THE AMERICAN COWBOY
One of the most appealing new aspects of The Golden Circle looks to be the inclusion of the American version of the Kingsman – Statesman. Sure, the name is corny but no less so than the King and country basis for the English debonair espionage genre Vaughn is homaging and lampooning, and with Statesman he gets to do the same for American culture – given Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal and Jeff Bridges are all very much dressed as modern cowboys more in line with the Old West than the new world.
This is intentional. Kingsman has always had one eye on class, culture and the fashion of espionage, with Eggsy moving from, essentially, a ‘chav’ to elegant spy in the first picture. The cowboy is synonymous in American culture with a level of derring-do, of rugged manliness, of men in hats on horses saving villages and rescuing damsels in distress – not a million miles away from the British example of tailored Savile Row gentlemen working for King or Queen and country. Statesman looks to be cleverly doing for American culture what Kingsman did, tongue in cheek, for classic British espionage.
Did we miss any inspirations here? And what did you think of Kingsman: The Golden Circle? Let us know here or on social media.