Sean Connery: “The Untouchables” Star Dies at 90
Sean Connery, the actor forever known as James Bond, but to me more remembered as Jim Malone, died at age 90.
He was in a ton of great ‘80s & early ‘90s movies: “The Hunt For Red October,” ”Time Bandits,” ”Highlander,” ”The Presidio,” ”Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” and “Robin Hood.” (He was in “Russia House” during that time as well but I haven’t seen it recently enough to remember if it holds up).
My favorite Connery movie and one you should watch right now: “The Untouchables.” He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Jim Malone in the 1987 Brian De Palma film. Watch his acceptance speech here.
“The Untouchables”: One of the Best ‘80s Movies
From the cast to the script to the directing to the music, “The Untouchables” is nearly a perfect film.
Along with Connery, “The Untouchables” featured Kevin Costner who was on his way to superstardom (“No Way Out” would be in theaters a month later”), Robert De Niro had memorable lines as Al Capone and newbie Andy Garcia was note-worthy as the ambitious yet sensitive George.
Brian De Palma’s trademark style- one person very close up in frame with someone in the distance- works well in the prohibition-era flick. His nod to the “Battleship Potemkin” carriage-goes-down-the-stairs also is worth mentioning.
Composer Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack deserves recognition for making the movie so memorable. Listen to “The Untouchables” soundtrack here.
Sean Connery as Jim Malone
The stand out in “The Untouchables” is the relationship between Eliot Ness (Costner) and Jim Malone (Connery). Ness is an up and comer, Malone an aging policeman tired of the corruption. Ness wants to play by the rules, Malone tells him he has to get tough.
Watch the “What Are You Prepared to Do/The Chicago Way” moment now:
Sean Connery had a reputation of telling it like it is on the set. Hey, he was in his 50s by the time he had role after role after role in the ‘80s. He wasn’t putting up with just anything. According to @Werebraunger on Twitter, when Michael Bay, director of “The Rock,” tried to give Sean Connery direction, Connery said:
“Why don’t you go blow up a bridge?”
Watch Andy Garcia discuss working with Connery in “The Untouchables.”
Which role of Connery is your favorite?