Well I don’t know about his acting chops....always hard to gauge
I loved his portrayal of Bond but as I got older I began to think about his depiction and characterization of masculinity... is there anyone that did more to cement the idea of modern manhood? And if so, looking around the world today... it would seem there may be a lot to answer for...
In the case of the UK the importance of the movies in recasting britannia away from the stodgy failed and poor post WWII state it languished in until the early 60s towards “Cool Britannia” cannot be overemphasized...I believe there is even a book about Bond titled the man who saved Britain
But again as I became a more developed adult I began to be troubled by Connery’s depiction of manhood... slapping women around, treating them as disposable meat, the lack of empathy , the closed off ness, the drinking etc. I don’t think anyone watching the early Bond understood just how damaged the man was instead stooping to hero worship and emulation...is Connery responsible for failing to translate on screen the nuance of Fleming’s 007? Does he unwittingly play a hero as opposed to the antihero? It may have all been accidental! When we look at the US today it’s not overstated to say toxic masculinity is the number one issue and then ask “how did we get here?”
