🔗 Share this article

Last year, star Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for portraying the Russian leader in a new film. The movie, however, could coincide so closely with the carefully constructed version circulated by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a compliment instead of a critique.

The Manufactured Superhero

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and the country's entertainment industry have worked together to forge a tailor-made version of Putin. This figure is an infallible strategist without age or mistakes, a former spy reframed as a Russian James Bond who always knows more than he reveals.

“Domestically, the manufactured Putin has long overshadowed the real one.”

Screen-Based Support

A notable instance is a television show released last fall, directed by a pro-government filmmaker. Its main character is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel inexplicably chosen to “save” the nation from disorder. While he is called Mikhail, the message is unmistakable: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this identical story instead of undercutting it. An adaptation based on a popular book aims to subvert the leader's mythology by presenting him not as a cause but as a symptom, moving the narrative weight to the spin doctors around him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

On screen, Putin is shown as having been picked 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 take the top job. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the background, seeking enduring influence.

This tale is the Kremlin’s export myth: the cool, reluctant strategist guided by fate. Historically, these events ever happened.

The Truth Behind the Selection

No one actually pleaded with him to accept the role. The presidency was effectively a casting call with many candidates. Central to this process stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who planned to control the state in practice.

• The shortlist featured various figures, among them a reformer later murdered and a security service director.
• According to a journalist who researched his rise, the future president simply fitted the necessary criteria: loyal, from the security services, and politically neutral.
• A businessman close to the events said the primary requirement was manageability and loyalty, not leadership.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the notion of Putin as a master operative was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his clandestine activities 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.

Interestingly, the move to depicting him as a “007” could partly have been inspired by Daniel Craig’s debut as 007. The grittier interpretation led Russian media and social media to make comparisons with Putin. Mashup posters replacing the actor's likeness with Putin’s appeared on Moscow streets, feeding the increasing trend to see him as a Russian 007.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

With Jude Law, an actor popular with 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 prominent activists from its narrative, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, the president is frequently an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. His influence is hinted at through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he at last gets a famous actor's visage—one that could unintentionally validate the exact legends it might seek to examine.