The Cinematic Connery: The Films of Sir Sean Connery

by A.J. Black

Scotland’s greatest export. The world’s first super spy. Voted the sexiest man on the planet. Sir Sean Connery was a titanic figure on screen and off for over half a century.

Behind the son of a factory worker, growing up in near-poverty on the harsh streets of pre-war Edinburgh, lay a timeless array of motion pictures that spanned multiple decades and saw Connery work across the globe with directors as diverse as Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. And amongst them his greatest role, whether he liked it or not – Bond, James Bond.

Author A. J. Black delves into Connery’s life for more than mere biography, exploring not just the enormously varied pictures he made including crowd pleasing blockbusters such as The Untouchables or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, serious-minded fare in The Hill or The Offence, and his strange sojourns into eclectic fantasy with Zardoz or Time Bandits, but also the sweep of a career that crossed movie eras as well as decades.

From skirmishes with the angry young men of the British New Wave, via becoming the cinematic icon of the 1960s as 007, through to a challenging reinvention as a unique older actor of stature in the 1980s, this exploration of the Cinematic Connery shows just how much his work reflected the changing movie-going tastes, political realities and cultural trends of the 20th century, and beyond . . .

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 30, 2022

Reviews

[Eric Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.J. Black, author of Myth-Building in Modern Media and Star Trek, History and Us, has written an engaging critical study on the life and career of Sean Connery in his latest book The Cinematic Connery. A presence in cinema for the entire second half of the 20th Century, Connery’s work on the screen is a mirror into a large slice of film history. Readers will be treated to a perceptive account of Connery as one of the last movie stars who continues to captivate audiences.

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[Francesco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing how many bad calls Sean Connery made in his career! An actor with an amazing voice and physical presence (Alec Baldwin said he felt like a piece of furniture whenever he was around!), somehow managed to become an iconic star, despite appearing mostly in bad movies. He turned down roles in Antonioni's "Blow-up," "Chariots of Fire," "The Last Emperor," "The Matrix," "Lord of the Rings," "Braveheart," "Jurassic Park," and "Harry Potter." The list goes on. Meanwhile, he accepted roles in movies like "Highlander II" and "A Good Man in Africa." Still, he hit the jackpot with some iconic roles in "The Untouchables," for which he won an Oscar, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," and "The Hunt for Red October." Not to mention that he accepted to play James Bond in 1962, far from a safe choice at that time. After 6 Bond movies, it looked like he spent the rest of his life to undermine his own iconic image, while periodically falling back into the role (not only the obvious 1983 Bond "Never Say Never Again," but also "The Rock" for example). If only had he accepted what he achieved with James Bond, he might have lived more easily with his myth. The book is not a biography of Connery, who had his controversial and appalling public moments, while mostly living a very private life. But, it is a great analysis of Connery as actor and artist.

PS: I spotted two errors: 1. Brosnan's "GoldenEye" doesn't include Moscow as location, but St. Petersburg (page 189); and 2. "The Right Stuff" did not win the Oscar for Best Picture in 1981; "Terms of Endowment" did (page 198).

[Set The Tape · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would have been easy for The Cinematic Connery to be a cold and clinical exercise, yet Black’s clear enthusiasm and drive is not only clear for all to see, but also highly infectious. The Cinematic Connery is a lovingly-crafted, thoughtful – as well as thought-provoking – read, giving real depth and context to the canon of such an enduring icon, and a worthy addition to any collection.

Full Review: https://setthetape.com/2023/01/19/the...