For Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery returned to the role of James Bond under quite unusual circumstances. After his last appearance in You Only Live Twice (1967), Connery had vowed never to play Bond again due to the pressure and exhaustion from the role. However, in 1971, he was persuaded to return for Diamonds Are Forever by a record-breaking paycheck of $1.25 million (a huge sum at the time) and a promise that it would be his final Bond film.

Diamonds Are Forever features some impressive and memorable stunt action sequences that became a highlight of the film. One of the most famous stunts involves a high-speed car chase through the streets of Las Vegas, which includes Bond driving a specially outfitted Ford Mustang Mach 1. In the chase, Bond is pursued by a group of armed henchmen in a variety of vehicles. The stunt team employed a series of daring maneuvers, including sharp turns and intense driving through tight spaces in the neon-lit streets of Las Vegas. This was one of the film’s most thrilling and visually stunning sequences.

Another standout stunt involved Bambi and Thumper, the two female antagonists who engage in a fight scene with Bond. The fight takes place in a lavish penthouse suite and was choreographed to showcase both women’s athleticism and strength. The scene is notable for its unusual nature — Bond faces off against two opponents who are skilled in hand-to-hand combat, breaking away from the typical henchman scenes in earlier Bond films.

Additionally, the film includes several daring fights and shootouts, including a sequence where Bond is involved in a battle on a moving elevator and another where he fights off multiple attackers in a diamond storage vault. These stunts, combined with high-energy chase scenes and frequent close combat, helped define the action-heavy nature of Diamonds Are Forever.

The film also made use of one of the most dangerous stunt sequences involving Bond being dragged behind a car. In this scene, Bond is attacked by a thug, and while being dragged behind the vehicle, Connery’s stunt double performed the dangerous act without the aid of CGI or special effects, making it one of the more authentic stunts of the era.

The stunts in Diamonds Are Forever helped maintain the franchise’s reputation for high-octane action and set the tone for future Bond films, with daring feats and thrilling chases becoming a staple of the series moving forward.