, determination, loyalty and courage (50). Jeffords
contends that the hard body is a recognizable collective symbol of the
American national body and reinforces the theme of national survival;
despite its wounds, the hard body, emblematic of the national body,
will persevere in its ght, survival and defeat of the enemy (50).
With the softening of the hard body in the early 1990s, the Hol-
lywood action lm saw a movement away from violent body-centered
spectacles. Hoping to reconcile muscularity with intelligence and
emotion, Hollywood began to feature action heroes with smaller and
sleeker frames who exercised self-restraint when employing repower
and deadly force (Jeffords 141). This movement toward a smaller and
more family-oriented action hero coincides with the introduction of
hard women like Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in Terminator 2
(1991) and Maggie/Claudia (Bridget Fonda) in Point of No Return
(1993) as action protagonists (Gates 147). The late 1990s saw another
shift in Hollywood heroism with the arrival of slimmer and more
uncertain youth heroes like Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) in
Titanic (1997), Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix (1999), and Rafe
McCrawley (Ben Afeck) in Pearl Harbour (2001), who subsequently
replace the older man as action hero. In her examination of Armageddon
(1998), Gates explains that the brawny hero (Bruce Willis) sacrices his
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 459
life to save the bright and sensitive youth hero (Ben Afeck) and in the
process offers his heroic apprentice the opportunity to take his place and
save the crew for the remainder of the mission. Gates argues for the
expansion of positive masculinity in the late 1990s to include passivity,
boyishness, intelligence, and a spectacular gazed-at body (41). Marc
ODay also sees the late 1990s and early 2000s as a transitional moment
in Hollywood and argues for a second phase in female heroism which is
characterized by strong, visibly feminine, and sexually desirable women
in the role of lead protagonists (201): for example, The Matrix (1999),
Charlies Angels (2000), and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001).
As Hollywood shifted focus toward younger heroes in the mid-1990s,
the Bond franchise remained true to its generic imagining of Bond as an
older and more mature action hero. At the age of forty-two, Pierce Brosnan
was cast as Bond in GoldenEye (1995) and portrayed the character through
three additional lms: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough
(1999), and Die Another Day (2002). Brosnans portrayal of Bond revital-
ized the lm series, drawing unprecedented box-ofce prots. Although
considered one of the most popular actors to play the main character,
Brosnan was unexpectedly ejected from the role in the mid-2000s and
subsequently replaced in the franchise by the much younger Daniel Craig.
The longevity of an actor portraying James Bond is dependent on a
number of factors including the actors charismatic rendering of the
character and ability to inspire box-ofce returns. The physical capacity
of the (aging) actor is equally important to the imagining and mar-
keting of Bond. Examining the career trajectories of Connery and
Moore, Black links their aging bodies with a gradual deterioration in
performance (145). Both stars were replaced by younger actors when
producers believed them to be no longer capable of embodying the role.
The work of Black draws attention to the casting of Craig in Casino
Royale over Brosnans reprisal of the role. Brosnan was both interested
in, and physically capable of, continuing as Bond in the franchise for at
least one more lm. The casting of Craig over Brosnan is uncharac-
teristic of the series and has resulted in the change in Bonds image and
subsequently, the direction of the franchise.
Craigs Bond as an American Action Hero
The casting of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale was a conscious decision
on the part of the lms producers to re-vision the franchise. Hollywood
460 Lisa Funnell
action lms of the 2000s feature a variety of male and female heroic
identities. In particular, the mid-2000s saw the concurrent production
and release of Rocky Balboa (2006), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Rambo
(2008), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008),
sequels to popular action-adventure lms of the 1980s which mark the
return of the formerly hard, and now aged, male body. As an under-
estimated and overlooked source of heroic capacity, these older heroes
rely on old school approaches and practices in their lms simulta-
neously to thwart and educate a much younger villain. As a response to
the digitization of technology and the fracturing of a post-9/11 Amer-
ica, these lms appear to look back nostalgically to the heroic models
and cultural icons of the 1980s. The recasting of Brosnan as Bond in
Casino Royale would have coincided with the trend in Hollywood
lmmaking featuring the return of the older-man as hero.
