Sean Connery by Matthew Goudreau
Tenure as Bond: 7 movies
Essential Adventure: From Russia With Love (1963)
Sean Connery is both the innovator and gold standard by which all other Bonds are measured. With 6 official films to his credit (plus Never Say Never Again which was produced by a different studio), Connery is the second longest tenured Bond behind Roger Moore. Even though his acting resume is filled with many impressive roles, he will always be remembered as James Bond to me. Daniel Craig is nipping at his heels but Connery has always been my favorite Bond since I began watching the series as a young boy. Diamonds are Forever was my introduction to Bond in general. It’s by no means the best film in the franchise but I have fond nostalgia for it. I’d go as far as to put it in my top 10 Bond films so get your hate mail ready.
What makes Connery the perfect package as 007? I can break it down into three simple reasons. Firstly, he’s incredibly suave and seductive. For an actor who was only 31 when he began playing Bond, Connery provided a mature and rugged exterior to Bond. He was a believable ladies-man but was never mopey or distant. Secondly, he was believable as an action hero. Dr. No is rather grounded but never hesitated to utilize his license to kill. His confrontation with Professor Dent perfectly encapsulated the dangerous and cold-blooded aspects of James Bond. As he tells Dent, “That’s a Smith and Wesson…and you’ve had your six.” Third, he possessed great comedic timing.
From Russia with Love is easily my favorite Bond film for many reasons. Connery improved on his performance in Dr. No. He seemed to be much more comfortable in the role and the character himself was softened up. That doesn’t mean that Bond is a pushover. His fight with Red Grant aboard a moving train is a bloodthirsty fight. It’s a true highlight of the entire franchise. The film as a whole can be viewed as what a Hitchcock directed Bond film might have looked like. The plot is reliant on spy espionage, it’s beautifully shot, and it has great pacing throughout. It’s also a perfect example of how to utilize more than one central villain. SPECTRE is the primary adversary but Bond has to contend with its’ operatives caught in a proverbial chess match with one another. Given the upcoming release of Spectre this weekend, it’s as appropriate a time as ever to go back and revisit From Russia with Love.
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