Psychoanalytical Model- Casino Royale

How does the film address a male/female audience:

Male:

1. It’s a sequence to one of the best nationalistic film series; James Bond.

2. The genre is another aspect. The films all contain action and adventure as Bond, an undercover agent, attempts to save the world.

3. Stunts are associated with the male audience. James Bonds films are famous for their stunts, For example in Casino Royale one stunt performed was when the Austin Martin car rolls over continuously. Also through editing, a variety of shots were used to make the stunt more dramatic.

4. Bond girls. The films brand as whole is a ‘symbolic annihilation’ of women by the use of ‘Bond Girls’ which are in every film and are objectified as ‘sexual objects of the male audience. In addition, Laura Mulvey’s ‘male gaze’ is also evident.

5. Cars and gadgets. In the film Bond has a lot of high-tech gadgets and cars. Again this appeals to the male audience as boys are stereotypically interested in this.

Female:

1. Daniel Craig is an appeal towards women (‘female gaze’) as he does not conform to generic representation of Bond. Women are seen as sex objects in the Bond films, however Casino Royale has a role reversal. In ‘Die Another Day’, Halle Berry is seen coming out of the water in her bikini. This is clearly for the ‘male gaze’, however in ‘Casino Royale’, the roles have been revered as its Daniel Craig who comes out of the water allowing the female audience to look at the male. In addition, the female spectators can identify with Daniel Craig as he is objectified in the same way that women are objectified

2. Bond films are hybrid genres. Romance is one of the many genres used in the film. This genre stereotypically is associated more with the female gender.

3. Female power. Over time Bond films have subordinated women, however over recent time, females have had more equality and power and have taken more active/central roles. One example is the character ‘M’, who is a powerful and dominant character who instructs the missions to Bond. Another example is Halle Berry, who takes an active part in help Bond defeat the villain.