Die Another Day - Video Recording Review

New Internationalist, August, 2003

directed by Lee Tamahori

The latest James Bond video release sees hardliners stage a coup in North Korea. By laundering UN-embargoed African conflict diamonds, they secretly finance construction of a giant mirror in space that concentrates reflected sunlight into the ultimate death-ray, and plan to use this dastardly weapon to conquer South Korea. Only Bond (Pierce Brosnan) can stop them.

The evil Colonel Moon tries to outwit Bond by using Cuban gene therapy to transform himself into a suave European playboy. Politically, Bond films tend to distill reactionary visions of international politics into the sphere of popular culture: Die Another Day is no exception. Moon justifies his megalomania by simply cackling that 'Japan is a bug waiting to be squashed, and the West will tremble with fear'. No other explanation is offered. Yet North Korean identity was forged through resistance to brutal Japanese colonialism, and hardened by fighting the US to a standstill in 1953--but not before US carpet-bombing reduced the most industrialized region in the peninsular to penury.

But mere historical details are not allowed to disturb the geopolitical fantasies of the producer: a dangerous world of failed states, populated by international terrorists and hyperbolic fanatics with weapons of mass destruction, that are only kept in check by an alliance of British brains and American brawn.

Where have we heard that one before?

Rating * NM

STAR RATING

EXCELLENT   *****
VERY GOOD   ****
GOOD        ***
FAIR        **
POOR        *