"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" (2002) Review

"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" (2002) Review

Thirty-four years ago saw the release of "The Bourne Identity", Robert Ludlum's first novel about the amnesiac government agent called Jason Bourne. The novel became a best-seller and spawned two sequels written by Ludlum. Then in 1988, ABC aired a two-part miniseries adaptation of Ludlum's novel, which starred Richard Chamberlain and Jacyln Smith. The miniseries turned out to be a big ratings hit. But it did not stop there. Over fourteen years later, Universal Pictures released its own adaptation of the novel, starring Matt Damon as the amnesiac Jason Bourne. 

Directed by Doug Liman, the beginning of "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" more or less followed Ludlum's novel. Italian fisherman (instead of French) rescue an unconscious man floating adrift with two gunshot wounds in his back. The boat's medic finds a display of a safe deposit number surgically implanted under the unknown man's skin. The man wakes up and discovers he is suffering from extreme memory loss. Over the next few days, the man finds he is fluent in several languages and has unusual skills. But he cannot remember anything about himself or why he was in the sea. When the ship docks, the doctor sends him off to Zurich with some money to investigate the mystery of the safe deposit box. In Zurich, the man discovers money, a pistol and passports with his photograph. One of the photographs identify him as an American named Jason Bourne with an address in Paris.

Here, "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" begins to veer from both Ludlum's novel and the 1988 miniseries. Instead of alerting the forces of terrorist Carlos the Jackal, Bourne's trip to the bank alerted the CIA black ops program Treadstone to his whereabouts. And instead of coercing French-Canadian Marie St. Jacques to drive him to safety and using her as a hostage, Damon's Bourne offered money to a German-born Marie Kreutz to drive him to Paris. Before they can part, a Treadstone assassin attack Bourne at his Paris apartment. Due to the attack, Bourne is forced to kill the assassin and keep Marie by his side for her protection. And with her help, he sets out to discover his true identity and the truth that led to his wounded state in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, Treadstone - led by the cankerous Alexander Conklin and the anxious Deputy Director Ward Abbott - continues sending assassins to kill Bourne and prevent him from revealing the organization's desire to kill a volatile exiled African dictator named Nykwana Wombosi.

I might as well put my cards on the table. "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" is a terrific movie. Director Doug Liman, along with screenwriters Tony Gilory and William Blake Herron, did a first-rate job of transferring . . . well, their vision of Ludlum's novel. Although the movie is not as faithful to the novel as the miniseries, I believe it is just as good. Liman, Gilroy and Herron decided to reject a good deal of Ludlum's novel in order to reflect the current political climate and to conform to Liman's opinions regarding American foreign policy. In the movie, Bourne is a CIA assassin who works for a black ops group called Treadstone that carries out unofficial hits on those they consider threats to the American government. He lost his memory after a failed attempt on the exiled Nykwana Wombosi. The movie is more of a criticism or indictment (depending on how one would view it) on U.S. foreign policy than Ludlum's novel . But the director and the two screenwriters made sure that they retained the novel's central theme - a CIA agent who loses his memory on the heels of a failed mission. Does this mean I believe Liman, Gilroy and Herron's changes are superior to Ludlum's original story? Not really. Ludlum's tale and the 1988 adaptation were reflections of the times they hit both the bookstores and television screens. By the time "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" was in production, the political scene had change. The real Carlos the Jackal had been in prison for about seven to eight years by the time the movie went into production. And in my opinion, Liman and the two screenwriters wisely reflected this change.