Instead, Bond producers elected to take the franchise in a new di-
rection and aligned Casino Royale with another emerging trend in
Hollywood action popularized by Batman Begins (2005), the fth lm
in the Batman series (Batman 1989; Batman Forever 1995; Batman
Returns 1992; Batman & Robin 1997). As a prequel, Batman Begins
departs from the previously established narrative, thematic, and visual
trajectories of its predecessors and instead pre-empts the series by pre-
senting Batmans origin story. Critically praised for its delity to the
original comic book strip, Batman Begins employs darker visuals and
tone to distinguish itself from its cinematic predecessors. Exploring the
troubled youth of Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and his relationship
with butler and surrogate father Alfred (Michael Caine), the lm
chronicles, at the level of the body, Waynes transformation from
sensitive boy to jaded hero. The lm places visual focus on the de-
velopment of Waynes muscular torso; his bullet-proof vest simul-
taneously covers and attracts attention to his muscular chest. Drawing
upon heroic models of the 1980s and 1990s, Waynes masculinity
appears to integrate the moral dilemmas of the new man with the
visual iconography of the hard body.
Similarly, Casino Royale is a prequel and chronicles the physical,
emotional, and moral struggles of Bond as he transitions into the role
of secret agent. The lm opens with Bonds origin story: the moment
he attains his 007 license. Shot in black and white, this monochromatic
sequence is visually distinct from the remainder of Casino Royale and
the Bond series as a whole. Bond is presented as a more efcient secret
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 461
agent than his target. Having previously removed the clip from the
gun concealed in the targets desk, Bond taunts the defenceless spy
with the comment, I know where you keep your gun before shooting
him. Through this gun quip, doubling as a phallic reference, Bond
aligns the spy with the British lover tradition which links heroic
competency with libido, before eliminating his target and the inferior
heroic model from the lm.
Despite the nod to the lover tradition, Casino Royale rmly grounds
Craigs Bond in contemporary American ideals of heroic masculinity.
Emphasis is placed on Daniel Craigs exposed muscular torso rather
than his sexuality, libido, and conquest. For instance, when Bond at-
tempts to extract information from Solange (Caterina Murino) in his
suite at the club, a fully clothed Solange places Bond on his back, opens
his shirt and proceeds to kiss his bare chest, slowing moving out of the
frame as she works her way down his body. When she reaches his
stomach, Bond interrupts with, Can I ask you a personal question?
The camera presents Solanges slightly annoyed and sexually frustrated
response from Bonds point-of-view, her body frozen in place hovering
above Bonds stomach with his chest in full view. This sexually charged
image is highly suggestive of fellatio and presents her literal attraction
to Bonds phallus, aligning her with other women attracted to Bond
throughout the lm series. Their interaction, however, is anticlimatic
(pun intended) because Bond does not meet the generic expectations of
the lm series by re-engaging sexually with Solange, and thus he
rejects the role of lover. Instead he proceeds to apprehend a suspect
during a violent, dynamic, and physically demanding action sequence
at the Miami airport.
Bonds heroic contrasting with villain LeChiffre (Mad Mikkelsen) in
Casino Royale also takes place at the level of the body. This is most
evident when LeChiffre and Bond engage with the same group of
attackers in mirrored consecutive sequences during a rest period in the
poker tournament. For instance, while LeChiffre is subdued in a choke
hold, Bond later kills LeChiffres attacker with a similar move. Le-
Chiffres inability to protect his lover Valenka (Ivana Milicevic) is
contrasted with Bonds successful defence of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green).
