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In a recent appearance, star Jude Law stated he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for playing Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. The movie, though, may align so closely with the mythologized image circulated by Russian state media that, domestically, it reads as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Crafted Superhero

For years, the Kremlin and the country's entertainment industry have collaborated to craft a tailor-made version of the president. This character is an infallible strategist devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands more than he reveals.

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

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a television show released last October, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a invented security officer inexplicably chosen to “save” Russia from disorder. While the character's name Mikhail, the implication is clear: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals frequently result in reinforcing this identical story instead of debunking it. A new film based on a popular book sets out to undermine the leader's mythology by framing him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the focus to the political machinery around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

In the film, the president is presented as having been picked by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the nation 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 shadows, seeking permanent power.

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

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with him to take the job. The presidency was effectively a casting call with no shortage of candidates. At the centre to the selection stood an influential oligarch from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the state de facto.

• His list featured several politicians, among them 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 familiar with the process said the primary requirement was manageability and loyalty, not strength.

“They didn’t need a powerful leader, they needed someone malleable, someone who would follow instructions.”

Building the 007 Persona

Experts agree that the image of him as a powerful KGB spy was built after the fact. Claims about his “recruitment work” in Dresden do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he was an administrator and routine duties, a mid-level functionary not engaged in field operations.

Curiously, the shift to depicting him as a “spy” could partly have been triggered by the actor's debut as James Bond. His harder interpretation led Russian media and online audiences to draw visual parallels with Putin. Edited images swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the increasing trend to frame him as a local secret agent.

A Propaganda Win?

Given the casting, an actor well-liked by Russian audiences, the authorities are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a small victory. The film's exclusion of mass protests, the political rivals, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering recent years, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, the president is frequently an all-powerful presence who remains unseen directly. He is hinted at through portraits or calls “from above”. Now, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently echo the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.