"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" also reflected some first rate action sequences, thanks to Liman's direction, Oliver Wood's photography and especially Saar Klein's editing. My favorite sequences include Bourne's escape from the U.S. Embassy in Zurich, a car chase sequence through the streets of Paris, Bourne's final encounter with Conklin and two of the latter's flunkies inside Treadstone's Parisian safe house and especially the fight sequence between Bourne and another Treadstone assassin named Castel. I also enjoyed John Powell's atmospheric score for the film, which I believe more or less served as the basis for his work on the second and third BOURNE movies. And speaking of music, one could hardly discuss any BOURNE film withou mentioning Moby's 2002 hit song, "Extreme Ways". The lyrics to Moby's song, supported by a very entertaining score, literally captured the nuance of the franchise's main characters . . . especially Bourne. Is it any wonder that it has become the franchise's theme song? Also, I have to commend Liman's insistence upon filming "THE BOURNE IDENTITY" in Paris, especially since executives at Universal Studios wanted him to use Montreal or Prague as substitutes for the City of Lights. Mind you, both Montreal and Prague are beautiful cities. But even I would have guessed they were not really Paris in the film.

I read somewhere that Liman had considered a wide range of actors like Russell Crowe and Sylvester Stallone for the role of David Webb aka Jason Bourne. Mind you, I think Crowe could have pulled it off. But I am not so sure about Stallone. Then again, he could have done so a decade earlier. However, Liman eventually settled for Matt Damon and the rest, as they say, is history. Damon not only gave a superb performance as the introverted and haunted Bourne, he also handled some of the action scenes very well, considering this was his first time in such a physically demanding role. He also had superb chemistry with his leading lady, Franka Potente. The latter was excellent as the free-spirited Marie Kreutz, who finds herself drawn to the mysterious Bourne . . . almost against her will. Other first-rate performances include Chris Cooper as the intense and hot-tempered Alexander Conklin; Brian Cox, who performance as the cautious Ward Abbott almost strikes me as insidious; and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, whose performance as the arrogant and verbose Nykwana Wombosi pretty much lit up the screen. The movie also featured first-rate performances from two cast members who said very little. Julia Stiles did an excellent job in conveying both the professionalism and wariness of Treadstone logistics technician Nicky Parsons with very little dialogue. Clive Owen had even less to say as Treadstone assassin "The Professor" and yet, he perfectly projected an intense and intimidating presence as a government killer.

"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" is probably my second favorite movie in the franchise. Yet, it is not perfect. One of the problems I had featured the death of Treadstone assassin Castel, who jumped out of the window and killed himself, following his fight with Bourne inside the latter's Parisian apartment. Marie asked Bourne why he did it. And honestly, I wondered why he did it myself. But Gilroy and Herron's screenplay failed to explain Castel's suicide. And to this day, I am still wondering why the guy jumped. Ward Abbott made the decision to shut down Treadstone, following its failure to kill Bourne. But instead of having everyone connected to Treadstone killed - something that Edward Norton's character in "THE BOURNE LEGACY" attempted to do - Abbott only had one person bumped off. And I could not help but wondering if his efforts were half-assed. I also had a problem with the CIA's reaction to Nykwana Wombosi's death. Following Bourne's failed attempt to kill him, the CIA Director had a fit over the unauthorized attempted hit on the former dictator. But when "The Professor" finally killed Wombossi, no one made a fuss or worried over the possibility that the dictator's death might attract more attention from the media. I thought this was rather sloppy on Gilroy and Herron's part. Finally, the movie's second half was in danger of losing my attention, due to Liman's slow pacing. If it were not for the sequence featuring Bourne and Marie's visit to her friend (or step brother) Eaumon's French farmhouse, I would have fallen asleep and missed Bourne's final confrontation with Conklin.

What else is there to say about "THE BOURNE IDENTITY"? Like I said, it is my second favorite of the four movies in the BOURNE franchise. In its own way, it is just as good (but not better) than the 1988 miniseries that starred Richard Chamberlain. Not only did the movie featured a first-rate, if flawed screenplay by Tony Gilroy and William Blake Herron; it also featured fine direction by Doug Liman, along with a superb cast led by Matt Damon who proved to be an excellent Jason Bourne.

"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" (2002) Photo Gallery

Below are images from "THE BOURNE IDENTITY", the 2002 adaptation of Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel. Directed by Doug Liman, the movie stars Matt Damon as Jason Bourne: 


"THE BOURNE IDENTITY" (2002) Photo Gallery

"Who Was the Best Bond?"

