James Bond: Ageless No More?

I am not really a Bond fan, because of the sexist way women are portrayed in the franchise: mere sex toys discarded willy-nilly in the kiss-kiss, bang-bang template.

But I have recently adopted the attitude of saying yes to new experiences, so I went along and saw the movie last weekend.

Craggy-faced daniel Craig in 2012's "Skyfall

This is not a film review, though. I just want to say that surprisingly, I liked "Skyfall". This was mainly because it showed a cerebral Bond Girl (M) and an ageing James Bond. No kidding. At least that’s how I perceived Bond’s run down looks, his failure to pass the physical and other exams, plus allusions to him being an antique that MI6 could no longer afford. The scene between him and the fresh-faced Q brings this point across.

Pierce Brosnan, Craig's immediate Bond predecessor

In earlier films whose trailers I have seen, Bond never seemed to age. In fact, Wikipedia describes him as ageless and cites that even in the Ian Fleming novels, his birthdate was a moving target of sorts, ranging from 1917 to 1921.  That would place him from 95 years old to 99 years old! 

Suave Sean Connery, the original 60's James Bond

Come to think of it, the original James Bond, Sean Connery, is now 82 years old. I guess to commemorate the golden anniversary of the film series, the makers at least had to recognize that the chap was getting on in years. On a deeper level, some critics have said that the Director Sam Mendes was influenced by Chris Nolan’s treatment of Batman as the Dark Knight. Others said that this was a reflection of our times.

Regardless of the reason, the movie showed a James Bond trying to rehabilitate himself and rise above his physical and psychological setbacks. More importantly, it showed that despite  Bond’s advancing years, the wear and tear on his body and the rise of technology as personified by the tech-savvy Mr. Silva, Bond’s experience, street smarts, and heart  wins in the end.

For someone past middle age like me, this is a heartening thought.  We can teach old dogs new tricks after all, even if the old dog happens to be ourselves. James Bond has shown that age does not automatically make us irrelevant. Our wisdom is important. Our spirit and our heart make a difference. True, there will always be younger, more eager colleagues who want a shot at our jobs in the workplace. There will always be younger men and women with an eye at our partners. But then we should never forget our self worth. We may have advanced in years, but that does not necessarily mean that we are expendable.

M- "Skyfall's Ultimate Bond Girl

Dame Judi Dench also made this point across as M. She refused to retire before she could sort out the mess that her agency was in. Some have called her the Bond Girl to end all Bond Girls. Now, isn’t that neat for those of us who have crossed the golden line?

Also, we are quite fortunate that here in Asia, senior citizens are revered for their wisdom. But to deserve this, we of course have to keep on improving ourselves and keep abreast of new developments. We should keep on honing our strengths and capitalizing on them. In short, we must learn to age gracefully.

May our hearts be filled with joy.