Research into Spy films...
What is the spy genre?
A spy film is typically a story that features an agent's mission, often issued by a government agency or higher party, to complete a task within a short deadline and with urgency. Some of the main characteristics within the spy genre is the tense story line fluctuation between success and failure. The failure is always more stressful due to the high stakes illustrated at the beginning of the film. There is always a clearly defined binary opposition; sometimes even a double cross or red herring to be noted as the story progresses. It should be noted that many people are bigger fans of the spy than the genre and focus more on that character's development.
Within many spy films there includes an underlying romance and story to follow, not always focusing entirely on the task at hand. The attention sometimes strays to past memories, experiences, and relationships that form the main protagonist's character and history. If you look at some of the most iconic spy films, sometimes there is a divide within how a romantic partner is featured. For example, the Bond series features a remarkable amount of 'Bond women' who tend to be there for the male gaze. They die shortly after their interaction with James Bond and are proven to be unimportant to the progression of the film. This contrasts to the film series Mission; Impossible. Throughout the movies, Ethan Hunt has only two love interests that form important roles within the story. They are a crucial backbone to his development and maintain roles throughout the series. So there are varying types of story lines within this genre depending on the director, target audience, and type of character portrayed.
When looking at a spy story through Todorov's narrative structure, it is clear that it follows the theory when you see the equilibrium at the beginning where everything is at peace and uninterrupted and bleeds into the disruption- where our spy will receive their mission. On occasion we will join the story line further along where things are already disrupted and an active scene is taking place to engage the audience. After the disruption you will find there is a realization for our protagonist; they find the source of the problem after many twists and failures, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. When the spy knows how to complete their objective, the restoration will arrive shortly after a gruelling challenge to defeat the problem. Within the restoration there is almost always a 'close call' where everything almost goes completely wrong. Now that their mission is completed, equilibrium is restored until the next instalment of the story.
What is the purpose of a Spy film?
The purpose of a spy film is to thrill the audience and make them feel as if they are a part of the sequence and to project the overall emotions onto them. There is also the appeal for the audience to try and solve the mystery alongside the protagonist. The Uses and Gratifications theory implies that Dyer's Entertainment and Utopia theory is a great example as to the appeal of this genre. Dyer has three reasons as to why people consume media; social tension, inadequacy, and absence. Many people find comfort in these types of story lines as there is a character who goes around dedicating their lives to fixing these Utopian issues. There is a lot more energy and excitement within a spy movie over real life and that's where most of the appeal comes from. If you follow the story line as the protagonist you will share their sense of passion, love, and belonging; creating a sense of escapism.
How long have they been on screens?
The spy genre has existed for a long time within literary confines since the first spy story released in 1971 by G.T Chesney called 'The Battle of Dorking'. Soon plays such as 'An Englishman's home' ran for eighteen months from 1909 and eventually filmed in 1914.
Here's a list of some of the most popular Spy films to date...
- The 39 steps (1935)
- The Third Man (1949)
- North by Northwest (1959)
- James Bond From Russia with Love (1963)
- Three Days of the condor (1975)
- The Bourne Identity (2002)
- The Lives of Others (2006)
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Some other examples...
James Bond is a prime example of a successful spy franchise. It is one of the most iconic story lines within film and book series' and represents some of the strongest themes within the genre. Another successful film series from the spy genre includes the before mentioned Mission: Impossible series. Other popular stories include Kingsman, The man from U.N.C.L.E, Johnny English, Spy, Austin Powers, Red Sparrow, and alike.