Based incredibly loosely on the novel by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity is the tale of a man whose wounded body is discovered by some unsuspecting fishermen. They are good Samaritans in the way that they nursed him back to health. Most people would have left him to die, and think that it’d be too much hassle to look after him; especially in the middle of the sea. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) doesn’t remember anything about his life before the accident. He has no idea who he is. He is a blank slate. He remembers nothing and begins to rebuild his memory inspired by clues from a Swiss bank account. The numbers of which, are slotted in his hip. He soon sees that he’s being hunted by the US government and other forces. He takes off with Marie (Frank Potente) on a search to find himself, and why everyone is trying to kill him.
It seems Jason Bourne has superpowers. From the time Bourne discovers his…how should I put it…”abilities”, he’s not your average human. He’s takes out two cops efficiently and then there’s that awesome scene in the bank. Damon plays Bourne with the instincts of an animal living in the savanna. He’s constantly looking over his shoulder, on the lookout for incoming predators (federal agencies). He sense danger from miles away and can make weapons out of anything. He’s a trained assassin, deadly and incredibly dangerous yet he is the hero of this story. He is on a quest to find out who is, and on the run across The Continent to find out why everyone is trying to kill him. Bourne just wants to live his life in peace but peace was never an option.
Matt Damon Is Jason Bourne
(The Bourne Identity, Universal Pictures)
There was once a time when you didn’t have to a wear a mask to be a hero. Heroes once used to be individuals we could see, not costumed vigilantes. Spy movies dominated the 1960s and the 1970s with the likes of Get Carter, Italian Job and Bond movies like Goldfinger, Dr No and Topaz. The spies were the good guys and then you had the obvious villain. They were stories where there weren’t so many questions of morality, oppressions and good guys disguised as villains and vice-versa. The spy genre was black and white, but now the lines of blurred and have created a hazy grey area. Now in the 21st century, where technology is everywhere.
Big Brother is always watching and the internet has made espionage movies that much greater to watch. The internet has also made the bad guys even more difficult to catch. Bourne wants to find out who he is, and how he got his abilities. The answers he finds aren’t great and they lead to even more complex questions that need answers. The director Doug Liman (Suits), intelligently binds it all together into an awesome picture that balances story, concept, fight choreography and acting performance really well into a quality spy movie. Marie gives Jason something to live for other than the constant running from faceless assailants.
A very sixties -looking shot of Jason (Damon) and Marie (Potente)
(The Bourne Identity, Universal Pictures)
The Bourne Identity and the sequels that follow it stand tall in its genre. They are unique and future classics for sure. It’s a well-made movie with great acting performances as well as relevant concepts and awesome fight scenes. Bourne Identity was first released in 2002 and fourteen years later, it still holds up. It’s a great movie amongst the gunk of blockbuster box office hits. Films like this won’t be appreciated with the likes of comic book movies and constant reboots of much-loved television shows. No doubt Bourne V (July release) will be lost in the gunk of the summer blockbuster cycle with the release of Suicide Squad, Independence Day 2, Now You See Me 2, Legend Of Tarzan and Star Trek Beyond.
Bourne Identity is a class example of the grey area but also proves that men can still be good despite the depictions of federal agencies
Bourne Identity is a clear product of that gray area, but somehow still harkens back to the good old days when a spy was still a spy.
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