Critical assessment of Connery's Bond performances
chrisisall
Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
DN- A thirty year-old Connery comes off as both suave and rough. A strange and interesting mix. He seems to both enjoy & be repulsed by the things he does. This is no portrait of a hero. Amazing first performance.
FRWL- Bond demonstrates both swagger and vulnerability here. A softer side slips out in certain moments with Tatiana. But he is tough as nails when the need for it arises. A very complex and pleasing job of thespian-ism. The Fleming is with him.
GF- Bond seems to be quite enjoying himself most of the time in this one. The saving grace is the undercurrent of contempt he shows for Goldfinger- it gives him that slightly sadistic edge in an otherwise lighter performance.
TB- Connery's Bond seems supremely confident in this entry, and this is where the super secret agent syndrome is truly born. Only Paula's death can crack the armour... for a moment.
YOLT- Bond is less playful in this movie, and we've read that Connery was beginning to feel done with the character, but for whatever reason, he seems very Fleming-like here; more business and less pleasure, with a touch of burn-out.
DAF- The sparkle is back in Connery's eyes (created, no doubt, by dollar signs), and so is the fun. A fairly surface "I told you so" performance, but enjoyable on that level at any rate.
Thoughts?
FRWL- Bond demonstrates both swagger and vulnerability here. A softer side slips out in certain moments with Tatiana. But he is tough as nails when the need for it arises. A very complex and pleasing job of thespian-ism. The Fleming is with him.
GF- Bond seems to be quite enjoying himself most of the time in this one. The saving grace is the undercurrent of contempt he shows for Goldfinger- it gives him that slightly sadistic edge in an otherwise lighter performance.
TB- Connery's Bond seems supremely confident in this entry, and this is where the super secret agent syndrome is truly born. Only Paula's death can crack the armour... for a moment.
YOLT- Bond is less playful in this movie, and we've read that Connery was beginning to feel done with the character, but for whatever reason, he seems very Fleming-like here; more business and less pleasure, with a touch of burn-out.
DAF- The sparkle is back in Connery's eyes (created, no doubt, by dollar signs), and so is the fun. A fairly surface "I told you so" performance, but enjoyable on that level at any rate.
Thoughts?
Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Comments
His lack of consistent passion for the role compared to other actors is why Connery isn't #1 in my book overall, but at his very best, he may have been the best Bond.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
With GF, eon's Bond takes over.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I still like Connery in YOLT maybe if he wasn't over weight it would have been better
1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
DAF? Yeah, he was on the heavy side, but in YOLT he basically looked the same as in TB...
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I agree. Connery is by no means out of shape in YOLT.
There's some truth to that, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. I believe the additional wit and touches of humor that began to emerge in GF, as well as the less brooding and more confident Bond Connery projected in the films, are what helped make the Bond movie phenomenon so huge. Remember, none of the Bonds depicted on screen is perfectly aligned with Fleming's creation, although some come closer than others. I have always had a preference for what I consider to be the more serious Bond films (most of Connery's, OHMSS, the Dalton films and the Craig films), to the more lighthearted fare, but that's not attributable primarily to how close they are to Fleming. I just generally find them to be more interesting and enjoyable. And of all of those, I enjoy the Connery films most of all because of the touches he adds to his performance without going completely over the top (until DAF). :007)
1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
I too prefer the films were Bond is more human, as in
OHMSS, CR, LTK, SF etc, as Bond has to show more emotions
Making him a more interesting character. Than in some of the
More light hearted films, Where he's a more two dimensional
Character, introducing action sequences.
Interesting theory indeed and since I just read past YOLT in the books I think you are maybe right, though I can't imagine Connery in OHMSS as I love it as it is
Some scenes, not after playing Bond for so long. It was
One aspect of his inexperience that worked for him.
Another reason why Connery was the best! {[]
That alone qualifies him for the title of the best Bond, irrespective of his other performances, because no one has yet matched Connery's early performances as Bond.
one aspect of his inexperience that worked for him."
As for Connery being the best Bond, until Craig and CR in 2006, I would have agreed for many of the reasons mentioned above. However, once I saw CR, I felt like Fleming's Bond had finally come to life on the big screen, the deeply flawed, internally tormented, super spy of the Fleming Bond from the books.
Before the Craig trilogy, I would re-watch all of the Bond films though I much preferred the Connery ones. Since CR, I'm not sure I've watched but one or two Moore/Brosnan/Dalton films and the times I have it's been almost painful. For me, the best Bond is Craig, followed by Connery, followed by those other guys.
At Times a little slow etc ( doesn't mean I don't still love them ) but for me
It's the more human Bond films that I watch more often as opposed to
The gadget filled, over the top stuff.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS