Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Diamonds Are Forever’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It was an interesting time for the Bond franchise. Sean Connery was no longer happy in the role and stepped away from it all giving newcomer George Lazenby a shot at James Bond. But conflict between the producers and Mister Lazenby would place George in the tuxedo for only one motion picture, setting the stage for something incredibly surprising... Connery's return to the role.

Yes, the man who made the character a household name was to return for one last ride, donning the iconic tuxedo again to once more square off against his arch enemy. Yet, as one watches Diamonds Are Forever there is a certain sense of sadness that hangs over this movie. Because while we get a grand plot and all the things we know and love about the franchise, there is the knowledge in the back of our minds that this is the last time we will ever see Connery in the role, officially, and while the franchise would live on no problem, it would never quite be the same.

Thankfully Connery gets a fine send off and the darker side of Bond that we saw Sean hint at during his tenure in the role comes around full circle in the opening sequence as he hunts down Blofeld as revenge for the death of his love Tracy, who was tragically lost in the last film. It's a fierce introduction, one filled to the brim with action and fury as Bond appears to finally defeat Blofeld at last. I loved that they took the time to give us this fury filled Bond since we hadn't really seen that side of him yet and it's a shame Connery didn't stick around to see what else he could do with that darker side of the character.

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​But make no mistake about it, Connery plays the role to perfection for his final outing, giving us the character we know and love but there is a certain sadness and anger beneath it all. But hey, he's a guy who just fell in love and got married, only to have all of that ripped away and the only way for him to heal is to get back to work and the plot this go round at first, is quite deceiving to say the least. Because early on, this movie appears as though it will feature a good old fashioned spy story. One where James tries to infiltrate and bring down a ring of diamond smugglers only to discover the whole damn thing is cover for another one of Blofeld's insane schemes. 

Which is why I think I enjoy Connery's last outing so much. Because in the end, it features one final showdown. Blofeld versus Bond, the way it was always supposed to be, and it is a shame this is the last time we would see the iconic villain and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. for decades to come. Either way, it's a strong goodbye for the organization as well. For Charles Gray does a fine job taking on the role and makes sure Blofeld is as ruthless as ever with his wild scheme to use diamonds to build a powerful laser that will disable and destroy the nuclear arsenals of all the superpowers in an attempt to shift the nuclear balance of the world to the highest bidder.

But despite the action, the adventure and the sheer fun that the film provides, that sense of sadness I mentioned only grows in the final moments of the film. After all, if it wasn't for Sean Connery and his ability to bring the character to life and make James Bond so ridiculously popular, who knows what our discussions and memories of the films would be like. Either way, they sent James off with a bang and while we will continue to debate for years to come which actor is the finest Bond of them all, Connery will always be near to or at the top of everyone's list because he set the standard and you can see his influence on the role since every actor to follow in his footsteps, pays tribute to Sir Connery in some form or fashion.

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