Although LeChiffre perspires, neither his body nor clothes are
torn during the struggle. In fact, the only blood that emerges from
LeChiffres body stems from a deformed tear duct, a degenerative
physical imperfection which releases drops of blood onto his notably
462 Lisa Funnell
pale complexion. Bond on the other hand sweats profusely and emerges
from the attack with torn and bloodstained clothes. The extent of
Bonds physical exertion is not fully discovered until he removes his
shirt to reveal a battered, bruised, and cut up muscular torso. As Bond
leans in close to the bathroom mirror to extract a shard of glass lodged
in his forehead, a single stream of blood, reminiscent of a teardrop, rolls
down the side of his face and recalls the image of LeChiffres defective
and inferior body. The doubling of these sequences, symbolically
reiterated through the shot of the bathroom mirror capturing both
Bond and his reection, creates a visual, physical, and thus heroic
comparison between Bond and LeChiffre.
Through cinematography and mise en sce`ne, Casino Royale places
continuous and intentional emphasis on Bonds body. For instance,
early in the lm Bond visits the BodyWorlds Exhibit, a scientic
display of the muscular tissue systems of real human bodies preserved
in plastination
1
and placed on display for spectators to observe (Von
Hagens). The conceptualization and exhibition of human beings as
biological specimens draw explicit, if not exclusive, attention to the
corporeality of the human body. Moreover, the consistent employment
of the medium close-up shot simultaneously foregrounds Bonds mus-
cular chest while excluding his genital region from display on screen.
The presentation of Bonds body as visual spectacle works to position
him as the real BodyWorlds Exhibit of the lm.
This predilection for body-centered imagery extends beyond the
direct characterization of Bond and is exemplied, most notably,
through the envisioning of the Texas Holdem tournament, a popular
American style poker game which replaces baccarat in the lm series.
As explained by Bond, victory in Texas Holdem is strongly dependent
on the careful observation and discovery of your opponents tell, an
unconscious physiological reaction revealing the relationship of the
card player with his hand. The poker table in Casino Royale can be
understood as an allegorical battleeld, an arena for the spectacle of
masculinity whereby players attempt to defeat their enemies through
exercisable physical control. The physicality of the game, however,
extends beyond the male posturing and hands played at the table. This
fact is anticipated in the opening credit sequence, which presents card
suits as weapons striking down male silhouettes, and in the positioning
of the BodyWorlds specimens around a poker table. In addition to the
attack on Bond and LeChiffre during an intermission in the poker
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 463
game, Bond is also poisoned by Valenka while seated at the table.
Bond stumbles to his car, attaches a debrillator to his nude, sweaty,
and heaving torso before his heart stops beating, and is resuscitated
via an electronic current pulsing through his chest. The literal death
and resurrection of Bond works to strengthen his heroic competency
in the lm; taking on Christological connotations of suffering and
transcendence, the lm presents the literal rebirth of Bond as an action
hero. A rejuvenated Bond returns to the poker table and wins the
game, proving that he is more competent than LeChiffre in the phys-
ical poker arena.
Although Bond is highlighted by the body, he is not dened as body
like the Hollywood muscular heroes of the 1980s. Instead, Bond is
more rmly aligned with the younger and slimmer heroic models of
1990s Hollywood action. Just as Jennifer Craik notes a shift in fashion
photography in the 1990s (199), so too does Gates, who sees the male
bodies of the youth heroes being placed in a position of passivity
relative to the gaze (41). The argument for Craigs youth is contained
within the parameters of the lm series. At the time of Casino Royales
release, Daniel Craig was in his late thirties while his most recent
predecessors Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan were in their mid-forties
when cast for the role. In addition to Craigs youthful, though rugged,
appearance in the lm, he is not aged by the air and sophistication of
the English gentleman. As the BodyWorlds Exhibit, Bonds body is
exposed, made spectacular and subsequently feminized during scenes of
limited physical activity. Bond thus replaces the Bond Girl in the lm
as the locus of visual spectacle.
Bond as the Bond Girl
As a nonrecurring lead female protagonist and stable character of the
series, the Bond Girl simultaneously functions as romantic interest and
heroic ally of James Bond. Although Bond engages with numerous
women throughout each lm, only twenty-two characters qualify as
Bond Girls in the series, each sharing with her counterparts a number
of characteristics which work to locate her within this character type.
