007 in the crosshairs of science.

He has a license to kill, they have the license to Research: With an international conference in Saarbrücken scientists illuminate the myth of James Bond as a cultural ambassador, pop phenomenon, womanizer. And make juicy questions: Is 007 series relationship killer and rivets?

 

Some look at James Bond movies, because they are passionate action fans. Other captures more of the trained body of agents - or his many Gespielinnen. Joachim Frenk, however, is interested in Bond mainly "from a scientific perspective."

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"The Man with the Golden Colt," Bond: 007 Is a serial killer?

Therefore, the professor held for British literature and culture at the University of the Saarland, together with a colleague Erlangen International Conference "The Cultures of James Bond." In Saarbrücken go luminaries of the 007-Research since Friday to Sunday and even the myth of the movie icon to. They arrived from the U.S., Britain and the Netherlands.

If some 90 scientists and students are under a huge poster of Daniel Craig gather, then the spy's research reached a new level. They want to discuss questions like: Why should James Bond will never die? As he has after the attacks of 11 September changed? Is James Bond a pioneer of long-distance, because it makes the whole world jets? The extent to which his masculinity is changing over time? And how much is in bond each of us?

MY NAME IS QUIZ. BOND-QUIZ.

[M] DPA; RUB; Sony Pictures / Greg Williams

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"There are many facets that you can catch up scientifically," says organizer Frenk, "Bond is the most long-lived cult figure in the global media culture. At least half of the world has ever seen a Bond film. The films can be found on a special Type the entire cultural history of the West again. " Always had it perfect on the big screen, the fantasies of the audience served: "In the past, was in the West. Today, on the whole world."

Since the first Bond novel, the writer Ian Fleming, 22 Bond movies released since 1962, with the changing cast of Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the current Bond. Frenk describes the art piece as "incredibly rich": "Sure you can bond as popcorn entertainment consume, but the films say something about the postwar history of Western cultures. It is about the power interests in the real world." So was the sinking of the British Empire, just as processed as the endangered environment and last of the race for scarce commodities in "A Quantum Solace". Previously, the viewer sees a Cold War-Bond experience, he can now globalization Bond prefixed.

The secret as a family replacement

It is not the first indication of how much the Bond phenomenon except moviegoers also fascinates scientists. The Dortmunder physicist Metin Tolan, for example, makes for many years
dry lectures interesting by 007-stunts for their plausibility investigated: Is it possible with a magnetic clock really zips to open dresses of beautiful women, or even pistol bullets distracted? Results of his investigations Tolan has been in the book "Shaken, not stirred" was published. In 2006, he also attended a conference in Bochum in part, in which the English
Track of their favorite heroes sat.

At the conference in Saarbrücken will now change the character of the film were investigated: Gentleman by British agents to ausgekochten detective, the equally vile as his enemies can be. "Is James Bond a serial killer?" Is, for example, the provocative title of the lecture, the Anthony Metievier of the University of Saarbrücken holds. In the 29 lectures and workshops is also to Fleming's novels and the publicity machinery around the Bond phenomenon.

Illuminated is also in the cinema celebrated promiscuity of the double-zero agents. The researcher Abigail De Kosnik from Berkley Center in the U.S. diagnosed with an early-style, which ultimately led to the inability of the relationship movie heroes led. Inconceivable, therefore, that James Bond, a lasting
Woman at his side. His only loyalty is a member of the notorious secret of their majesty: By connecting the MI6 agent - at least according to Freudian Leseart - a romantic ideal family, argues De Kosnik.

One of the key conference participants, the film historian James Chapman of the University of Leicester. 1999 was his standard work "License To Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond film" has published, his most recent book on the cultural history of James Bond has just been published in Japanese translation. "I've seen that fellow heated ideological debates on Bond led. This shows that the bond research will slowly grow," says Chapman.

A disillusioned and wounded hero

Exciting, he finds that Bond "in every movie released, and apparently without direct past appears. The enemies of the famous classic Bond actor Sean Connery played today simply do not matter anymore. In the Daniel Craig version of Bond had absolutely nothing to do with earlier episodes such as "Dr. No" or "Goldfinger" and had to be done in the recent films human, become emotional. "But he remains a spy. So he must be able to seem invisible. It is of England, but remains a stranger everywhere," said the British researchers.

Chapman thinks the new 007 psychologically complex than all agents' predecessor. Barbara Korte, literary scholar from the University of Freiburg, sees this as part of the adjustment of the figure at the present time. "In 'The Quantum Solace' is blurring the line between hero and villain, things are not as clear as before. Craig's Bond is disillusioned and hurt. And so he is a hero of his time and a hero for his time," says Korte .

Not only are researchers Bond came to the conference. BWL student Isis Martinsen has been a childhood fan of Bond, even if they were always in fear under the table hidden, as she says. "At the beginning I already geschmunzelt when I heard that there is a James Bond convention there. But finally, Bond cult!" And pharmacy student Hans Felix Schreckenbach adds: "A nation is defined by its culture. It's interesting how experts assess the Bond phenomenon."

On Friday evening, conference participants discussed the style casino continues. On Saturday and Sunday you will, inter alia, to Bond as a world-traveling tourists, the emancipation of the Bond Girls and the future of 007th Because, says Volker Linneweber, President of the Saar-Uni: "For James Bond, it is not possible to die. The mere economic reasons."