Review of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) by Jack C — 09 Jan 2010

For his sixth incarnation onscreen James Bond underwent a significant facelift. Gone was the muscular, anti-hero heartthrob Scot Sean Connery, and in came the leaner Australian actor George Lazemby. While proving himself quite adept during the action sequences Lazemby unfortunately gives a stoic, wooden performance.

It doesn't help though that Bond's character arc is incredibly difficult to follow. One minute he's all in love with Diana Rigg, but wait, show him a few of Blofeld's Angels of Death and suddenly he's forgotten all about her.

Whimsically sleeping with 'the most beautiful women in the world', Lazemby seems awkward and noticeably uncomfortable. Especially when it comes to the charm factor. Connery oozed it; with Lazemby it's like trying to squeeze blood from a stone.

After that though, he sees Diana Rigg again, spends one night in a barn and then marries her. It's a bit of an illogical step but it does mean that the final 15 minutes pack an emotional punch seen rarely in the Bond cannon.

Bless Lazemby though he tries and when it does come to the end of the film he didn't do too bad. It isn't the star-making performance it could have been but maybe if he'd done a few more films, he could have honed his skill.

Alas though Lazemby's agent said that the secret agent would be archaic in the liberated 1970s and so he left. A shame you think?