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In a recent appearance, star Jude Law stated he had no concerns about backlash for portraying Vladimir Putin in a new film. The movie, though, could coincide so closely with the mythologized version promoted by Russian state media that, within Russia, it functions as a compliment rather than a critique.

The Manufactured Strongman

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

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

Cinematic Reinforcement

A notable instance is a television show released last fall, directed by a Kremlin supporter. The protagonist is a fictional security officer inexplicably chosen to “rescue” the nation from disorder. Although he is called a different name, the message is unmistakable: the savior must be a familiar security officer.

Western portrayals often end up reinforcing this same narrative rather than undercutting it. A new film inspired by a popular book aims to subvert the Putin cult by presenting him as a symptom but as a symptom, moving 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 powerful oligarchs to stabilise the country because he is “a fit former intelligence agent”. They visit him and practically plead him to become president. He replies is that he would prefer to rule from the shadows, desiring permanent power.

This narrative is the Kremlin’s export myth: the detached, unwilling mastermind shaped by destiny. Historically, none of this took place.

The Truth Behind the Selection

Nobody actually pleaded with Putin to take the job. The presidency was effectively a selection process with many contenders. At the centre to this process stood an influential oligarch from the previous administration who expected to run the country de facto.

• His list included various figures, including a reformer later murdered and a security service director.
• According to an expert who researched Putin’s biography, the future president merely met the required parameters: obedient, from the security services, and politically neutral.
• A businessman familiar with the process said the key criterion was manageability and loyalty, not leadership.

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

Constructing the Spy Legend

Experts agree that the notion of him as a master operative was constructed retrospectively. Claims about his “recruitment work” in Dresden fall apart under examination. In essence, he was an administrator and technical tasks, a low-level clerk not involved with actual agent work.

Interestingly, the shift to depicting him as a “007” could partly have been triggered by Daniel Craig’s arrival as 007. The grittier version prompted Russian media and online audiences to draw visual parallels with their leader. Edited images swapping the actor's likeness with his appeared on city centers, fueling the increasing trend to see him as a local secret agent.

A Diplomatic Opportunity?

With Jude Law, an star popular with Russian audiences, the Kremlin will not miss the opportunity to portray this choice as a small victory. The film's exclusion of public dissent, the opposition, or key figures in the story, despite covering recent years, is a welcome aspect for state propaganda.

In Russian cinema, Putin 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 may inadvertently echo the exact legends it perhaps aims to question.