Black women in Bond film

[BridesmaidHelp]

So I saw the new Bond film and I’ve since been online looking for discussion’s about it’s portrayal of black women. I was very disappointed as whilst Leshawna Lynch was amazing and introduced as sexy and alluring they quickly resorted to the usual… butch black baddass female contrasting with stereotypical white femininity. Whilst I’m not advocating black woken start playing all the damsel in distress roles, it would just be nice to not have to follow the cliches and have us being sexy, looking sexy and baddass.

It's a James Bond movie, I don't know why you had high expectations.

Lol I didn’t really

I know what you mean. Haven't watched it but I saw this poster somewhere and said "Nope!".

Done with the subliminal BS that you get gaslit for if you mention it.

I almost started a thread on this. It's tge frust time I have seen two black women on the lighter shade feature heavily in massive British production like James Bond. I don't think they have done that before. It was huge when naomi Harris got the role which usually a black man would have got.

That aside, yes to Lashana Lynch's character. I think it's tk make tge character undatble by other Bonds. Thr same happened in dr who and I don't expect it to be any different.

I hated how they teased her character. I guess for black women that is us rulled out. Fair enough, it's not like I would have wanted a black woman to take the role but that was a shitty move by producers/creators/directors

I loved the film!

I hadn't really thought about it until this post. But it seems we are either portrayed as badass or subservient...there never seems to be much inbetween (of course there are exceptions).

Do you think that is how we are generally viewed. That people only have a two-dimensional view of us?

That people only have a two-dimensional view of us?

The answer is "Yes"

I was reading this article earlier - www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/nov/06/im-constantly-fighting-behind-the-scenes-black-comics-on-breaking-down-industry-barriers

And Gina Yashere illustrates there is still such a problem with majority black cast:
"On Bob Hearts Abishola, I’m constantly fighting behind the scenes. There are Black writers in the room, because I made sure of that; I’m not one of those Black people that pulls up the ladder behind them. But I’m constantly fighting. Not against racism, but I’m working with people who have never worked with a majority Black cast. I have to tell them some things are stereotypical tropes, and I’m all about the authenticity. "

Your interpretation of how Lashana Lynch is really interesting. Admittedly I haven't watched the new James Bondond yet, I will at some point. However, I was planning to watch and felt excited based upon the interviews I've read & watched. I understood that they tried very hard to ensure the black women don't fall into the stereotypical tropes:

www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a34517814/lashana-lynch-black-female-007-interview/

Lynch wanted to ensure Nomi was subtly drawn, believable, perhaps even a little awkward. She set out to portray the truth of being a Black woman –someone she might know; someone in her family – avoiding the two-dimensional view that can be so easily conveyed on screen or written in scripts.

"A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for," says Lynch. ‘I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent. I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real life represented. In every project I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I’m presenting needs to be 100 per cent authentic."

I also understood that the introduction of Naomie Harris as Miss MoneyPenny, was to facilitate the "modernization" of James Bond. I've enjoyed watching how Naomie Harris is playing Miss MoneyPenny. She's still flirting with Bond, but she's moved from sitting behind the desk in the office being useless, to being his skilled & intelligent partner in the field. So I definitely disagree with the two dimensional discourse being suggested with regards to Naomie Harris.

m.imdb.com/video/vi3772365849

This is another article that I read which helped shape my optimism:

shadowandact.com/no-time-to-die-star-lashana-lynch-on-breaking-ground-in-the-bond-franchise

I'll come back to discuss after I've actually watched the film LoL.

I wouldn't normally happen on this tread as a white male, it's interesting. I'd say that Harris and Wright were cast as Moneypenny and Leiter respectively to add diversity.... problem with Bond films & diversity is this - if you cast them as a 'Bond girl' i.e. Bond's 'conquest' you can get into trouble because it can be seen as sexist anyway, as Bond usually discards his women or they get bumped off in the first reel, so arguably none of that is good role model stuff. Cast black actors as villains and you get the same problem - nobody really needs to see a white Govt agent with a gun and a license to kill taking down a black guy - it is uncomfortable viewing.

So to have diversity in the Bond films, it's likely your black actors will be playing Bond allies to avoid these kind of optics.

I personally didn't think the Nomi character was well drawn but imo the whole film was a mess really, the whole plot was boxed in having to follow the 'happy ever after' ending of the last one.

Well! Miss MoneyPeny is back behind the reception desk and this time it's not imaginary.

With lynch the problem was the chemistry. It came across very similar to Freema Agyeman when she was in Dr.who

But overall, it was great.

@BridesmaidHelp
The one with Grace Jones got me
Know its bond
But didn't like how she was portrayed in that part