However, the singularity of the Bond Girl resides in the strong and
intimate relationship she builds with Bond by the end of each lm
(Funnell 63).
464 Lisa Funnell
Although formulaic, the Bond Girl is not a static character and
transitions through three main character phases. Originally presented
in the role of English Partner (196269), the Bond Girl emulates the
male female partnership made famous by the British television spy
thriller series, The Avengers (196169). Epitomized through the cast-
ing of Avenger stars Honour Blackman and Diana Rigg as Bond Girls
Pussy Galore in Goldnger (1964) and Tracy DiVincenzo in On Her
Majestys Secret Service (1969), the English Partner is iconographically
aligned with Avenger costuming conventions by wearing fashion-for-
ward clothes of action which offer practical mobility during ght
sequences (Funnell 70). Moreover, the English Partner is cinematically
Anglicized through voice dubbing in postproduction. With the ex-
ception of Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) featured in From Russia
with Love (1963), all of the 1960s Bond Girls, regardless of character or
actor nationality, speak with British accents and are aligned with En-
glish culture (6466).
Transitioning into the role of American Side-Kick (197189), the
Bond Girl doubles as romantic interest and American ally agent, con-
sequently replacing American CIA Agent Felix Leiter as Bonds side-
kick in the lm (Funnell 69). For instance, Felix Leiter is absent from
the Bond lms of the 1970s which feature the Bond Girl as an ally
government agent. In The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy
Who Loved Me (1977), and Moonraker (1979), the Bond Girl and/or her
corresponding actor is American and subsequently replaces Leiter as the
gure representing American political interests in the lm (69). Both
the English Partner and American Side-Kick Bond Girls play a sup-
portive role to the mission and libido of James Bond. Subject to the
generic conventions governing the series which link libido with heroic
competency, these Bond Girls are unable to match the sexual and thus
heroic standard of James Bond (75).
In keeping with shifting notions of femininity in the 1990s, the
American Action Hero Bond Girl (19952002) emerges in the nal
decade of the series as a bona de action protagonist who, in addition to
being a physical and intellectual match to Bond, is presented as a
sexually equal and thus heroically comparable character (Funnell 77).
Culminating in Die Another Day (2002), the nal American Action
Hero Bond Girl, Jinx (Halle Berry), is presented from the outset of the
lm as sexually, and thus heroically, superior to Bond, challenging and
dominating him in bed during their initial encounter. Jinxs heroic
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 465
supersession of Bond is anticipated in the lms referencing of pre-
eminent Bond Girl Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) emerging from the
sea in Dr. No (1962). The doubling of this image not only bookends
the series by locating Jinx within the iconography of the genre but also
functions as a visual marker emphasizing the progression of her char-
acter from the role of partner to lead protagonist (78).
Although Vesper Lynd is presented as the romantic apex of Casino
Royale, she is not a Bond Girl. Instead, she can be understood as a
hybrid composite of the Bond Girl and Female Antagonist character
types, a role established by Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) in The World
Is Not Enough (1999). This character type also appears in Die Another
Day with Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike). Similar to King and Frost,
Lynd is initially presented in the narrative as a Bond Girl; she works
closely with Bond, masquerades as his ally, and develops an intimate
relationship with him. However, her emotional alliance with the vil-
lain positions her outside the parameters of the Bond Girl character
type. Lynd eventually betrays Bond and this action inevitably results in
her death. Although Lynds character hybridity is discovered in the
nal scenes, Casino Royale anticipates this revelation during a conver-
sation between Bond and Lynd while they are reviewing their under-
cover identities as husband and wife. Bond teases Lynd by referring to
her as Miss Tiffany Broadchest, a notable play on the double entendre
naming conventions of the Bond Girl. Lynds vehement refusal of her
assigned name distances her from the strict classication as Bond
Girl through her rejection of one of the most notable aspects of Bond
Girl characterization.
