🔗 Share this article

Last year, actor Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for playing Vladimir Putin in a new film. This production, however, may align too neatly with the mythologized image promoted by Russian state media that, within Russia, it reads as a endorsement instead of a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Kremlin and its pop-culture machine have collaborated to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This character is an infallible strategist devoid of flaws, a former spy reimagined as a Russian James Bond who always knows beyond what he shows.

“Domestically, the constructed Putin has long eclipsed the real one.”

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a TV series launched last fall, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a invented blue-eyed lieutenant colonel inexplicably chosen to “rescue” the nation from chaos. Although he is called a different name, the message is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals often end up reinforcing this identical story instead of undercutting it. A new film inspired by a bestselling satirical novel aims to undermine the leader's mythology by framing him as a symptom but as a symptom, shifting the focus to the spin doctors around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is shown as having been picked by powerful oligarchs to steady the nation because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. They visit him and practically plead him to take the top job. His response is that he would rather govern from the shadows, desiring enduring influence.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind guided by fate. Historically, these events took place.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with Putin to accept the role. The position was effectively a casting call with many candidates. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the previous administration who planned to control the country de facto.

• The shortlist included several politicians, among them a reformer subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• According to an expert who researched his rise, the future president simply fitted the required parameters: loyal, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A property developer close to the events said the primary requirement was manageability and faithfulness, not strength.

“The goal wasn't a powerful leader, they needed someone controllable, someone who would obey orders.”

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of him as a master operative was built after the fact. Stories about his “recruitment work” in East Germany fall apart under examination. In essence, he handled paperwork and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the move to framing him as a “007” could partly have been triggered by the actor's arrival as 007. The grittier interpretation prompted Russian media and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with his surfaced on Moscow streets, fueling the increasing trend to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star well-liked by viewers there, the Kremlin are likely to seize the chance to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's omission of mass protests, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, even though it includes the past decade, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, the president is frequently an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. His influence is signaled through photographs or orders from on high. Now, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.