There are a lot of classic James Bond series, and different actors have played the characters Bond and M since the very first Bond film- Dr. No. M is the fictional character in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series and has been portrayed by four actors since 1962. As a 00’s, I have grown up watching Daniel Craig and Judi Dench’s version of James Bond series. They two always have amazing onscreen chemistry with each other in Bond films series, and Judi Dench is the only actress who played M.

The character M played by Judi in recent James Bond series really catches my eyes, Judi portrayed a dignified, strong-willed woman in high position so well that it is the actress that makes me love this character even more. When M is shot and killed in the film, Judi feels sad and grieving to say goodbye with this seventeen-year-character, the character M is kind of part of her live. While there have been mixed reviews for Judi playing M, I personally like this version of M pretty much.

M is a code letter for the Head of Secret Intelligence Service- also known as MI6, only revealed in the movie Skyfall that the character is given the name, Olivia Mansfield. The character M that played by Judi is a typical Alpha woman. It is not easy to become the Head of Secret Intelligence Service, it is even harder for a woman to sit on that position. Just imagine the criticism she has to receive and how people doubted her ability because of the workplace discrimination of female. She hardly ever smiles, she is hard like a rock, intelligent like a fox. She is also a very rational people, she always looks like she has everything in her control. This personality makes her a good and bad character in the movies, you can’t truly define whether she is a typical good or bad people, not like how we always did when watching an action movie.

When you think she’s a good one, she can sacrifice the protagonist- Bond, without hesitation if that is the best decision under the situation. But if you have to say she’s a bad one, she clearly does everything because her duty makes her to do so, and she and Bond respect each other somehow. Maybe this is the real world be like, nobody is a definitely good guy or badass, there is always grey section in between, it is hard to remember who you are and do the thing you want.

Righteousness does not always solve things. When James killed someone because the people is a villain, M has to wipe his ass and clean up the resulting chaos for him. Bond can kill someone and ran away himself, yet Judi as his superior has to explain things with the other politicians. One time Bond killed a bad guy after he found him, while M at first planned to use the guy as the bait to lure the others out , Bond had just disrupted her plan just because the “righteousness” in his heart. It is no doubt that M has planned further and has foresight than him, and it is also exactly the rationality and capability to solve things of M that attract me so much.

-You don't trust anyone, do you?
-No.
-Then you've learnt your lesson.

While the relationships between M and Bond always confuse me, sometimes you’ll think that M truly has a soft spot for Bond, that she can somehow tolerates him and maybe, shows concern towards him. But sometimes you’ll think she’s too cold-blooded, she takes the MI6’s benefits as priority and for the situation’s sakes, she can sacrifice Bond. M is so rational that I think even if she feels sad to have shot Bond (in Skyfall movie) but she will still do it because for her duty it is the MI6 the most important.

Also in the Skyfall movie, some says that M deliberately read the poem on the court to extend the hearing and let Silva (the villain) to get his time to break into the court. The reason is to show the politicians the danger and threat exist and national security needs 00section to exist. I doubt the reason that she works to keep 00section, is it out of rational or emotional? The question is left to be wondered as the character M being portrayed by Judi is so full of mysterious and questionable, she was never understood.

For being a boss and subordinate, M and Bond trust and respect each other. M believes that Bond can finish his mission and Bond trusts that M will clean up his mess and provides him back up when he needs. Some will say M is the closest mother figure Bond ever have, which I think M that played by Judi really shows the chemistry between two of them, that they are not just boss and subordinate, but they are not friends either, they have a really complex of kinship, subordinateship and friendship mixtures.

Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

-M in Skyfall, from Ulysses by Alfred