🔗 Share this article

Last year, star Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for playing the Russian leader in a new film. This production, though, may align too neatly with the mythologized version promoted by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement rather than a critique.

The Manufactured Strongman

For years, the Kremlin and the country's entertainment industry have collaborated to craft a tailor-made persona of Putin. This figure is an infallible strategist devoid of flaws, a former spy reimagined as a Russian James Bond who consistently understands more than he reveals.

“Domestically, the manufactured Putin has long eclipsed the actual person.”

Screen-Based Support

One recent example is a television show launched last October, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “save” Russia from chaos. While the character's name Mikhail, the implication is clear: the savior must be a known figure from the secret services.

International depictions frequently result in reinforcing this same narrative instead of debunking it. A new film based on a popular book aims to undermine the leader's mythology by framing him not as a cause but as a consequence, shifting the narrative weight to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, Putin is presented as having been picked by influential figures to steady the country because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. They visit him and all but beg him to become president. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the background, desiring permanent power.

This tale is a key piece of state propaganda: the cool, reluctant strategist guided by fate. Historically, none of this took place.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with Putin to accept the role. The presidency was in essence a selection process with no shortage of candidates. Central to this process stood an influential oligarch from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the country de facto.

• His list featured various figures, among them a reformer later murdered and a security service director.
• Per an expert who studied his rise, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the security services, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman close to the process said the key criterion was controllability and faithfulness, not leadership.

“The goal wasn't a powerful leader, they needed someone controllable, someone who would follow instructions.”

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of him as a master operative was built after the fact. Stories about his “recruitment work” in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and technical tasks, a mid-level functionary not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the shift to framing him as a “007” could partly have been inspired by the actor's debut as James Bond. The grittier version led Russian media and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with his appeared on Moscow streets, fueling the growing tendency to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star well-liked by Russian audiences, the authorities will not miss the chance to portray this choice as a small victory. Its omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or key figures in the story, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is frequently an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. He is hinted at through portraits or calls “from above”. Now, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally validate the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.