Conversatia despre “Black 007” a inceput cu Idris Elba. In calitate de vedeta a serialului de televiziune american de succes “Luther”, el a fost mentionat ca inlocuitor pentru rolul lui James Bond in urma cu cativa ani. In “Luther”, Idris joaca rolul unui detectiv dur si inteligent; astfel incat trecerea la rolul lui 007 nu ar fi fost un pas atat de mare.
Doar o problema – Idris este negru. Asta e o problema pentru unii, dar nu si pentru Idris Elba. Intr-o editie a Vanity Fair, el a spus: “James Bond este un personaj extrem de ravnit, iconic, iubit … .. Desigur, daca cineva mi-ar propune <<Vrei sa joci James Bond?>> as fi fascinat. Dar nu am spus niciodata: “Da, vreau sa fiu un James Bond de culoare”.
Oricum, reimprospatarea unei formule invechite este o modalitate de a mentine interesul public. Formula Bond exista de zeci de ani, astfel incat s-ar putea argumenta ca “negru si masculin” a fost doar o strategie, o injectie de noutate, nu o declaratie “politically correct”.
Cu toate acestea, negru si feminin? In eseul lui Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying, el spune: “Viata imita arta mult mai mult decat arta imita viata”. Feminismul, si recent activismul in SUA , ‘”Americani de culoare” o face pe Lashana Lynch sa fie mai mult decat doar o femeie de culoare care salveaza lumea de cei rai! Ea reprezinta ceva mult mai mare. Ea este arta care imita viata. Ea rezoneaza cu evenimentele care se intampla in lumea reala. Ea oglindeste realitatea. OK, am inteles asta, dar este credibila ca inlocuitor “temporar” pentru James Bond? Da, temporar! Ea este temporara, deoarece Bond traieste in exil in Jamaica. Ea intra in rolul sau in timp ce el este plecat. Ea nu este un inlocuitor permanent. Sugestia este ca Bond se va intoarce intr-o zi, iar in timp ce el este absent in Jamaica insorita, “sablonul” Bond poate fi jucat de oricine.
Citeste si: Stilul nemuritor al lui Sean Connery
Poate ca investitorii de franciza Bond se gandesc mai mult la Netflix și profituri decat la dezechilibrul social si inegalitatea rasiala! Lashana Lynch bifeaza toate casutele pentru a optimiza sansele de succes comercial. Argumentele media pentru si impotriva inlocuirii temporare sunt marketing gratuit. Lashana este alegerea fireasca pentru actionari, nu doar pentru gardienii auto-numiti ai moralei sociale.
Reactia violenta la rolul lui Lynch ca inlocuitor temporar al lui Bond spune mai multe despre oamenii care nu pot face diferenta dintre arta si viata. Oricum, sunt sigur ca formula simpla a baietilor buni versus baietii rai va face ca acest film Bond sa fie la fel de reusit ca si celelalte. De ce? Fanii Bond vad lumea in alb si negru, nu de culoare!
Citeste si: James Bond: 12 actori, 26 de filme, 58 de ani!
Lashana Lynch, a ‘black’ 007!
The ‘black 007’ conversation started with Idris Elba. As the star of the successful American TV series, ‘Luther‘, he was mentioned as a replacement for the role of James Bond a couple of years ago. In ‘Luther’, Idris plays the part of a tough, smart detective; so the transition to the role of 007 would not have been such a big step. Just one problem – Idris is black. That’s a problem for some people, but not for Idris Elba, himself.
In an issue of Vanity Fair, he said, “James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character… Of course, if someone said to me ‘Do you want to play James Bond?,’ I’d be fascinated. But I’ve never said, <<Yeah, I wanna be the black James Bond>>.”
Anyway, refreshing a stale formula is a way of maintaining public interest. The Bond formula has been around for decades, so one could argue that ‘black and male’ was just a strategy, an injection of novelty, not a ‘politically correct’ statement.
However, black and female? In Oscar Wilde’s essay The Decay of Lying, he says, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.”
Feminism, and the recent activism in America on behalf of ‘Americans of color’ makes Lashana Lynch more than just a black woman saving the world from the bad guys! She represents something much bigger. She is Art imitating Life. She resonates with events happening in the real world. She mirrors reality. OK, I get that.
But is she credible as a ‘temporary’ replacement for James Bond? Yes, temporary. She is temporary because Bond is living in exile on Jamaica. She steps into his role while he is gone. She is not a permanent replacement. The suggestion is that Bond will return one day, and while he is absent in sunny Jamaica, the Bond ‘template’ can be played by anyone.
Perhaps the Bond franchise investors are thinking more about Netflix and profits than social imbalance and racial inequality! Lashana Lynch ticks all the boxes to optimise the chances of commercial success. Media arguments for and against the choice of Bond’s temporary replacement is cost-free marketing. Lashana is the natural choice for shareholders, not just the self-appointed guardians of social morals.
The violent reaction to Lynch‘s role as Bond‘s temporary replacement says more about people who cannot tell the difference between Art and Life. Anyway, I am sure that the simple formula of good guys versus bad guys will make this Bond film as successful as the others. Why? Bond fans see the world in black and white, not color!
Angus McFarlane is self-employed at Perfect (British) English, an English language provider located in Bucharest. He arrived in Bucharest 16 years ago and set up this teaching company. Beneficiaries of his successful approach to teaching English have
included many students at Telekom, Mars/Wrigley, KPMG and a leading legal company in Bucharest. He has an Honors degree (cum laude), English Language and Literature from Dundee and St Andrews University in Britain; he also holds a CELTA certificate to teach English as a foreign language. He is passionate about chess, music and cats!