AN ACTIVIST has hit out at the new James Bond film over the decision to continue giving their villains facial disfigurements.
No Time To Die, which premiered yesterday, features actor Rami Malek as the villain, who covers a facial distortion with a mask.
Character Ersnt Stavro Blofeld, portrayed by Christopher Waltz, also has a large scar across his eye in the highly anticipated latest installment.
Charity Changing Faces have started the #IAmNotYourVillian campaign, which is encouraging the film industry to stop using facial disfigurements to mark villains.
They shared a tweet yesterday by author Jen Campbell criticising the Bond series for a history of using scars, burns and more to identify evil characters.
Jen wrote: “Every time a new James Bond film is made, the producers are asked to reconsider their representation of disfigurement.
“Every time, they say they don’t care.
“The new film, out this week, is no exception.
“This time, two villains with facial disfigurements. Lucky us.
“It’s well known that the disfigurement equals villainy trope is harmful.
“It’s why @FaceEquality set up the #IAmNotYourVillain campaign, and why the BFI subsequently said they would not fund any films that used visual difference as a marker for villainy.
“I have talked extensively about this myself, as a disabled person with a disfigurement.
“I’m overly tired of the ‘it’s just literary tradition’ excuse.
“I’m an author myself and have worked in the book industry for over fifteen years.
“Talking with publishers about the way disability and disfigurement are represented is part of my job.
“We still have a long way to go.”
The tweets now have over 15,700 likes, with over 150 people commenting on Jen’s post.
@awkwardlefty_cj said: “Thank you for bringing awareness to this terrible trope. It’s way past time for Hollywood to come up with some new ideas.”
@TheNerdSeat commented: “If everyone in a piece of media had an equal chance of being represented with a disfigurement then it wouldn’t matter.
“But the fact is that it is a trope because disfigurements are associated with villains and this has real-world impacts on real people just trying to live life.”
@RayFriedman14 replied: “Thanks for the illumination.”
@ALWedgely added: “Thank you for this.”
No Time to Die is the 25th installment of the Bond franchise and is expected to gross around £66.5million.
Daniel Craig has said the film will be his last portraying Bond.
It will be released in UK cinemas tomorrow.
