The sixth James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, was a divisive film at first but gradually became a fan favorite among Bond aficionados. The movie was the first and only Bond film to star George Lazenby as 007, and his replacement of Sean Connery was the cause of controversy among longtime Bond fans at the time. Moreover, the film featured a markedly different tone and story from its five predecessors, further separating it from the typical action-packed Bond films that were generally light on story and character development. However, these differences have been seen in a far more positive light in recent years, and deservedly so. By modern standards, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is rightfully seen as one of the better classic Bond films.
Based on Ian Fleming’s novels, the James Bond movies began with Sean Connery’s iconic depiction of the titular spy, quickly propelling him to stardom and initiating the James Bond film franchise that has over twenty movies across two continuities. While Sean Connery is generally considered the best actor to depict Bond, he is one of six, with each iteration of Bond distinguishing himself from the others. In the 1960s, when audiences only saw Connery as Bond, however, introducing newcomer George Lazenby was unthinkable for many. To make matters worse, Lazenby lacked Connery’s acting experience and wasn’t a native of the UK, making viewers even more skeptical of his one Bond film.
Upon its 1969 release, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was met with generally negative reviews. The film’s drastically different story and Lazenby’s depiction of Bond were the main points of criticism. While Connery’s Bond was suave, confident, and occasionally humorous, Lazenby depicted a more pedestrian version of the iconic agent. The following film, Diamonds Are Forever, saw the return of Connery as Bond one final time (canonically), cementing Lazenby’s single outing as a failure in the eyes of viewers and critics. In more recent years, however, with the Bond franchise having grown past the Connery era, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is celebrated for its differences, and the very aspects that it was once criticized for are what makes it the favorite of numerous Bond fans.
Lazenby's Bond
When Sean Connery decided to leave the role of Bond after You Only Live Twice, George Lazenby was put in an unenviable position. At a time in film history where an actor’s name carried more weight than their character’s, Lazenby was tasked with replacing Connery, who’d become synonymous with James Bond. No matter how he depicted Bond, Lazenby was doomed to be negatively compared to his predecessor. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service took care to constantly remind viewers that it took place in the same continuity as the previous five films, with an opening credits sequence that included footage of them and having Lazenby’s Bond examine objects from the Connery films, for instance.
While Connery’s Bond exuded confidence, Lazenby’s depiction of the spy could be defined by his vulnerability. Lazenby’s Bond showed genuine fear when pursued by Blofeld’s agents, an understandable response in context, even for a seasoned MI6 agent. Bond’s major romance in the film is one of genuine love, with the agent resigning and marrying Tracy Draco. When Tracy dies in the film’s final moments, Lazenby’s Bond begins to cry. While Connery is generally regarded as the best Bond actor, even in modern times, it’s difficult to imagine him playing the role with the same humanity and gentleness as George Lazenby.
OHMSS Embodied Fleming’s Books
While most Bond movies depicted 007 as little more than an action hero whose personality and feelings were rarely delved into, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service accurately depicted the all-too-vulnerable, all-too-human James Bond from Ian Flemings novels. Fleming’s Bond was a lonely and melancholic person whose first mission had him fall in love with a woman who turned out to be a Soviet double agent, breaking Bond’s heart and leaving him cold and detached. While Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig would arguably depict this idea of Bond more closely than any other actor, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the closest film to Fleming’s Bond at the time.
While On Her Majesty’s Secret Service made several notable changes from its source material, such as Bond and Blofeld having met before (You Only Live Twice preceded the story in the film series, while it succeeded it in the novels), the film is an accurate recreation of the novel’s narrative. When combined with Lazenby’s iteration of Bond having both vulnerability and clear character development, the film accurately depicted Ian Fleming’s Bond that holds up by modern standards. The film’s conflict wasn’t only averting a global catastrophe, it also concerned the life and future of James Bond as a person.
Bond Had His First Genuine Love Story
James Bond was little more than a likable vehicle for exciting action scenes, with his suave persona and faithful service to MI6 being the beginning and end of his characterization. The franchise’s (in)famous “Bond Girls” fell for Bond quickly and easily and seldom appeared (or were even mentioned) after their single cinematic appearances. George Lazenby’s James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the first to genuinely fall in love, growing gradually close to Tracy Draco and resigning from MI6 to marry her, mirroring his intended future with Vesper Lynd in Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale. Bond and Draco’s tragically (and similarly) doomed love story was perhaps the film’s best expression of a James Bond who experienced true character growth.
While these differences were jarring for a franchise that had once been light on emotional performances and character development, they’re quite appropriate for a modern audience, especially considering that the role of James Bond is no longer irrevocably tied to a single actor. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is now considered to be among the best James Bond films, and its fan base famously includes Christopher Nolan, who cites it as his favorite in the franchise for its balance of tragedy, emotion, and action scenes. The recently-concluded Daniel Craig era of Bond films took a similar approach of emphasizing Bond’s humanity and the tragic nature of his occupation, George Lazenby’s sole outing as James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has earned its status as a contemporary fan favorite.