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Fast Cars, Beautiful Hotels and Crazy Despots!

Explore James Bond films as celebration or critique of capitalism, showcasing luxury cars, hotels, and the allure of wealth. Delve into the portrayal of despots corrupted by greed and power.

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Fast Cars, Beautiful Hotels and Crazy Despots!

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  1. Fast Cars, Beautiful Hotels and Crazy Despots! • James Bond as celebration or critique of capitalism?

  2. The classic account • Bond as celebrator of capitalism? • Cars, casinos, hotels • product placement • aspirational products • desirable wealth • Conspicuous consumption • Aspirational lifestyle - independence; glamour and excitement; gadgets = seductive power • Result = beautiful women • Even the ‘inaccessible’ and un-seducable

  3. Q and Bond’s ‘new BMW’

  4. Fast cars, champagne and..

  5. Product Placement

  6. Moonraker - Drax’s wealth

  7. Capitalism’s seductive power?

  8. Bond and the un-seduceable?

  9. Bond as capitalist critique? • Despots corrupted by greed and lust for power • Capitalism results in megalomania? • Films as critiques of capitalism

  10. The World is Not Enough • released in 1999; Pierce Brosnan • Elektra King - female despot; key protagonist • kills own father to control oil company • willing to detonate nuclear bomb to secure energy domination • capitalism has corrupted her

  11. Elektra King’s lust for power

  12. Tomorrow Never Dies • released in 1997; Pierce Brosnan • Elliot Carver - media mogul • attempts to launch WWIII in order to promote own media empire • wife assassinated for prior relationship with Bond • Satire of Murdoch Press? Reveals corrupting power of capitalism?

  13. Elliot Carver, media mogul • chapter 20

  14. Goldfinger • released in 1964; Sean Connery • Auric Goldfinger despot who ‘loves only gold’ • plan to attack USA gold deposit at Fort Knox to pollute the gold supply so increasing value of own stock. • greed and megalomania caused by capitalism

  15. Moonraker • released 1979; Roger Moore • Hugo Drax, California technology entrepreneur. • space shuttle programme • huge wealth and opulence • desire to destroy humanity and flee to space • Again, capitalism has created megalomania.

  16. Drax’s plans for global rule!

  17. Conclusion • Capitalism is ubiquitous in Bond films • YET capitalism results in despotic tendencies and megalomania • BUT Greed is ultimately defeated by Bond with a return to ‘the norm’ • ‘The norm’ (i.e. capitalism) results in more despotism, greed and megalomania • The cycle repeats itself... • Thus capitalisms contradiction is continuous.

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