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In a recent appearance, star Jude Law stated he “didn’t fear any repercussions” for portraying the Russian leader in a cinematic adaptation. The movie, though, may align so closely with the carefully constructed version circulated by official channels that, within Russia, it reads as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Crafted Strongman

For years, the Kremlin and the country's entertainment industry have collaborated to forge a tailor-made persona of Putin. This character is a political superhero devoid of flaws, a former spy reframed as a local 007 who consistently understands beyond what he shows.

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

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a television show released last October, helmed by a Kremlin supporter. Its main character is a invented blue-eyed lieutenant colonel selected by fate to “rescue” the nation from chaos. Although the character's name Mikhail, the message is unmistakable: the hero must be a known figure from the secret services.

Western portrayals frequently result in buttressing this identical story instead of debunking it. A new film inspired by a popular book sets out to undermine the leader's mythology by presenting him not as a cause but as a symptom, shifting the focus to the political machinery surrounding him.

The Myth of the Reluctant Leader

On screen, the president is presented as having been chosen by influential figures to steady the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. The oligarchs approach him and all but beg him to take the top job. He replies is that he would rather govern from the background, desiring enduring influence.

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

The Truth Behind the Selection

Nobody actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The presidency was in essence a selection process with many candidates. Central to the selection stood an influential oligarch from the Yeltsin era who planned to control the state de facto.

• The shortlist featured various figures, among them a reformer subsequently assassinated and a security service director.
• According to a journalist who researched his rise, the future president merely met the necessary criteria: obedient, from the intelligence world, and politically neutral.
• A businessman familiar with the events said the primary requirement was controllability and loyalty, not leadership.

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

Building the 007 Persona

Analysts concur that the notion of him as a master operative was built after the fact. Claims about his clandestine activities in East Germany do not stand up to scrutiny. In essence, he handled paperwork and routine duties, a mid-level functionary not involved with field operations.

Interestingly, the shift to depicting him as a “007” could partly have been inspired by the actor's arrival as James Bond. The grittier version led local outlets and social media to draw visual parallels with Putin. Edited images replacing Craig’s face with Putin’s surfaced on Moscow streets, fueling the growing tendency to see him as a local secret agent.

A Propaganda Win?

With Jude Law, an actor well-liked by viewers there, the authorities are likely to seize the opportunity to frame his casting as a minor diplomatic triumph. Its omission of public dissent, the political rivals, or prominent activists from its narrative, despite covering the past decade, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

Domestically, Putin is often an omnipotent figure who remains unseen on screen. He is signaled through photographs or calls “from above”. In this new film, he at last gets a recognizable face—one that could unintentionally echo the very myths it perhaps aims to examine.