Christopher Nolan's Favorite Bond Film Is Not the One You'd Think Of: 'It's a Hell of a Movie'
Christopher Nolan named his favorite James Bond movie — it's one of the oldest ones. The director has his own reasons for loving the project starring George Lazenby – let's find out what they are.
Which Bond movie do you think is the best? Goldfinger or perhaps Skyfall? Every James Bond fan has his or her own favorite installment, but usually the films starring Sean Connery and Daniel Craig get special praise.
Christopher Nolan 's Favorite Bond Movie Is On Her Majesty's Secret Service
But not in Christopher Nolan's personal top. In an interview with Empire (via The Playlist), the director admitted that the movie starring George Lazenby is his favorite:
“I think Her Majesty's Secret Service would be my favorite Bond. It's a hell of a movie, it holds up very well. [...] Of all the Bond films, it's by far the most emotional.”
It's not the most obvious choice, but it's an understandable one. George Lazenby's Bond was indeed different from the character's previous rather cold and reserved incarnations.
George Lazenby Was Not an Obvious Choice for the Role of James Bond
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a unique part of the franchise. The main role was played not by a British actor, but by an Australian one, who, like Daniel Craig, was initially considered a bad choice.
He was physically strong and charming, but with few roles behind him – the producers liked this, so the actor was offered a contract for seven films.
After the first film, the agent convinced Lazenby that Bond was a relic of the 1960s, and he would lose his popularity in the 70s.
George Lazenby's Performance Was Panned, but Over Time He Found His Own Audience
When On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released, Lazenby's performance was panned as mediocre.
However, since the movie had many interesting visual decisions and featured one of the most striking Bond girls in Diana Rigg, many felt that if Sean Connery had played Bond, it would have been the best movie in the franchise.
Over time, the critical reception of Lazenby has softened, with some viewers even arguing that his serious yet vulnerable Bond is much closer to the literary original than the self-assured character played by Sean Connery. Reddit user Remote-Orchid-8708 wrote:
“No matter whom actor you put in that film, it wouldn't still appeal to the people at the time because of how different it is, how it subverted people's expectations of a Bond film.
They're used to seeing Bond being a womanizer, getting the girl in the end, no personal stories.”
Lazenby remained a one-film Bond. Some claim that disappointed producers asked him to leave, but the actor himself claimed that he turned down another Bond film because he was sure that the time for such characters had passed.
