Gemma Arterton regrets taking the role of Bond girl Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace. The second film in Daniel Craig's series of James Bond films, Quantum of Solace came out in 2008. Arterton starred as one of two Bond girls in the film, alongside Olga Kurylenko's Camille Montes, who had a much larger role. Quantum of Solace is widely regarded as the lesser film in Craig's Bond repertoire, with both Skyfall and Spectre being more formidable follow-ups to Casino Royale.
In the film, Arterton's appearance is brief. As Bond goes rogue (again), Arterton's Strawberry Fields is tasked with intercepting Bond in Bolivia and bringing him back to MI6. Naturally, Bond resists Fields' orders. He goes on to seduce the character before leaving on another mission. When he returns, M (Judi Dench) is at the hotel, and Fields is found murdered in her room, her body covered in oil.
Arterton ultimately expressed regretting taking the role in an interview with The Sun. Arterton says that, when she took the role, she was young and had a ton of student loans to pay off. As she grew older, though, Arterton says she realized what was wrong with Bond women. She said:
"I still get criticism for accepting Quantum of Solace, but I was 21, I had a student loan, and you, know, it was a Bond film. But as I got older I realised there was so much wrong with Bond women. Strawberry should have just said no, really, and worn flat shoes."
Bond girls have long been a tradition of the James Bond franchise and while they have been rightfully scrutinized throughout time, the evolution of them has been stagnant. No Time to Die, Craig's fifth outing, may be looking to rectify that, with new Bond girl Ana de Armas saying that her character is empowered and realistic, but one empowered Bond girl does not erase a history of women being needlessly killed at the expense of the franchise's hero. In fact, more Bond girls have died than there have been actual Bond films.
Bond films have never been known for their ability to pass the Bechdel Test, but it's high time that we reexamine the ways in which women are portrayed in the films. Spectre came out all the way back in 2015, prior to Hollywood's continued reckoning with the way women are treated in front of and behind the camera. With Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) possibly taking over the 007 mantle, No Time to Die could be ushering in a new era for the franchise. Still, there's a long way to go before Bond truly reconciles the way it has treated its female characters with more modern sentiments. Quantum of Solace may be a relic of its time, and Arterton may regret her role but, hopefully, the new film is a step forward for the long-running series.
Source: The Sun
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