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Roger Moore: The Bond who took on Russia in the Cold War

Moore passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89, and was awarded the CBE in 1999, which then became a knighthood in 2003.

By Prabhpreet
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Google Oneindia News

To those unfamiliar of the films he did, his death may just seem like a passing away of a man who was once a very famous movie actor. But for those who have seen his movies, and especially the ones who watched them when they were originally released, he represents the guy who brought home the reality of the era they were living in. And this is not only true for those in the UK, his homeland, but many around the world.

Roger Moore

Roger Moore, who died yesterday at the age of 89, was awarded a CBE in 1999, which then became a knighthood in 2003, given to him for his charity work, played the role of what is probably the most famous spy character of all time, James Bond.

Though he first attained celebrity status through television series such as The Saint, it was as James Bond that Moore attained his vast following and fan base.

The Bond movies that he was part of were not just like any other role that an actor takes on. It was the hero who was to represent the real life turbulent times he existed in, as he defeated one nemesis after the other in the seven bond films he was part of.

These included Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A view to a Kill.

He was the symbol of the ultimate hero who took on the forces of evil that were represented by the villains from the Soviet Union (USSR) or what is better known as present day Russia.

Moore did not just play Bond for 12 years from 1973 to 1985, the longest of all actors who have played the character till date, but he did it during the period of history, post World War 2, when the cold war was at its peak, which finally ended with the dissolution of the Soviet union in 1991.

And though the era is represented as a fight between the US and the USSR, and Bond is a fictional British spy, in reality it was fight between the western countries led by US but including other such as UK, who had followed the path of capitalism and the USSR, which had adopted communism.

While it was and is, for each person to choose which side was right and which wrong, or whether there was any side which could be called right or wrong, it were movies like his which tilted the side of the group of people, who belonged to the neutral countries, towards the western world.

This concept, which is now known as 'Soft Power' and is a non-coercive way of changing and influencing social and public opinion through relatively less transparent channels such as culture and political values.

With an absence of most other modern day mass media instruments at the time, whether intentionally or unintentionally this is what Moore's Bond, along with other movies of the time, played a part in helping to build a narrative where America and its allies were seen as the side to be on, by the general public.

Though Moore worked in many films and TV series in his lifetime while also donning many hats such as actor, director, author, UNICEF goodwill ambassador among others, it was the influence of this nature that will make his fans belonging to many generations, from all over the world, remember him as the James Bond who took on and defeated Russia.

OneIndia News

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