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'The World Is Not Enough'— A Christmas Carol 007 Style

'The World Is Not Enough' not only takes place around Christmastime, but actually ends with Bond's idea of a Christmas celebration.

By Art-Peeter RoosvePublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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This holiday season, as I was constructing my annual #Christmasmovie binge list, a Bond fan in me asked: Is there a #Bondmovie one could watch in the holiday spirit? And, well, it dawned on me rather quickly that one of my favourites — The World Is Not Enough — not only takes place around Christmastime, but actually ends with Bond's idea of a #Christmas celebration.

Granted, we can't quite call it a Christmas movie simply because it ends with Christmas celebrations. In fact, it's rather obvious that the main reason this film takes place around this holiday, is to have fun with the name of the Bond girl — Dr. Christmas Jones. However, there is an angle here, which actually enabled me to watch #TheWorldIsNotEnough as a Christmas movie (albeit, a bit unconventional one). Let's take a quick look.

What Is A Christmas Movie Anyway?

As said above, a film being set during Christmastime does not automatically make it a Christmas flick. In my opinion, it's the movie's ability to emotionally place you in the holiday spirit, which really defines whether or not one can call it a Christmas movie. Now, while this can massively vary for each individual taste, it usually means that these films are required to explore some uplifting and timeless themes associated with Christmas. For example, it can be something as simple as seeing a character appreciate and embrace the world around him or her.

A Fitting Christmas Message From 007

So, how does the idea of Bond celebrating Christmas with a one night stand and some champagne help to convey this simple message of appreciating what you have? Well, to better understand it, one should be mindful that it's still #Bond we're dealing with here — a cold and emotionally scarred killer, who doesn't have a realistic chance to ever truly be happy. It's a notion, which is excellently illustrated for us within the plot of The World Is Not Enough:

  • Even before the story properly gets under way, we learn that Bond's fellow agent has been killed.
  • Bond loses a mentor/father figure in Q, as he retires. (apparently to go fishing in an armoured motorboat with torpedoes).
  • He gets reminded of the death of his wife.
  • His former enemy turned friend gets killed (Zukovsky).
  • And, last but not least, he is forced to kill Elektra — a tragic character to whom Bond grows more attached to than his usual on-screen love interests. Unfortunately, she also turns out to be the puppetmaster behind this film's main conflict.

It's worth pointing out that all of it seems to be getting to Bond on an emotional level, which is apparent owing to a surprisingly intense performance from Brosnan.

Now, coming back to that Christmas scene at the end, it might come across as a shallow pay-off for all that emotional turmoil preceeding it. However, a crucial bit of dialogue between Bond and Elektra helps to put this ending into a bit more profound and meaningful perspective (one that is also fitting for a Christmas movie).

Elektra King: And what about you? What do you do to survive?James Bond: I take pleasure — in great beauty.

You see, we have this emotionally damaged individual, who has once again been reminded that he is not destined for any substantial happiness. Yet, he is able to put it behind him and celebrate Christmas. In other words, while the world is not enough for Bond to achieve any profound peace of mind, he is still able to take pleasure in it (no matter how shallow it might be).

Now, seeing this little silver lining for 007, as he was celebrating Christmas, did place me in a rather nice holiday mood. And, as said before, isn't this what a Christmas movie is supposed to achieve?

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About the Creator

Art-Peeter Roosve

So, to put it simply (and slightly cheesily) I'm fascinated with life. And, well, writing about films, TV shows, video games, music, travelling, philosophy and Formula 1 among other is a fun way to explore it.

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