The Bourne Identity (2002) — The Spycraft Game Gets Turned Inside & Out

Jason Bourne has seen better days. Of course, it would help if he could remember those days.

The Bourne Identity, a 2002 film starring Matt Damon in the leading role, takes a look at an amnesiac Jason Bourne as he tries to unravel the pieces of his clearly-confused identity. Who the heck is he, why is he trained as an assassin, and how is the CIA involved in all of this? These questions and more take the confused human weapon on a journey to discovery his past and, hopefully, his lost memories. Easier said than done.

Jason Bourne has a mystery on his hand… his own. Waking up on fishing boat with two gunshot wounds in his back is not a good way to start things off. But more mysteriously is the number of a Swiss bank account embedded on his hip. At the bank, he discovers that his name is Jason Bourne from one of his passports. From there the adventure really begins when both the Swiss and American authorities try to capture him. What amaze him are the skills he possesses that flow freely through him like second nature.

Jason Bourne: I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?

Along the way, he meets Marie Helena Kreutz and offers her money if she takes him to Paris. From there, it becomes a cat-and-mouse chase as the pair tries to elude both the CIA and the Parisian police. The CIA, in particular, has set out three operatives to eliminate Bourne. Why? Because he is a loose end from a botched mission, all co-ordinated by Alexander Conklin, the head of the black ops group Operation Treadstone. Bourne slowly learns that he was to assassinate Nykwana Wombosi, a deposed African dictator, but failed in his mission to do so.

More than anything, he wants to learn of his past, yet at the same time leave it behind to start a new life. But will the CIA let him go, or will they hunt him down until he is taken care of once and for all?

Jason Bourne: Who am I?
Alexander Conklin: You're U.S. Government property. You're a malfunctioning $30 million weapon. You're a total goddamn catastrophe, and by God, if it kills me, you're going to tell me how this happened.

Director Doug Liman brought Robert Lundlum’s novel to life on the big screen, though it was a loosely based adaptation. But the changes made for a better movie. In fact, this is a highly intelligent exercise that engages the audience from the very beginning to the very end.

Two things captivated me: the mystery surrounding Boune’s identity and, more importantly, the character of Bourne. Matt Damon was perfect in this role. For one, he is not considered to be an action star so to see him pull it off, and quite successfully, is very pleasing. More importantly, he has an aura of sincere earnestness that surrounds him. It works extremely well for a lost Bourne trying to find his way in the world and only has his instincts to rely on.

The chemistry between Damon and Franka Potente (Marie) worked very well. They switched roles of being either the shepherd or the sheep many times in the film as they realized that they needed to help each other. She became a necessary character relating the confusion and fear of the everyday person discovering this bizarre, conspiratorial world.

Chris Cooper has always been a personal favourite (his performance in Breach is a must-see for anyone). His role as Alexander Conklin was well cast and he did justice playing the part of the coordinator of Treadstone.

Rounding up the cast is Julia Stiles as CIA field operative Nicky Parsons, Brian Cox as CIA Deputy Director Ward Abbott, Clive Owen as a Treadstone operative/assassin known as “The Professor”, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as deposed African dictator Nykwana Wombosi (probably best known as Mr. Eko from TV’s Lost).

Despite the intrigue and conspiracy, the main focus was on Jason Bourne’s character and it never strayed away from that plot device. I thoroughly enjoyed his road to discovery or his frustration whenever he hit an obstacle.

There is a very kinetic feel throughout the whole film. It’s always on the go but not so quickly that it’s hard to absorb what is going all around. I have to admit that there are some slow spots that seem to linger on for too long, but they are few and far in between. What I really enjoyed is the lack of any music when it came to the action scenes, especially the fight scenes between Bourne and his would-be assassins-for-hire. The focus was on the action and anything else would have been a distraction from that.

The car chase scene through the streets of Paris was also a treat to watch and one of the best I have ever seen. It reminds me of another movie, Ronin starring Robert De Niro, where, ironically another great car chase scene takes place in the streets of Paris.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw The Bourne Identity but I was extremely satisfied after it was over. Yes, there were lots of questions that still needed answers but I think it was a wise move not to rush the part of Bourne discovering his true identity as of yet. There’s only so much that people can absorb, and amnesiac ones need it in small doses. Or maybe that’s just me.


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**This is part of CopeSullivan's 50 Reviews By Halloween Write-Off. This is 13 out of 50.