In order to reconcile the heroic imbalance in Die Another Day and
reposition Bond as the primary protagonist in Casino Royale, Bond and
the Bond Girl have been merged into a single gure. The evolutionary
nature of both characters renders them suitable for hybridization. The
BondBond Girl composite maintains the British identity and male
sex of the title character. Aligned with Hollywood models of mascu-
linity, the conation of Craigs contradictory body presents him as
physical, heroic and thus masculine while engaged in action, and
feminized through youth, spectacle and passivity to the gaze when
disengaged from physical activity. For instance, Craigs Bond is pre-
sented twice in the lm as emerging from the sea, doubly referencing
the quintessential image of the Bond Girl. Originating in Dr. No, the
image of a bikini-clad Honey Ryder coming out of the water effectively
466 Lisa Funnell
positioned the rst Bond Girl as an erotic object of the gaze; the
arresting image of Ryder not only attracts and holds the attention of
Bond but also distracts him from his colonizing mission on the island.
When Honey Ryder asks Bond if he is looking for shells on the beach,
Bond replies that he is simply interested in just looking at her body.
Similarly, Craigs Bond is also presented as a passive object of the gaze
in Casino Royale through intertextual references to this scene. Midway
through the lm, Bond is submerged in the ocean and enters the shot
by dramatically lifting his head out of the water in slow motion, taking
a notably deep breath. Shot through medium close-up, Bonds wet
muscular body, covered only by his square leg swimsuit, glistens in the
sunlight and lls up the screen. This scene presents the exposed mus-
cular body of Bond as spectacular, passive, and feminized, positioning
Craig in the role of Bond Girl as the visual spectacle of the Bond lm.
Moreover, Chapman contends that the introduction of each successive
actor in the role of Bond is accompanied by the intertextual referencing
of previous James Bond iconography in order to visually align the new
actor with his predecessors (207). As the BondBond Girl hybrid,
Craig is presented in the lm through iconography associated with the
Bond Girl and not James Bond.
Bond emerges from the sea a second time in the lm, utilizing the
same shot composition and mise en sce`ne. The striking contrast between
the spectacular image of Bond exiting the sea with that of a clothed
Lynd watching him from the beach further emphasizes Bonds
passivity to, in this case, the female gaze. Commenting on this scene
during an interview with The Guardian, actor Eva Green who plays
Vesper Lynd states that Craig is cast in the role of Bond Girl, noting
that it is Bond and not Lynd who comes out of the sea with his top
off (Jeffries 9). After exiting the sea, Bond lies down on the beach to
dry off and the camera captures a shot of Lynd resting her head on
Bonds exposed wet chest. Recalling the image of Solange undressing
Bond with sexual intentions, this mirrored image is yet markedly
different. Lynd is not only attracted to Bonds bare chest, the locus of
his masculinity, but Bond does not retreat from her embrace. This
scene aligns the conventions of Hollywood masculinity with the
iconography of the Bond Girl via the image of Craigs Bond in a
swimsuit. The BondBond Girl hybrid is simultaneously active and
passive, masculine and feminine, British and American, and Bond and
Bond Girl.
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 467
The introduction of the BondBond Girl hybrid as new heroic pro-
tagonist works to further dislocate Craigs Bond from his lover predecessors.
Kidnapped and held in an isolated basement cell, Bond is stripped of his
clothing and tied to a chair with the seat removed. Bound and physically
vulnerable, he is mercilessly attacked by LeChiffre with a knotted rope.
Bonds genitals hang unprotected and exposed (though not visible to the
camera). Although Bond screams in agony with each strike, he proceeds to
antagonize LeChiffre into hurting him further with comments like I have
a little itch down there, could you get that for me? and Now the whole
world will know that you died scratching my balls! LeChiffre perspires
profusely during his torturous interrogation of Bond, appearing both out of
breath and exasperated by Bonds high threshold of pain. Bonds refusal to
yield presents him in a position of power over LeChiffre, who fails to
extract information from Bond and is subsequently killed by his employer.
