It is almost impossible to exaggerate the allure of Bond’s lifestyle to a postwar Britain strained by rationing, deprived of glamour and still bruised by the privations of war. Bond is, quite simply, a stylish, fast-shooting, high-living, sexually liberated advertisement for all the things ordinary Britons had never had, yet dreamed of: the finest food and drink, smart clothes, fast cars, leisure time, casinos, exotic foreign travel, swimming in warm waters. Fleming called his evocation of this fantasy ‘disciplined exoticism’. But he was also one of the first writers to identify the appeal of the designer lifestyle in an emerging age of consumerism. Identifying Bond with certain brands made him not only classy, but believable. Fleming had history on his side, for his dealings in wartime espionage had shown him that spies do, indeed, enjoy and require moments of great luxury. Much spycraft is boring, dangerous and uncomfortable, and spies tend to be self-interested people, fascinated by material things.
What do You think about For Your Eyes Only (2012)?
