‘You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr Bond’: The Elemental Encounters of James Bond

This article explores the importance of elemental geographies in the James Bond franchise and how the hero’s encounters with water, air, earth, and fire shape our understanding of him as a character and the missions he completes. On the one hand, Bond is depicted as being “in his element” and his ability to put classical elements to work to his advantage is crucial to shaping the prevailing mood or ‘atmospheres’ to the geopolitical crises and dramas he encounters. On the other hand, Bond villains frequently manipulate, re-engineer, and even poison the elemental as part of their projects to secure geopolitical domination. By securing the elemental, Bond helps to reinforce the dominant Anglo-American security architecture and restrain the potential of the elemental to overwhelm the life he has striven to secure.

Keywords: James Bond; classical elements; water; air; fire; earth; geography; materiality; atmospheres.