"WHO WAS THE BEST BOND?"

 Recently, I have been perusing the Internet for articles and forums on EON Productions’ upcoming Bond flick, "SKYFALL". Naturally, I came across scores of articles and reviews on both the new and past Bond movies. I also checked several forums that focused upon the Bond franchise. The one topic that popped up without fail seemed to be the question of which actor portrayed the best James Bond.

The character of James Bond, Agent 007, has been portrayed by six actors for EON Productions and in two unofficial Bond films during the past 52 years. In 1954, American actor Barry Nelson portrayed the famous spy (as “Jimmy Bond”) in the CBS television production of “CASINO ROYALE” (the first of three adaptations of Ian Flemming’s first Bond novel). Eight years later in 1962, EON Productions – created by Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman – produced and released “DR. NO”, starring Sean Connery. Connery did four other Bond films before he temporarily gave up the role in 1968. A year earlier, Connery starred in his fourth Bond movie, “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE”, while Columbia Pictures and Charles Feldman released a second version of “CASINO ROYALE”. This latter film spoof starred David Niven and he portrayed Bond as a retired superspy who is coerced into accepting command of MI6. Meanwhile, Australian model, George Lazenby, took up the Bond mantle in one film – “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE”. Connery returned in 1971 for one last film before Roger Moore – formerly known as TV’s Simon Templar (aka “The Saint”) assumed the role of Bond for twelve years. Welsh actor, Timothy Dalton appeared in two Bond films in the late 1980s. Following a period of six years that saw no Bond films, Irish-born Pierce Brosnan portrayed the superspy in four movies from 1995 to 2002. Four years later, the blond-haired Daniel Craig became the eighth actor to portray Bond. 


Barry Nelson
 

 So, which actor portrayed the best James Bond? Most Bond fans have forgotten Barry Nelson’s 1954 performance. Aside from one memorable line, many recent critics have viewed his performance as bland and unforgettable. I found this to be regrettable, considering that I have seen Nelson in other characters in which he has projected a cynical yet humorous air. It is a shame that Nelson was prevented from injecting this style into his performance in “CASINO ROYALE”. 


Sean Connery
 

 The year 1962 introduced the first actor to successfully portray Bond – namely Sean Connery. The Scottish-born actor seemed to be the popular choice for many as the best Bond in the entire franchise. Connery injected an air of machismo, light menace and sardonic humor. In many fans’ opinion, Connery was the perfect Bond . . . a man’s man. Although his attitude toward women boarded on sexism, Connery never took Bond’s sexist attitude to the level of rampant misogyny reflected in Fleming’s literary counterpart. And Connery’s Bond seemed to be a balanced mixture of his own rugged personality and the elegant sophistication introduced to him by his first (and possibly best) director, Terrence Young. Despite the popular regard for Connery, other fans have expressed their preference for other actors who have portrayed Bond. Someone on one of the Bond forums had suggested that the reason many viewed Connery as the best Bond, may be due to the fact that he was the first to make a success out of the role. I had expected many to reject this theory. To my surprise, others have considered it as possible. As I have earlier pointed out, Barry Nelson had failed to make a success from playing Bond. And there have been fans who have complained about Connery’s overt masculinity . . . and machismo, claiming that it bordered on sexism. When I learned about all of this, I had no idea that there were others who might prefer another actor as Bond, over Connery. The Scottish actor did portray Bond for one last time in 1983’s “NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN”, a Bond movie produced by one of the original authors of the “Thunderball” story idea, Jack Whittingham. However, many Bond fans consider this movie as a poor remake of the 1965 film. 


