James Bond and Pussy Galore - is this rape?

[THEMardy]

Well we all know that James Bond used to be a misogynistic dinosaur, but I saw this clip recently and was shocked. She clearly rejects him and is pushing him away as he forces himself onto her.

Disclaimer: Yes, I know it's old and fiction before someone tells me to lighten up.

Marital rape law in England and Wales was 1990s, wasn't it?

I agree that some of the casual sexism and acceptance of sexual assault in Bond is shocking to modern eyes, but as for John Wayne, I think it's in the scene as a "gosh, look at the old days" thing, and not as an "acceptable in the fifties" thing.

A recent remake of an old Western has Matt Damon beating a teenager (scene lifted straight from original, as remake was very faithful). He apologised/disclaimed in every single interview, showing how far cinema really has come - in Bourne films he can be as violent as he likes, but not towards civilians or children!

In the words of Alan Partridge:

"Lynn! Stop ruining Bond!"

:(

The book was published in 1959 and the film made in 1964 - racism, sexism etc were not seen as a major problem when the book was written especially bearing in mind it was written by someone born in 1908 who had been educated at Eton and Sandhurst (I doubt Fleming was much of a liberal).

Caroleservice I was shocked by that scene too, especially as before he tries to kiss her and she makes it very clear shes not interested, going as far as to say after she has strapped him into the "rack" that its the first time shes felt safe all day.

Its the fact that he says "Well if you want to keep your job..." that sent shivers of disgust down my spine.

I expected the casual sexism (slapping a woman on the arse and telling her to go away as it was "mens business" for example) due to the era of the films, but me and DH were shouting at the TV at that particular scene.

I sometimes read a different message into these films...

It was still widely unacceptable for a woman to be sexually promiscuous. For example, the nurse saying she only felt safe with bond strapped down - I always read it as not safe from an unwanted assault on her person but safe from An assault upon her morals - she would have tried to resist but she couldn't resist him (which is a whole different thing from forced rape) and likewise the scene with pussy, the putting up a battle thing - showing she wasn't just a wanton hussy but of course JB is such a stud...

Based on the social mores of the time!

"In one film (Goldfinger), he blackmails the nurse into sex on the basis that she would lose her job if the bosses found out that the electric massage machine had gone bonkers (it had been set by Oddjob, not her)."

thats thunderball and oddjob isnt in the film

That makes it ok then.