Who is your favourite Bond? This question usually crops up fairly quickly when a Bond fan is present. For those that don't like Bond, it's an easy way to foster polite conversation in a similar way to enquiring about someone's job or preferred football team. To Bond fans it's an object of great and detailed debate.
In my opinion, the best Bond by far is Sir Sean Connery. This slightly bucks an anecdotal trend I have noticed. Most people seem to prefer the actor that was starring in the films released during their childhood. I am very definitely a child of the Brosnan era however Connery is still my firm favourite.
Each actor who has played Bond has put their own personal stamp on the role but it was Connery who went a long way to defining it in the first place (the sarcastic, witty one-liners at times of tension were his doing and I think fit perfectly).
I read the books long after I started watching the films but despite this, Flemming's description of Bond still conjures up a mental picture similar to Connery. I'm not the only one to think so; a cartoon strip of Bond created for a newspaper long before the films were being made pictured Bond bearing an overwhelming similarity to Sir Sean.
Facial features aside, Connery's undoubted physical strength again marks him out as very suitable for the role. During the action scenes, it doesn't look like it's the first time he's thrown a punch. The character is often required to be extremely tough, both in combat and in other physical exertions and Connery looks like he takes this in his stride.
On a related note, he is evidently a very handsome man. It's not just my mum that fancies him; female friends of all ages (many of whom are extremely attractive) will admit to having a crush on him even now - git! Perhaps that makes the love scenes all the more believable; there is an element of authenticity to the joy with which the various actresses sink into his arms.
Added to all this is the fact that he is Scottish. Chauvinistic pride comes to the fore here but in addition to this Flemming was evidently proud of his Scottish roots. This showed through in his books and he gave Bond many qualities he associated (not always justly) with the Scots.
As well as all the factors above, Connery in my mind has an intangible appeal. Although most of the films he stars in don't rank especially highly in my top 5 Bond films, I still think he is by far and away the best actor to play him.
Second place in my Bond league table would have to go to Daniel Craig. I really like the darker twist his Bond has taken; not just as an antidote to the slightly cartoonish Brosnan era but as an interesting exploration of a character we think we all know. This interpretation of Bond is far closer to the Bond in books and I think it works well. That said, there is sufficient adherence to the expectations created by the preceding films that film fans are not disappointed either.
Anyway, these are my views on who I think are best. Do you agree? If not, why not? I am genuinely curious to find out.
BondBlogger
In my opinion, the best Bond by far is Sir Sean Connery. This slightly bucks an anecdotal trend I have noticed. Most people seem to prefer the actor that was starring in the films released during their childhood. I am very definitely a child of the Brosnan era however Connery is still my firm favourite.
Each actor who has played Bond has put their own personal stamp on the role but it was Connery who went a long way to defining it in the first place (the sarcastic, witty one-liners at times of tension were his doing and I think fit perfectly).
I read the books long after I started watching the films but despite this, Flemming's description of Bond still conjures up a mental picture similar to Connery. I'm not the only one to think so; a cartoon strip of Bond created for a newspaper long before the films were being made pictured Bond bearing an overwhelming similarity to Sir Sean.
Facial features aside, Connery's undoubted physical strength again marks him out as very suitable for the role. During the action scenes, it doesn't look like it's the first time he's thrown a punch. The character is often required to be extremely tough, both in combat and in other physical exertions and Connery looks like he takes this in his stride.
On a related note, he is evidently a very handsome man. It's not just my mum that fancies him; female friends of all ages (many of whom are extremely attractive) will admit to having a crush on him even now - git! Perhaps that makes the love scenes all the more believable; there is an element of authenticity to the joy with which the various actresses sink into his arms.
Added to all this is the fact that he is Scottish. Chauvinistic pride comes to the fore here but in addition to this Flemming was evidently proud of his Scottish roots. This showed through in his books and he gave Bond many qualities he associated (not always justly) with the Scots.
As well as all the factors above, Connery in my mind has an intangible appeal. Although most of the films he stars in don't rank especially highly in my top 5 Bond films, I still think he is by far and away the best actor to play him.
Second place in my Bond league table would have to go to Daniel Craig. I really like the darker twist his Bond has taken; not just as an antidote to the slightly cartoonish Brosnan era but as an interesting exploration of a character we think we all know. This interpretation of Bond is far closer to the Bond in books and I think it works well. That said, there is sufficient adherence to the expectations created by the preceding films that film fans are not disappointed either.
Anyway, these are my views on who I think are best. Do you agree? If not, why not? I am genuinely curious to find out.
BondBlogger
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