The Bourne Identity (2002) Review

Since Jason Bourne is coming out at the end of July I decided that I would rewatch and review the first three Bourne movies. I'll probably skip Legacy because really who cares...

[WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS]

     The Bourne Identity is directed by Doug Liman and was released in 2002. It tells the story of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) who is rescued from near death by the crew of a fishing boat only to find that he has amnesia and can't remember who he is. Using information found on a laser projector sewn beneath his skin he sets out to discover who he really is with the help of Marie (Franka Potente), a young, wandering, German woman in need of some cash. Meanwhile the leader of Treadstone, the organization Bourne works for, misinterpreting his erratic behavior as desertion, tries to track him down and kill him.

     The film has a very down-to-earth realistic feel thanks both to Doug Liman's direction and the script, adapted from the novel by Robert Ludlum. Liman's prowling camera work imbues the film with a real sense of urgency making the viewer constantly on their toes the same way Bourne himself is. There is one scene in particular that really illustrates this feeling. Bourne and Maria arrive at his apartment and Bourne becomes tense as an unseen assassin prepares to kill him. This scene is intentionally awkward as Bourne isn't sure why he's worried and tries to hide his apprehension from Maria who's oblivious to what going on. Maria's character helps to ground both Bourne and the film in general. Neither she, the audience, or even Bourne himself really know who he is or what's going on and that opens the door for some really interesting character study.

     This film is rife with themes of identity loss both figurative and literal. Obviously Bourne does not know who he is and so has lost his identity in a literal sense. But in a figurative sense he lost his identity a long time ago when he joined Treadstone and became an assassin for them. His life up to this point has consisted of killing people for this organization. Everything in between has been some form of deception. Ultimately Bourne's quest to rediscover his identity is so difficult because he had no real life to begin with. Only by remembering the moment he when rejected his role as an assassin does he begin to really piece together who he was.

     Both Damon and Potente give strong, naturalistic performances while Brian Cox and Chris Cooper are, as usual, good villains, or perhaps anti-villains is a better description. John  Powell's score fits tone of the film perfectly and is used sparingly. Many of the action scenes are not accompanied by music relying instead on the rhythm of the editing and the ambient sound to drive them forward. With that said that action is limited at times by Liman's stodgy editing choices. While his use of "shaky cam" fits the tone of the film sometimes its just confusing for no reason. There are also some minor plot contrivances and certain scenes stretch credulity. For instance the first Treadstone assassin decides that the most effective way to kill Bourne is to smash through his apartment window firing a machine gun! There's also a bit of a bait and switch at the end which always takes me out of the film and is rather anti-climatic to boot. With that said, these flaws are easily overlooked.

     The Bourne Identity is one of the best action films of the last decade. It's exploration of the dehumanizing effects of espionage along with its down-to-earth tone and solid performances have made it stand the test of time.

Score: 9/10