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In a recent appearance, actor Jude Law remarked he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for portraying Vladimir Putin in a new film. This production, though, may align too neatly with the mythologized image circulated by Russian state media that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Crafted Strongman

For years, the Russian political apparatus and its pop-culture machine have worked together to craft a tailor-made persona of Putin. This figure is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands beyond what he shows.

“In Russia, the constructed Putin has long eclipsed the actual person.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

One recent example is a TV series launched last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel inexplicably chosen to “rescue” the nation from disorder. Although he is called a different name, the implication is clear: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals frequently result in buttressing this same narrative rather than debunking it. A new film based on a popular book sets out to undermine the Putin cult by framing him as a symptom but as a consequence, shifting the focus to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Fable of the Hesitant President

On screen, the president is presented as having been picked by powerful oligarchs to steady 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 rather govern from the background, seeking enduring influence.

This narrative is a key piece of state propaganda: the detached, unwilling mastermind guided by fate. In reality, these events ever happened.

The Reality of the Casting Call

Nobody actually pleaded with Putin to accept the role. The presidency was in essence a selection process with many contenders. At the centre to the selection stood a powerful businessman from the Yeltsin era who expected to run the state in practice.

• The shortlist included several politicians, among them a reformer subsequently assassinated and a former spy chief.
• According to an expert who researched Putin’s biography, the future president merely met the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman familiar with the process stated the primary requirement was controllability and loyalty, not leadership.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Analysts concur that the notion of him as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his “recruitment work” in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. Fundamentally, he was an administrator and routine duties, a low-level clerk not engaged in field operations.

Interestingly, the move to framing him as a “007” may in part have been triggered by Daniel Craig’s debut as 007. His harder interpretation led Russian media and online audiences to make comparisons with their leader. Mashup posters replacing Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, feeding the increasing trend to frame him as a local secret agent.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star well-liked by Russian audiences, the Kremlin are likely to seize the chance to portray this choice as a small victory. The film's exclusion of public dissent, the opposition, or prominent activists from its narrative, despite covering the past decade, is a welcome aspect for official messaging.

In Russian cinema, the president is frequently an omnipotent figure who never appears directly. He is signaled through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he finally acquires a recognizable face—one that may inadvertently validate the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.