🔗 Share this article

Last year, star Jude Law remarked he had no concerns about backlash for portraying Vladimir Putin in a cinematic adaptation. This production, though, could coincide so closely with the carefully constructed version circulated by official channels that, domestically, it functions as a endorsement rather than a challenge.

The Crafted Superhero

Over a long period, the Russian political apparatus and its pop-culture machine have collaborated to forge a made-to-measure version of Putin. This figure is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who always knows more than he reveals.

“In Russia, the manufactured Putin has long overshadowed the actual person.”

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a television show launched last fall, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a fictional blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “save” Russia from chaos. While the character's name a different name, the implication is clear: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals often end up buttressing this identical story instead of debunking it. A new film based on a bestselling satirical novel sets out to undermine the Putin cult by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving the focus to the spin doctors around him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is shown as having been chosen by powerful oligarchs to stabilise the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and practically plead him to become president. He replies is that he would rather govern from the background, seeking enduring influence.

This tale is a key piece of state propaganda: the detached, unwilling mastermind guided by fate. In reality, these events took place.

The Reality of the Casting Call

No one ever begged him to accept the role. The presidency was in essence a selection process with many candidates. At the centre to this process stood an influential oligarch from the previous administration who expected to run the country de facto.

• The shortlist featured various figures, including a reformer later murdered and a security service director.
• Per an expert who researched his rise, the chosen candidate simply fitted the required parameters: loyal, from the intelligence world, and not a communist or a liberal.
• A businessman familiar with the events stated the key criterion was controllability and loyalty, not strength.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Analysts concur that the image of him as a powerful KGB spy was constructed retrospectively. Stories about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he was an administrator and technical tasks, 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 arrival as James Bond. His harder version led Russian media and online audiences to make comparisons with their leader. Mashup posters swapping Craig’s face with Putin’s appeared on city centers, feeding the increasing trend to frame him as a local secret agent.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

Given the casting, an star popular with viewers there, the Kremlin will not miss the chance to portray this choice as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the opposition, or prominent activists in the story, despite covering recent years, is a pleasant bonus for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is often an all-powerful presence who never appears directly. His influence is hinted at through photographs or orders from on high. In this new film, he finally acquires a famous actor's visage—one that may inadvertently echo the exact legends it might seek to examine.