David Niven
 

David Niven, longtime Hollywood idol from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, became the third actor to portray James Bond. Unfortunately, his turn appeared in the 1967 spoof, “CASINO ROYALE” (the second version of Fleming’s first novel). I say unfortunately, because the movie is regarded as a jumbled and confusing travesty in the history of the Bond franchise . . . and it has overshadowed Niven’s witty and amusing portrayal of the super spy. Niven had been in his mid-50s around the time he filmed the 1967 spoof. And for a man his age, he did an excellent job of dealing with some of the film’s action sequences. He also managed to turn in a witty and elegant performance as the aging intelligence legend coerced by “M” and the latter’s American, French and Soviet counterparts to return to MI-6 and lead the investigation into the shenanigans of the infamous “Dr. Noah” (a hilarious Woody Allen). Niven, who is known for uttering one of the most wittiest comments in the history of the Academy Awards (think of a streaker), also managed to utter one of the wittiest lines in the history of all Bond movies. But no one remembers this, due to the low reputation of the 1967 spoof. 


George Lazenby
 

Australian model George Lazenby, has suffered from a low opinion of his acting abilities ever since his all too-brief tenure as James Bond. One strike against Lazenby seemed to be his lack of acting experience when he became EON Productions’ second actor to portray the super spy. He also had the bad luck to follow on the heels of Connery, following the latter’s refusal to do a sixth film. Even worse, Lazenby appeared in a Bond film – 1969’s “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE” - that deviated from the Bond formula that had been established by “GOLDFINGER”, possessed a longer running time than its predecessors, hardly featured any gadgets and featured Bond in a serious relationship with the movie’s leading lady, portrayed by Diana Rigg. And unlike the previous Bond movies, “OHMSS” ended in tragedy. For the next decade or two, critics, Bond fans, and EON Productions heaped scorn upon Lazenby’s performance and the movie, itself. However, during the last ten to fifteen years, “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE” has come to be regarded as one of the finest Bond films in the franchise. And even Lazenby has enjoyed a revision of opinion by those who not only seemed impressed by his humanistic performance, but who have also expressed regret that he did not continued in the role in 1971’s “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”. There are those who still insist that “OHMSS” would have been better off with Connery in the lead. But it is not a general opinion. 


Roger Moore
 

After Connery did his last Bond film for EON Productions in 1971, Broccoli and Saltzman hired Roger Moore to assume the role of James Bond in “LIVE AND LET DIE”. Moore continued in the role for twelve years and in seven movies, ending with 1985’s “A VIEW TO A KILL”. Moore proved to be very popular with the fans. He brought a cheeky and light sense of humor and sophisticated interpretation to the role . Yet, he could also portray Bond as a deadly, cold-blooded and ruthless agent. In the twenty-one years since his last film, there has been a serious backlash against Moore. Many fans and critics have accused him of injecting too much humor and a cartoonish element to the Bond franchise, citing his fourth film – “MOONRAKER” – as a prime example. I have always found this accusation rather amazing. Looking back on the films before 1973, I have noticed that the franchise’s cartoonish element had first been established in 1964’s “GOLDFINGER” – a Connery film. And it continued in other Connery films like “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” and “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”. These same fans have also failed to notice Moore’s darker interpretation of Bond in movies like “THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”, “THE SPY WHO LOVED ME”, “FOR YOUR EYES ONLY” and “OCTOPUSSY”. Despite the increasingly negative opinion of Moore as Bond, he still remains popular with a good number of fans. 


