The first James Bond novel was published 70 years ago. In a new edition, some racist descriptions are removed – but his sexism remains.
A fully dressed man surrounded by four scantily clad women: everyday sexism in 1960s cinema
The new edition of the book series about the world-famous secret agent James Bond is causing a sensation in Great Britain. It has been 70 years since the first James Bond novel was published: On April 13, 1953, the author Ian Fleming published “Casino Royale”, in which the secret agent James Bond is spying for the English MI5 under the code name 007.< /p>
To mark the 70th anniversary of the James Bond novels, this year has been decided by Ian Fleming's heirs, who manage his copyright under the umbrella of the company “Ian Fleming Publishing”. Racist expressions, such as the n-word, should be removed.
The Brit Ian Fleming invented the still popular character of the secret agent James Bond, who has the “license to kill”. it in a statement from the family. “But we stayed as close as possible to the original and the time the novel came from.”
Fleming wrote 14 novels about James Bond
Heated debate over James Bond novels
This intention has met with criticism in the UK and is seen by some as censorship. But it also started a new debate. Because some of the planned changes go too far, but others not far enough. The British “Independent” pointed out that the representation of black people will be changed, but the condescending language in relation to East Asian and Korean characters will remain .
The British “Daily Telegraph” also reported that misogynistic and homophobic descriptions remained in the novel, including comments such as “the sweet smell of rape” or the description of homosexuality as a “stubborn disability”.
Sean Connery played the first James Bond. He once told Playboy that there was nothing wrong with hitting women.
Who chooses what is still acceptable – and what is not?
However, the book should contain a preliminary remark pointing out that the novel contains expressions and attitudes that a modern audience as might find offensive.
That doesn't appear to be related to misogyny, criticizes Australian author Clementine Ford, who has studied the sexism of the Bond universe. The changes are being made to ensure Bond remains “admirable and popular,” Ford said.
“If you think about it, you have to wonder why sexism and the dehumanization of women appear to Bond doesn't hurt, on the contrary, it's part of its charm,” the author told Time magazine.
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From Connery to Craig: This is how James Bond changed
wax figure Bonds
From chauvi to anti-hero: the double zero agent has been in demand for sixty years. The creators have reinvented the character over and over again and adapted it to the zeitgeist. In the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Berlin you can admire all six actors at once. Left to right: Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Daniel Craig, Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Pierce Brosnan.
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From Connery to Craig: How James Bond changed < h2>The original Bond: Sean Connery
For many, the Scotsman, born in 1930, is the only true James Bond. In 1962 he played the double zero agent for the first time and hunted down Dr. No. Fun fact: Bond inventor Ian Fleming thought Connery was too “rough and rustic” at first – until he saw him on screen for the first time. Sean Connery played the super spy a total of seven times and helped the series become a worldwide success.
From Connery to Craig: How James Bond changed
The “Womanizer”
Young viewers may find the first “Bonds” to have fallen out of time. Connery's Bond was a chauvinist who had several women at his feet in every film. Resistance futile: Cary Fukunaga, director of the current bond, told the “Hollywood Reporter” that some scenes bordered on rape: “She says: 'No, no, no', and he says: 'Yes, yes, yes'. That wouldn't work today.”
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From Connery to Craig : This is how James Bond changed
The model bond: George Lazenby
Obviously, the footsteps left by Sean Connery were too big: Australian George Lazenby only played “007” once in “On Her Majesty's Secret Service” (1969). The former model failed to convince producers and audiences. For “Diamonds Are Forever” Sean Connery performed again as a double zero agent – with a license to kill – for a record fee.
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From Connery to Craig: This is how James Bond changed
The humorous Bond: Roger Moore
Roger Moore (r.) – here in “The Man with the Golden Gun” – is as popular with Bond fans as Sean Connery. With his smug humor and casual elegance, his secret agent seemed less brutal than his predecessor's. However, Moore's “attrition of women” was similarly high. And they still only had minor roles in the seven films he made with him.
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From Connery to Craig: How James Bond changed
Tough Bond: Timothy Dalton
Theater and film actor Timothy Dalton played Bond in a much drier and less humorous manner than his predecessors. “The Living Daylights” achieved high box office results in 1987, but two years later the Bond makers were unable to build on this success with “License to Kill”. Dalton dropped out due to licensing disputes and so it ended up with just two productions with the Welsh native.
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From Connery to Craig: How James Bond changed < h2>The Slick Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan catapulted the role from what felt like the 1990s back to the 1950s – his James Bond was an always neatly dressed gentleman. Smooth and handsome. He had neither the raw masculinity of Sean Connery nor the humor of Roger Moore. The native Irishman was well received by the audience and played the secret agent four times.
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From Connery to Craig: This is how James Bond changed
The most human Bond: Daniel Craig
When Daniel Craig first played Agent 007 in 2006, it caused amazement: James Bond heartbroken? With flaws, doubts and real feelings? Craig ushered in a new Bond era. With success: The films with him in the leading role made the box office ring. “No Time To Die” was Craig's fifth and final Bond. It is not yet clear who will take on the role in the future.
Similar controversy surrounding Roald Dahl's work
The controversy follows a debate surrounding the work of popular British children's author Roald Dahl. His novels should also be revised in a new edition by so-called “sensitivity readers”, which point to content that could possibly be taken as an insult or could represent a group of people in a harmful way.
For example, a woman should not be more than be described as “fat”, but as “enormous”. The author Salman Rushdie, who was the victim of a knife attack in 2022 because he has been campaigning for freedom of expression for decades, called the changes “absurd censorship”.
In the case of Roald Dahl, the publisher backtracked after public criticism: Two editions are now to appear, one of which contains the original text. “Ian Fleming Publishing”, on the other hand, has called on readers to look at the revised version and form their own opinion.