🔗 Share this article

In a recent appearance, actor Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. The movie, though, could coincide so closely with the mythologized image circulated by official channels that, domestically, it reads as a compliment instead of a challenge.

The Manufactured Superhero

For years, the Kremlin and its entertainment industry have worked together to forge a tailor-made persona of Putin. This character is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reimagined as a local 007 who always knows beyond what he shows.

“In Russia, the manufactured Putin has long eclipsed the real one.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

One recent example is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “rescue” the nation from chaos. Although the character's name a different name, the implication is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

International depictions often end up buttressing this identical story instead of undercutting it. A new film inspired by a bestselling satirical novel aims to undermine the Putin cult by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the focus to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

In the film, the president is shown as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to steady the nation because he is “young, athletic and a spy”. The oligarchs approach him and all but beg him to become president. He replies is that he would rather govern from the shadows, desiring permanent power.

This narrative is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind shaped by destiny. In reality, these events took place.

The Truth Behind the Selection

Nobody actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The presidency was effectively a casting call with many candidates. At the centre to this process stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who planned to control the country de facto.

• His list featured various figures, including a reformer subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• Per an expert who researched his rise, the chosen candidate simply fitted the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A property developer close to the process said the key criterion was manageability and faithfulness, not strength.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Stories about his clandestine activities in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a mid-level functionary not involved with field operations.

Curiously, the move to framing him as a “spy” could partly have been triggered by Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond. The grittier interpretation prompted local outlets and online audiences to draw visual parallels with Putin. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with his appeared on Moscow streets, fueling the increasing trend to frame him as a Russian 007.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the opportunity to portray this choice as a small victory. The film's exclusion of mass protests, the opposition, or key figures from its narrative, despite covering the past decade, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is frequently an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. He is signaled through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he finally acquires a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally validate the very myths it might seek to question.