Timothy Dalton
 \

Following Roger Moore’s departure from the franchise, EON Productions had hired Pierce Brosnan to assume the Bond mantle. Unfortunately for Brosnan, NBC Television forced him to finish his “Remington Steele” contract for one last season, making him unavailable. EON Productions then turned to Welsh-born Shakespearean actor, Timothy Dalton, to portray Bond. Dalton portrayed the British agent closer to Fleming’s literary interpretation than any of his predecessors – terse, ruthless, dry sense of humor and a great need for a psychiatrist. Fortunately, Dalton’s interpretation left out Fleming’s more misogynist portrayal of Bond. Dalton had the bad luck to follow Moore’s more humorous take on the role. Many die-hard Bond fans found it difficult to accept Dalton’s more serious take on the role, especially since it came upon the heels of Moore’s humorous Bond. Dalton only made two Bond films – 1987’s “THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS” and 1989’s “LICENSE TO KILL”. After the latter’s release, EON Productions found itself immersed in another lawsuit over the much contested “Thunderball” story. By the time the smoke ended, EON Productions was ready to film a third movie with Dalton around 1993 or 1994. However, too many years had passed and Dalton – ready to put the Bond role behind him – rejected their offer. Since the release of films like “THE BOURNE IDENTITY”, the most recent Bond film and television shows like “24” and “MI-5” (aka “Spooks”), Dalton’s take on Bond has become more appreciated. 


Pierce Brosnan
 

Pierce Brosnan’s desire to portray James Bond finally came to fruition in the mid-1990s. He brought greater profit to the Bond franchise in four films – ranging from 1995’s “GOLDENEYE” to 2002’s “DIE ANOTHER DAY”. Many hailed the Irish-born actor as the best Bond since Connery and saving the Bond franchise. Fans and critics pointed out Brosnan’s interpretation of the secret agent as a mixture of Connery’s grittiness and Moore’s sophistication and humor. Some have even praised him for being able to portray Bond’s angst just as well as Dalton without being too serious. But despite the profit that EON Productions had earned from Brosnan’s films, many fans began to complain about their weak storylines in at least three of them. Some consider “GOLDENEYE” as the only Brosnan film worthy of acclaim. Others felt that “THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH” was his best film. And there are a few who are willing to give that honor to 1997’s “TOMORROW NEVER DIES”. Interestingly enough, 2002’s “DIE ANOTHER DAY” is considered to be Brosnan’s worst film – despite the fact that it earned more profit for EON Productions, until 2006’s “CASINO ROYALE”. And like Moore and Dalton, Brosnan has suffered a backlash from fans and critics since the end of his tenure as Bond. Many have complained that his “multi-faceted” portrayal of Bond was nothing more than a rehash of his predecessors’ styles without any development of his own. Others have accused him of being too generic or too much of a dandy. Despite this latest backlash, Brosnan still has his fans. And many of these fans believe that EON Productions should have never dumped him for the younger Daniel Craig.


Daniel Craig 
 

The most recent actor to assume the mantle of James Bond is 41 year-old Daniel Craig. He is the first Bond actor who was born after Ian Fleming’s death in 1964. He was the first actor to be born after the creation of the Bond franchise. He is the first Bond hired by EON Productions to stand under six feet tall. He is also the first Bond actor to sport blond hair. Barry Nelson was a redhead when he portrayed Bond and Roger Moore possessed light brown hair. But for some reason, many fans had objected to Craig’s blond locks, when he was first hired by EON Productions. Many fans also objected to his height – at 5’11”, he was the Bond actor who stood under six feet tall. And many objected to his rugged countenance that made Connery’s look like a GQ model. In the end, there were many fans, who were not simply ready for Brosnan to give up the role of James Bond. Craig endured criticism and ridicule on the Internet for his looks, his heights and the light injuries that he suffered during the production of “CASINO ROYALE” (the third version of Fleming’s story and EON Production’s first version). However, there were fans who had seen Craig in films like "ELIZABETH", "LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER", "THE ROAD TO PERDITION", "LAYER CAKE", "MUNICH" and "INFAMOUS". They believed that he had the presence and talent to make a credible Bond. More Bond fans began to accept this view following the release of the movie trailers for “CASINO ROYALE” in the late summer/early fall of 2006. But Craig finally won over the opinions of many fans and film critics following the movie’s release in mid-November 2006. Not only did the movie and Craig win rave reviews and a British Film Academy Award nomination, “CASINO ROYALE” became one of EON Productions’ biggest hits. Craig struck gold again in the 2008 follow-up, "QUANTUM OF SOLACE". But despite all of this success, there are fans who remain unimpressed by the movie. Like “OHMSS”, both “CASINO ROYALE” and "QUANTUM OF SOLACE" featured very few gadgets (perhaps one or two that seem very credible). The first movie featured the longest running time for a Bond film and a tragic romance with the film’s leading lady. The second featured the shortest running time in the franchise's history, a possible revenge tale and no romance for Bond with the leading lady. Also, Craig still seemed to go against the grain from what more traditionalist fans expect in a Bond film. At the moment, these disappointed fans seem very few at the moment. Only history will tell us how future fans will judge Craig’s tenure as James Bond. 


