The global reach of the James Bond franchise highlights just how many viewers are exposed to Orientalist representations of the East. James Bond films exemplify Orientalism through their portrayal of non-Western characters and settings, as well as their treatment of political conflicts. Whether addressing fears of Communist China and the Soviet Union during the Cold War or the threat of terrorism in the Middle East, the films often construct the East as a mysterious realm of intrigue, decadence and danger. At the same time the films frequently reinforce the idea of the rational, modern and morally superior West in contrast to an irrational, backward, and morally ambiguous East, thus perpetuating a long-standing Orientalist discourse in popular culture. While these portrayals may be exaggerated for cinematic effect, they nonetheless shape perceptions of foreign cultures for Western audiences and in some cases, even influence how people in the depicted regions view themselves. Due to the series’s global success and recurring Orientalist tropes, the James Bond films serve as an ideal case for examining how Western media construct and sustain narratives about the East, which will also be the purpose of this master's thesis.
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