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Going Atmospheric and Elemental: Roger Moore’s and Timothy Dalton’s James Bond and Cold War Geo-Politics

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Media and the Cold War in the 1980s

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media ((PSHM))

Abstract

Using the Second Cold War (ca. 1974–1987) as a primary focus, this chapter contends that the “Bond formula” is neither formulaic nor institutionally ritualized as the term implies. It becomes more atmospheric, elemental, and resourceful. Three factors enable this shift. First, the emergence of blockbuster films and new techniques of production and marketing that encourage spectacle, lavishness, and scale. Second, spectacular set design associated with Ken Adam offers up immersive and impressive environments for Bond to grapple with. Finally, environmental degradation, climate change, and space-based imagery of Earth inform a global consciousness. Bond and his allies, both American and occasionally Soviet, prevent unthinkable (but not unimaginable) global destruction and normalize Anglo-American geopolitical power.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK

    Klaus Dodds

  2. University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    Lisa Funnell

Authors
  1. Klaus Dodds
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  2. Lisa Funnell
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Correspondence to Klaus Dodds .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Volda University College, Volda, Norway

    Henrik G. Bastiansen

  2. New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Martin Klimke

  3. Volda University College, Volda, Norway

    Rolf Werenskjold

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Dodds, K., Funnell, L. (2019). Going Atmospheric and Elemental: Roger Moore’s and Timothy Dalton’s James Bond and Cold War Geo-Politics. In: Bastiansen, H.G., Klimke, M., Werenskjold, R. (eds) Media and the Cold War in the 1980s. Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98382-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98382-0_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98381-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98382-0

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

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