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007电影系列
——英国文化软实力的典型案例

2014-12-24宋云峰

英语学习(上半月) 2014年11期
关键词:弗莱明扮演者邦德

∷宋云峰

1. 影史上最成功的系列电影与国家软实力

《诺博士》电影海报

James Bond Movies—the Most Successful Film Sequels in the World

从1962年的《诺博士》上映到2012年的《大破天幕杀机》,007系列电影已经拍摄了24部,分别有6位长相与个性迥异的演员饰演了影片的主角邦德,众多不同国家的美女出演过邦德女郎,其总票房收入超过60亿美元(仅次于《哈利·波特》系列电影),但如果考虑到通货膨胀因素,007电影的票房总收入已超过100亿美元,稳居影史第一位。可以说,邦德已经成为一个突出的英国文化符号,体现了英国通过电影在全球塑造英国身份和形象的软实力。

The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond, “007”, who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming.

It is one of the longest continually-running film series in history, having been in on-going production from 1962 to the present (the latest sequel in 2012).

During the period Eon Productions has produced 24 films, most of them at Pinewood Studios in London. As of March 2013, the series has grossed just over US$6 billion, making it the second-highestgrossing film series (behind Harry Potter), and the single most successful adjusted for in flation.

Six actors have portrayed 007 in the Eon series,the latest being Daniel Craig.

To the world-wide audience, James Bond represents the British image and identity disregarding the exaggeration and distortion.

邦德扮演者肖恩·康纳利

邦德扮演者罗杰·摩尔

邦德扮演者皮尔斯·布鲁斯南

美国学者本尼迪克特·安德森认为个人对一个国家/民族的认知是通过想象的,国家就是一个想象的共同体,而电影则通过无远弗届的形象有效地构建着各种想象共同体并影响着个人对国家/民族意识的认同。邦德系列电影正是对英国想象共同体构建的成功范例。

Benedict Anderson defined a nation as “an imagined political community—and imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign.” Members hold in their minds a mental image of their affinity: For example, the nationhood felt with other members of your nation when your “imagined community”participates in a larger event such as the Olympic Games. As Anderson puts it, a nation “is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellowmembers, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion.” The media also create imagined communities, through usually targeting a mass audience or generalizing and addressing citizens as the public.

2. 间谍小说、弗莱明、邦德

Ian Fleming (1908—1964) and His Spy Novels on James Bond (1953—1964)

说到007电影和邦德,就不得不提邦德的创造者伊安·弗莱明(1908—1964)。弗莱明在二战期间曾经为英国的情报部门工作,接触过许多特工,为后来从事间谍小说创作打下了深厚的基础。自1952年发表《皇家赌场》到1966年为止,弗莱明共出版以英国特工邦德为主角的长篇小说11部以及短篇小说集两部,总销量过亿册,成为全球最畅销的系列小说作者之一,深刻地影响了冷战时期的间谍小说创作,并为007系列电影的改编提供了丰富的文学来源。

Fleming wrote his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952. It was a success.

Eleven Bond novels and two short-story collections followed between 1953 and 1966.

Bond novels caused spy novel fever against the background of the Cold War.

The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of“The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.

弗莱明将邦德塑造成一个新时代的英国绅士——高大、帅气,拥有多项过人的技能以及独一无二的杀人执照,但同时又具有人性的弱点,例如抽烟、喝酒、飙车、风流,既令读者羡慕惊叹,又在生活上拉近了与读者的距离。007系列影片中邦德的扮演者就是根据弗莱明的文字描述选取的。

Fleming portrayed Bond as a tall, athletic, handsome secret agent in his thirties or forties.

He has several vices including drinking, smoking,gambling, automobiles and women.

He is an exceptional marksman, and skilled in unarmed combat, skiing, swimming and golf.

While Bond kills without hesitation or regret, he usually kills only when carrying out orders, while acting in self-defense and occasionally as revenge.

3. 邦德电影的主题——西方观念与英国价值

Major Themes of the Movie Series—Western Ideology and British Values

007系列电影的主题与小说是一致的,体现了西方在冷战时期的意识形态和英国的主流价值观,例如怀念大英帝国昔日的辉煌、纠结英国二战后日益衰落的大国地位、探讨二战对世界格局和具体国家的影响、展示善与恶的对比和对决、凸显英国与美国的特殊关系(通常是:在拯救世界的过程中,英国的007为主角,而美国的CIA特工则是配角)、描述人际关系中的忠诚与背叛等等。其叙事结构通过二元对立制造矛盾和张力,以达到引人入胜的效果。

A series of oppositions within the storylines that provide interesting structure and narrative:

邦女郎扮演者法米克·詹森

邦女郎扮演者娜奥米·哈里斯

Bond—M

Bond—Villain

Villain—Woman

Woman—Bond

Free World—Soviet Union

Great Britain—Non-Anglo-Saxon Countries

Duty—Sacrifice

Cupidity—Ideals

Love—Death

Chance—Planning

Luxury—Discomfort

Excess—Moderation

Perversion—Innocence

Loyalty—Dishonour

邦女郎扮演者杨紫琼

4. 各有千秋的邦德扮演者

Many Faces of the British Identity—Actors Who Played James Bond

通过选用英国不同族群的男演员来饰演影片的主角邦德,007系列电影既达到了吸引观众参与遴选过程并对影片保持兴趣的目的,也通过不同族裔的007扮演者不知不觉地强化了英国和世界观众对英国文化和国家身份的认同。康纳利、摩尔、道尔顿、布鲁斯南等007扮演者分别来自英国的四个地区(分别具有苏格兰、英格兰、威尔士和爱尔兰血统)。另外,影片还通过诸如绅士风度、英式幽默、女王、大英帝国、首相官邸、军情六处、英国跑车(阿斯顿·马丁)等英国元素凸显英国的文化与国家身份。

5. “邦女郎”与男性凝视

Bond Girls—Decoration and Male Gaze in the British Context

除了邦德和他的助手,每部影片里都有美女角色若干,衬托邦德的风流倜傥和绅士风度,这些美女大都是影片为了吸引男性观众而设置的“花瓶”,供观众观赏,也彰显出影片的男权格调和英国主题。其中只有个别邦德女郎既漂亮又能干还不乏幽默感(如杨紫琼在《明日帝国》中扮演的文武双全的林慧)体现了现代社会的男女平等精神。

A Bond girl is a character (or the actress portraying a character) who is a love interest of James Bond.

There is no set rule on what kind of person a Bond girl will be or what role she will play. She may be an ally or an enemy of Bond, pivotal to the mission or simply eye candy.

All bond girls counted, they are of at least 30 different nationalities, serving not only as the love interest of James Bond in the movie, but also as object of desire for the audience (esp. male audience) across the world.

通过以上简介,我们可以清楚地看出英国电影最大限度地利用其文学遗产,在冷战的新形势下通过007系列影片及其主角邦德来塑造英国的文化形象和构建英国的国家身份。虽然英国在战后已沦落为二流国家,但是其文化软实力通过邦德的形象和电影媒介积极地影响了世界各国对英国文化的认知以及英国国民对其国家身份的认同。这很值得其他国家借鉴。

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