I like James Bond alot. But there's no way I could have done this post justice. So I asked one of my close, personal friends, Grorx, who is a huge Bond fan to do this post. Here now, for the first time, a special guest writer on HialeahCrimson. Enjoy and thanks to Grorx for doing this one!
Alexander Fleming is best known for his most enduring creation: Penicillin, which has saved countless lives in the struggle against bacterial infection. His discovery has saved millions of lives in only a few decades, and thus he certainly deserves find his place somewhere
amongst the 100 greatest human beings ever.
However, it is Ian Fleming that jumps in at the number 68 spot. I am not aware if Ian and Alexander were somehow related, except that their creations are both much more famous than either of them probably ever will be by themselves. Ian is best known for arguably one of the most important fictional characters of the later 20th century: British Secret Service agent, James Bond. [Editor's Note: Alexander Fleming will not be on this list. This should tell you something about this blog.]
While this claim may come as somewhat of a surprise, it is well known that James Bond is nothing short of a cultural icon. His career began with the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, published by Fleming in 1953. It became a large success for its day, and was followed by 13
other books and collections of short stories. But the phenomenon didn't end there. In 1962, James Bond became big in a way Fleming never would have imagined with the release of Dr. No.
James Bond has since become a worldwide phenomenon, with over 20 feature films (and more in the works) starring the character. It is currently the longest continually running english-language film series. If you adjust for inflation, these films have grossed over $11 BILLION, a number certainly fit for a madman's ransom of the world. The character has been so durable, that other authors have taken up Fleming's mantle and continued writing about the character in new novels, adapting what was certainly a Cold War creation to changing times and political realities. He has also appeared in comic books, radio shows, and video games, not to mention the immeasurable influence he has had on other characters and writers of the spy genre. Even the parodies based on Fleming's work, such as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, have become cultural phenomena.
Why has it struck a tone? I think the answer to this lies within the Western psyche, and a full response would probably include more bullshit than Djmmm46 would be comfortable with, especially since graduating. Suffice to say, the saying goes that "Men want to be him, and women want to be with him." He has been said to define cool, suave masculinity, and is both tasteful and refined yet fiercely loyal to his passions and not afraid to do what he has to do to get the job done. He is arguably THE Western Hemisphere's 20th Century hero AND anti-hero, as one commentary I read on him said he was the kind of guy you wanted on your side but wouldn't necessarily bring home to meet the family. Part cowboy and part playboy, He is flawed and perhaps unloved except for his usefulness as a tool.
Despite the women and the gadgets, Bond is presented as an exceedingly lonely man, especially in the more introspective and darker-themed books. The character is someone based on Fleming's own life, born into a minor aristocratic family and sent away early to boarding school, bouncing from school to school and job to job. Though he did not participate in many of the James Bond-type adventures of the Second World War, he did work with British Intelligence services. There he met men who would serve as the models for James Bond, and spent his post-war life going between England and his home in Jamaica, named Goldeneye, where he wrote. The closest he got to living out real James Bond adventures can be seen in a somewhat-fictionalized film about his life, in which he is played by the son of another high ranking Greatest Human Being of All Time.
Furthermore, Fleming also wrote the beloved children's book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was made into the famous movie starring Dick Van Dyke.
Go figure.
Next on the list, at #67, one of the great film directors of our time, who nearly self indulgently ruined the greatest film series ever by casting his incompetent daughter in a key role in the final film of the trilogy. He would otherwise be much higher.
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