Christopher Nolan’s favorite film about Sean Connery 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 007’s curse of sorts: he felt unable to escape the shadow of England’s greatest spy. Regardless of how the public viewed him, Connery at various points seemed to grow tired of his role, making many grumpy remarks about it throughout his early career, most famously (via The Hollywood Reporter), that he “always hated that damned James Bond” and that he “would like to kill him”.

Of course, any fan of the actor will know that his range extended well beyond Commander Bond. In the years after “Doctor No” started the most enduring franchise in cinemaConnery has shown this range in a number of films designed to prove his talent. 1965’s The Hill is one of the most notable examples, in which the Scot teamed up with American director Sidney Lumet to tell the story of five prisoners struggling in the harsh conditions of a military prison in North Africa during World War II. Connery played one of the prisoners, giving a tastefully understated yet sharp performance that demonstrated the depth of his talent beyond Bond.

As the decade drew to a close, Connery donned the tuxedo twice more in Ballstorm and You Only Live Twice before leaving Bond behind. That was until 1971 when he was lured back for “Diamonds Are Forever”. But just because he’s returned to Bond doesn’t mean he’s given up on his attempt to separate himself from the action franchise. In fact, one of the conditions of his return to the role was that United Artists would give Connery $2 million to produce two films of his own choosing. In 1973, the studio accepted the offer, when the actor reunited with Lumet for perhaps his darkest film yet, the crime drama Crime. Little did he know that this humble picture would inspire a young Briton who would one day become perhaps the greatest director in the world.

Christopher Nolan and the Bond franchise have been circling each other for years. Having made a name for himself by rejuvenating the Batman franchise, Nolan has established himself as one of those rare directors who reliably dominates the box office while maintaining his artistic integrity. The fact that he’s a Brit with a thoughtful and insightful approach to filmmaking who’s proven his ability to support big-name franchises suggests he’s the best choice to tackle 007 — and yet that hasn’t happened, even though It seems Nolan is all set to direct a Bond film.

While everyone waits for Nolan and Bond custodians EON Productions to come together, the director wasn’t shy about giving his opinion on the franchise. Asked about his favorite James Bond movie and actor, Nolan featured On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Timothy Dalton as his picks. What is this? Not Connery? Well, it seems that when it comes to the original Bond actor, Nolan actually has the most respect for Connery for his other work – something that would no doubt have appealed to Connery in the 60’s and early 70’s.

Not only does Nolan favor non-Bond films as his favorite Connery performance, the director is very excited about the late actor’s off-the-cuff abilities for Queen and Country. During the speech at In the video clubNolan chose Sidney Lumet’s The Offense as Connery’s best film, saying, “Unbelievably, this is Sean Connery’s best performance. The level of skill of Sean Connery that you have not seen anywhere else (… ) this film is absolutely stunning.”

In addition to praising “The Offense,” Christopher Nolan added that it was “very depressing.” Indeed, the film is a rather dark entry in Sean Connery’s filmography. In one of five joint films between the actor and Sidney Lumet, “Crime”, Connery plays the role of British Sergeant Johnson, a veteran police officer who over the years has been gradually destroyed by the various disturbing cases assigned to him. The mental burden of his torturous career ultimately causes Johnson to break down while interrogating suspected rapist and murderer Kenneth Bakst (Ian Bannen), with the detective beating his suspect before he is dragged from the room. Baxter later dies in hospital, and the rest of the film focuses on Johnson’s own interrogation as he considers his actions.

All in all, The Offense is about as far removed from the James Bond films of the time as you could imagine, at least in terms of tone. But it seems to have rubbed off on Nolan, who speaks with such enthusiasm about Connery’s performance that it will probably inspire you to see the film immediately. Although the actor eventually built a career that is a testament to his diverse talent, the fact that Nolan loves one of the films he made to showcase that talent at a time when he felt unseemly, the man himself would probably like it if he were still one of us.

While he clearly loves “The Offense,” noted physical defender Christopher Nolan will no doubt be disappointed that Lumet was in favor of refusing to shoot films on film.