As if 2020 couldn't get any worse, I awoke to the news this morning that Sir Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. My dad got me and my brother into James Bond movies at a young age and he was most certainly my favorite Bond. Suave, distinguished, and quite literally too cool for school, his charisma took over the screen and he became a Hollywood legend. Redefining the action hero in cinema, he was also a brilliant actor in his own right. To this day, I would say that Connery's lines from his various movies are the ones that my brother and I quote the most.
Connery's Bond will always be viewed as the best in my opinion. His "Bond, James Bond" line burst him onto the scene in Dr. No (1962) and he ended up playing Bond seven times. He retired from the role twice, last appearing in an unofficial Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) before hanging up the Walther PPK for good. Connery was my dad's favorite Bond, which over time made me a huge fan of his Bond and Connery himself. He was one of those childhood idols I always hoped to be just as cool as...which unfortunately wasn't the case! My appreciation of Connery also made me a big fan of the Austin Powers films, clearly taking after Connery's Bond movies and persona. While I know that Bond is the role that Connery will best be remembered for, he definitely branched outside of Bond for some notable performances. Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), and his Oscar-winning role in The Untouchables (1987) (another very quotable movie!) gave him a great career outside of Bond. However, there is one role in his iconic filmography that I feel is extremely underrated.
His performance in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) is the one role that I think is very underrated in Connery's fantastic film career. As Indy's father, Connery was perfectly cast and should be considered his best performance. It pulled elements from his Bond while adding a relatability to the character. Director Steven Spielberg was a huge fan of Connery's Bond and it influenced the Indiana Jones character so it was an easy choice for Connery to play his father. I'm still surprised that his performance did not at least garner him an Oscar nomination, although he was nominated for a Golden Globe and BAFTA for it. Harrison Ford once said that Connery was involved in the development of the character, making him partially responsible for the unique father-son dynamic seen in the film. Theres a reason The Last Crusade is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it really comes down to Connery's performance. It was almost like watching a more realistic version of Bond if he had become a professor. Between him and Harrison Ford, it was surreal to watch two generations of action stars perform with one another, making for an extremely exciting film. Some of my favorite moments are: him and Indy tied to the chairs, "I should have mailed it to the Marx Brothers!", and "I'm sorry son, they got us!" amongst many others. My brother and I always joke that The Last Crusade doesn't really begin for us until Connery's first scene.
Sir Sean Connery will truly be missed. Connery was an icon on the screen as well as off the screen. This is despite passing on the role of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series, which is really saying something! He will always be synonymous with James Bond and his larger than life persona that dominated his career. We should consider ourselves very lucky we were able to witness his phenomenal work for such a long period of time.
RIP Sir Sean Connery.
Commentaires