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Last year, star Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for playing Vladimir Putin in a new film. The movie, though, may align too neatly with the carefully constructed version promoted by Russian state media that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement instead of a critique.

The Manufactured Strongman

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and its entertainment industry have worked together to craft a made-to-measure version of the president. This character is a political superhero without age or mistakes, a former spy reimagined as a local 007 who consistently understands more than he reveals.

“In Russia, the constructed Putin has long overshadowed the real one.”

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel inexplicably chosen to “rescue” the nation from disorder. Although the character's name Mikhail, the implication is unmistakable: the savior must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals frequently result in reinforcing this same narrative rather than debunking it. An adaptation based on a popular book aims to undermine the leader's mythology by framing him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the focus to the spin doctors around him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

On screen, Putin is presented as having been chosen by influential figures to stabilise the nation because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and practically plead him to become president. His response 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 shaped by destiny. Historically, these events ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with him to take the job. The presidency was effectively a selection process with many candidates. Central to this process stood an influential oligarch from the previous administration who expected to run the state de facto.

• His list included various figures, among them an opposition leader subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• Per a journalist who studied Putin’s biography, the chosen candidate merely met the necessary criteria: loyal, from the security services, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman close to the events said the primary requirement was controllability and faithfulness, not strength.

“The goal wasn't a powerful leader, they needed someone malleable, someone who would obey orders.”

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the image of Putin as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Stories about his “recruitment work” in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a mid-level functionary not engaged in actual agent work.

Interestingly, the move to framing him as a “spy” may in part have been triggered by the actor's debut as James Bond. The grittier interpretation prompted Russian media and social media to draw visual parallels with their leader. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the growing tendency to see him as a local secret agent.

A Propaganda Win?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's exclusion of mass protests, the opposition, or key figures from its narrative, even though it includes the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is often an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. He is signaled through portraits or calls “from above”. Now, he finally acquires a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally echo the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.