Sean Connery’s favorite Christopher Nolan movie has nothing to do with James Bond

Landing The role of James Bond turned out to be a double-edged sword for Sean Connery. Although it launched his career and made him a household name, the actor was the first to experience what would become somewhat of 007’s curse: he felt he could not escape the shadow of England’s greatest spy. Regardless of how the public viewed him, Connery was at various points seemingly fed up with being associated with the role, making numerous angry statements about the issue throughout his early career, most famously saying (via Hollywood Reporter) that he “always hated fucking James Bond” and that he “would like to kill him”.

Of course, any fan of the actor will know that his range extends far beyond Commander Bond. In the years that followed “Dr. No” marks the beginning of cinema’s most enduring film seriesConnery demonstrated this range in a slew of films designed to demonstrate his talent. One of the most notable examples is the 1965 film The Hill, in which the Scottish director teamed up with American director Sidney Lumet to tell the story of five prisoners struggling under the harsh conditions of a military prison in North Africa during World War II. Connery played one of the prisoners, giving a tastefully restrained yet intense performance that demonstrated the depth of his talent beyond Bond.

As the decade came to a close, Connery donned the suit two more times in Thunderball and You Only Live Twice, then left Bond behind. That was until 1971, when he was cast again for the film “Diamonds Are Forever.” But just because he’s back as Bond doesn’t mean he’s given up trying to branch out from the action franchise. In fact, one of the conditions for his return to the role was for United Artists to offer Connery $2 million to produce two films of his choosing. In 1973, the studio responded to that offer when the actor teamed up again with Lumet in what would be his darkest film, the crime drama “The Offence.” Little did he know that this humble photo would inspire a young British man who would one day become the biggest director in the world.

Christopher Nolan and the Bond franchise have been circling each other for years. Having made his name by revamping the Batman franchise, Nolan has continued to establish himself as one of those rare directors who reliably dominates the box office while also maintaining his artistic integrity. The fact that he’s a Brit with a thoughtful and insightful approach to filmmaking and has proven his ability to shepherd big-name franchises suggests he’s the ultimate choice to take over 007 – however, that has yet to happen, despite… Nolan seems all set to direct a Bond film.

While everyone is waiting for Nolan and Bond’s creators, EON Productions, to work together, the director hasn’t been shy about offering his thoughts on the franchise. He was asked about him Favorite James Bond movie and actor Nolan “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and Timothy Dalton were revealed as his choices. What is this? Not Connery? Well, it seems that when it comes to the original Bond actor, Nolan actually holds Connery in high esteem for his other work – something that would no doubt have pleased Connery in the 1960s and early 1970s.

Not only does Nolan favor a non-Bond film as his favorite Connery performance, the director is positively effusive in his praise of the late actor’s abilities outside of spying for queen and country. During his appearance on In the video clubNolan chose Sidney Lumet’s The Offence as Connery’s best film, saying: “Unbelievable, this is Sean Connery – this is his finest performance. A level of brilliance from Sean Connery that you won’t see anywhere else (…) This movie is absolutely stunning.”

In addition to praising the crime thriller, Christopher Nolan added that it was also “very disappointing.” In fact, the film is a pretty bleak entry in Sean Connery’s filmography. “The Offence” is one of five collaborations between the actor and Sidney Lumet, with Connery playing British detective Sergeant Johnson, a veteran of the force that has slowly crumbled over the years due to the various disturbing cases he has been assigned. The mental toll of his horrific career leads Johnson to eventually collapse during the interrogation of suspected rapist and murderer Kenneth Baxter (Ian Bannen), with the detective beating the suspect before he is dragged from the room. Baxter later dies in hospital and the rest of the film focuses on Johnson’s interrogation as he considers his actions.

Overall, “The Crime” is about as far removed from a James Bond film as you could imagine at the time, at least in terms of tone. But the film seems to have struck a chord with Nolan, who speaks so enthusiastically about Connery’s performance that it will likely inspire you to watch the film immediately. Although the actor eventually charted a career that stands as a testament to his versatile talent, the fact that Nolan likes one of the films he made to showcase that talent during a time when he felt typecast would certainly sit well with the man himself if he were still with him. we.

As much as he clearly loves “The Offence,” famed physical advocate Christopher Nolan will no doubt be disappointed because Lumet advocated the shift away from shooting films on film.