CONCLUSION 

Despite all of what I have written, the question of who was the best Bond still remains. I am going to make two things perfectly clear about my personal opinions. Until the 2006 release of “CASINO ROYALE”, I never had a “favorite” Bond. Thanks to Daniel Craig’s performance, I have finally found my favorite Bond. He seemed to combine the ruggedness of Connery, Lazenby’s humanity, Moore and Brosnan’s humor and Dalton’s angst neurosis without looking like some copy cat. For me, he has a well-rounded style that appealed to me on a personal level. Yet, I still remain a die-hard fan of the other actors who played Bond. Does this mean I believe that Craig was the “best” James Bond? No. Each actor had brought something to the role that made their performances very memorable. Even Nelson had a one-liner that many still remember to this day, fifty-two years later. Who was the “best” Bond? Who knows? In the end, it is all subjective and not a question that can be answered as a fact. 

Favorite Films Set in Berlin

Below is a list of my favorite films set in Berlin, Germany:


FAVORITE FILMS SET IN BERLIN



1. "Valkyrie" (2008) - Bryan Singer directed this exciting historical thriller about the July 1944 plot by German Army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country. Tom Cruise starred.






2. "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) - Loosely based upon Robert Ludlum's novel, this sequel continued the story of Jason Bourne, an amnesiac former CIA paramilitary operative and assassin who finds himself caught in a political and financial scandal regarding a C.I.A. executive and a Russian millionaire amidst a personal tragedy. Matt Damon starred in this movie directed by Paul Greengrass.






3. "A Foreign Affair" (1948) - Billy Wilder directed this comedy set in occupied Berlin about an Army captain torn between an ex-Nazi cafe singer and the U.S. congresswoman investigating her. Jean Arthur, John Lund and Marlene Dietrich starred.






4. "Conspiracy" (2001) - Kenneth Branaugh and Stanley Tucci starred in this fact-based psychological study of Nazi officials involved in the Wannsee Conference about "Final Solution of the Jewish Question" during World War II. Frank Pierson directed.






5. "Unknown" (2011) - Liam Neeson starred in this thriller about an American visiting Berlin, who awakens from a coma, discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one - including his wife - believes him.






6. "The Big Lift" (1950) - Montgomery Clift and Paul Douglas starred in this poignant tale about two U.S. Air Force sergeants who meet and fall in love with two women in Berlin during the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift.






7. "Octopussy" (1983) - Roger Moore portrayed James Bond in this tale in which the British agent's investigation into the death of a fellow agent and a fake Fabergé egg leads to an international jewel smuggling operation being used to disguise a nuclear attack on NATO forces. Directed by John Glen, the movie also stars Maud Adams, Louis Jordan and Steven Berkhoff.






8. "Torn Curtain" (1966) - Alfred Hitchcock directed this thriller about an American scientist who publicly defects to East Germany as part of a cloak and dagger mission to find the solution for a formula resin and figure out a plan to escape back to the West. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews starred.






9. "One, Two, Three" (1961) - Billy Wilder directed this zany tale about a Coca-Cola executive in West Berlin, who may be fired if he cannot keep his American boss's daughter from marrying a Communist. James Cagney starred.






10. "The Good German" - Steven Soderbergh directed this interesting thriller about an American military journalist who is drawn into a murder investigation that involves his former mistress and his driver during the Potsdam Conference. George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire starred.