The Bourne Identity

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Director: Doug Liman

Writers: Tony Gilroy (screenplay), W. Blake Herron (screenplay), Robert Ludlum (novel)

Cast: Matt Damon, Franke Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbale, Gabriel Mann, Walton Goggins, Julia Stiles, Orso Maria Guerrini, Tim Dutton

Synopsis:

When a group of fisherman recover a body at see still alive, the mystery man (Damon) has lost his memories, including who he is. The only clue to the man's identity is a small device surgically implanted in his hip that projects an account number for a bank in Zurich. The man makes his way to Switzerland and learns that his name is Jason Bourne but instead of finding more answers at the bank, he finds only more questions. After running into trouble at the U.S. Embassy, he partners up with Marie (Potente) who he convinces to drive him to Paris. Bourne soon begins to uncover more information about who he is, including that someone out there wants him dead. Now, Bourne and Marie must uncover the truth of his identity while evading those sent to kill him.

First Impression:

The Bourne Identity was really the first in a new breed of action films. It was a type that set it apart from the bloated over-the-top spectacle that the genre had become throughout the 80s and 90s. At the time of its release, I was definitely fed up with action movies in general. I loved the genre, no question, but I had become somewhat frustrated with its  "How can we top the last one?" mentality. This film represented a refreshing change in how these movies were made. It was more thoughtful than what came before it, but it still gave off the needed adrenaline rush that action movies thrive on. Everything in the film, from the fight scenes to the chase scenes, were grounded more heavily in reality and for a genre that had slipped in absurdity over the previous two decades it was a welcome shift. Suffice to say, I enjoyed the movie my first time out. Let's see if it holds up after all these years.

Story/Direction: 

"Look at this. Look at what they make you give."

The storyline of The Bourne Identity is very much, like the title implies, about a man's search for his identity. At least that's one side of the film. The other side depicts the actions of Jason's  former handlers at the CIA who want to find out what happened. You could argue that the film would have worked just as well if Bourne's identity as a paid government assassin was shrouded more in mystery only to be revealed at the end. You could argue that. You might even be right, however, this is an action film and a good action film needs a villain for the hero to fight against and by taking the route that he did director Doug Liman gives the audience an antagonist to root against in the person of CIA director Conklin (Cooper). 

As far as the actual story goes, there's not much new ground being broken. That's not to say it wasn't good or anything. It's just that action movies, in general, aren't known for their deep, intertwining plots. Where the movie really gets innovative is in its characterizations and action sequences (more on those later). The film starts out somewhat slow and gradually builds over time, both in its action and its unfolding of the plot. Liman uses the parallel stories to help fill in exposition when the audience needs it. The way he does this is by cutting between what's happing in Europe with Bourne and the situation room in Langley where Conklin is fed information by his underlings about the characters and the overarching plot. It's a device that works well and made the delivery of exposition less clunky than it often is in films. In the end, there's no great revelations about who Bourne is as by the time he figures out his identity, the audience is already in on it. Still, despite the movie's lack of anything new to say, it's still interesting enough to keep me watching in between action sequences. 

Acting/Characters:

 In the 80s, action heroes were larger than life, wise cracking and had charm out the wazoo. Meanwhile, in the 90s, they became more jaded, dark and still full of wisecracks. Conversely, Jason Bourne is none of these things. He's quiet, contemplative and often confused. If you think about it, that was a bit of a gamble by Liman and Damon to portray an action hero like that since confidence is kind of part and parcel with the genre. In fact, the way Damon can shift between his confused state into "agent" mode on a dime when he's in danger is a really cool way of displaying his behavioral conditioning. It's a solid performance of character that has now become an iconic hero of the genre.

The great Chris Cooper plays the film's antagonist Conklin. from the get-go the audience is shown that this character is driven and focused but as the film progress, we also see that he's amoral and self-centered. Once he finds out Bourne failed in his initial mission, he wants to find out what happened and when those answers aren't readily available, he opts to just have him killed to cover his own ass. Conklin certainly isn't a villain that is designed to go toe-to-toe with the hero during the climax of the film. He's more of a behind the scenes puppet master but for the purposes of the film, it works well.

There isn't much left for major roles as the movie's cast is pretty streamlined. Franke Potente does a good job as Marie, though like many female roles in action movies, she's not given much to do. The character's purpose is to ground Bourne and give him a sounding board and, of course, to eventually serve as the hero's love interest. She does all these things ably but I think Liman and company had trouble figuring out what to do with her. So much so that she's awkwardly removed from the third act.

 Visuals/Action:

Aside from the usual pyrotechnics involved in an  action movie, the film doesn't really do anything visually significant. However, from an action standpoint, it really pushed the envelope. There are some legitimately great action sequences in the movie, all of which a bit more grounded than the standard action fare at the time. The fight scenes are quick, visceral and well-choreographed. They also are responsible for their own type of trope where one of the combatants uses an everyday item as a potentially lethal weapon (in this instance a ball point pen). Likewise there is a solid chase scene through the streets of Paris that rivals those in Ronin. All in all I give the action in The Bourne Identity a passing mark. 

Score/Music:

John Powell handled the composing duties for the film. While I'm sure he's a very competent composer, the music just wasn't my cup of tea. It has a very distinct Euro-dance type of vibe which just isn't my jam if I'm being honest. That being said, however, it certainly fit with the setting of the film, so for that reason alone it gets a pass from me. 

Final Verdict:

This is still a great film whose impact is still being felt today. It opened the door to a new way of filming an action movie and many films in the genre make use of many of the techniques on display here. If your an action movie buff, definitely check it out. Aw hell, even if you're not it still worth a view in my opinion.