Throughout the scene, the camera is positioned in various locations around
the circumference of the basement cell and presents a 3601 image of the
immobile Bond as the visual spectacle of the BodyWorlds Exhibit. Bonds
literal emasculation, an act of torture so violent that extensive hospital-
ization is required to recover, showcases his bodily strength and subse-
quently reinforces the notion of heroic competence. Moreover, the attack on
Bonds crown jewels symbolically removes any gurative traces of the
previously employed lover heroic model from the title characters lmic
construction. Although Bonds genitals are abused, he is still able to engage
in sexual relations with Lynd later in the lm. Owing to the shift in heroic
model governing the franchise, the attack on Bonds genitals strengthens,
rather than weakens, the heroic impression of his character.
Defying the Odds
Stylistically and tonally distinct, Casino Royale marks a new chapter in
the Bond franchise by capitalizing on the mistakes made in previous
lms. Craigs rendition of Bond shares much in common with the more
unpopular portrayals of the title character. Reminiscent of Lazenbys
performance in On Her Majestys Secret Service, Craigs Bond reveals a
vulnerable side as he struggles with the conict of love versus duty; and
Casino Royale ends on a sad, if not devastating, note for Bond with the
betrayal by and death of Lynd. Moreover, Craigs dressed down
image from that of the traditional English gentlemen appears to evoke
Daltons portrayal of Bond in License to Kill. Craigs Bond similarly
468 Lisa Funnell
struggles with compartmentalizing the violent nature of his work as a
secret agent from his personal life; and by the lms end, Craigs dark
and moody performance rivals, if not surpasses, the intensity of Dalton.
Finally, Craigs casting in the role of Bond while Brosnan was still in
his physical prime was a risky production decision that temporarily
alienated a portion of the franchises loyal fan base and resulted in
negative public scepticism about, rather than excitement for, the lm.
While Craigs Bond appears to emulate some of the qualities tradi-
tionally associated with Flemings literary version of the character, the
ingenuity of Casino Royale does not reside in adaptive delity but rather
relies on transtextuality and performance. On its own, Casino Royale may
be considered a good action ick by popular, critical, and industry stan-
dards; however, the lm (like Batman Begins) becomes remarkable when
considered in conversation with the franchises twenty other lm texts. By
reworking and at times conating the generic conventions of the series,
the Bond franchise has been renovated to house a new heroic model to
represent the serialized character. Part Bond and part Bond Girl, part
British and part American, Craigs Bond is a hybridized character who
moves away from the British lover model. More strongly aligned with
contemporary Hollywood action heroes, Craigs Bond is presented as an
American action hero who speaks with a British accent. As Bonds origin
story, Casino Royale chronicles Bonds experience of love, betrayal, and loss
as he develops into hardened secret agent 007.
The overwhelming popularity of the new hybridized Bond is ev-
ident in the lms US$600 million box-ofce earnings which position
Casino Royale as the highest grossing lm of the series. Daniel Craig has
since signed a US$26 million contract with the franchise to reprise the
role of Bond for two more installments (Daniel 1). It will be in-
teresting to see if Craigs Bond will take up the role of lover, slipping
back into pre-existing traditions, or maintain this hybrid composition
currently popular with audiences. The release of Quantum of Solace
(2008) could help determine if Casino Royale marks a momentary or
permanent point of departure of Bond from his British lover roots.
Note
1. Plastination is a technique used to preserve bodies or body parts by replacing water and fat
with plastic. The resulting specimen does not smell, will not decay, and can even be touched
(Von Hagens).
Daniel Craig as the BondBond Girl Hybrid 469
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Lisa Funnell is an instructor in Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University,
Canada. Her work has been accepted for publication in Quarterly Review of
Film and Video (2011) and Transnational Cinemas (forthcoming, 2011) as well
as in the edited collections Heroes and Heroines (2008), Women on Screen (2011),
and Asian Popular Culture (forthcoming, 2012). She is the coeditor of the
collection Transnational Asian Identities in Pan-Pacic Cinemas: The Reel Asian
Exchange which is under contract with Routledge (forthcoming, 2011). Her
current book projectWarrior Women: Gender, Race, and the Transnational
Chinese Action Staris based on her dissertation.
472 Lisa Funnell