Review: The Bourne Identity

Posted by: J.S. Lee  •  June 14, 2002 @ 11:59am

Filed under: Reviews

Ironically enough, as I sit down to write a movie review about a movie which features a protagonist who suffers from an acute case of amnesia, I find myself struggling to remember my own experience of viewing said film. Of course, I myself do not suffer from amnesia, and perhaps I am being somewhat cheeky when I speak of having trouble recalling last night's movie screening. After all, if I did in fact have no recollection of sitting down in a packed movie theatre and watching a two hour movie, I would be somewhat troubled, and probably wouldn't take the time to recount my experience to you, now would I? The truth of the matter is, memorable movie going experiences usually fall into one of two categories. Basically, the movie was either so good that you can't help but hold onto the memory of it, or the movie was so horribly bad that it just sticks with you like a bad taste in your mouth, or the smell that clings to you long after you leave the confines of the public washroom in some downtown mall. I generalize of course, but I'm sure you catch my drift. There are, however, those movie going experiences that end up occupying a more transitory part of your consciousness. That is not to say that the movie was entirely bad, and a waste of your time; it just wasn't good enough or beautiful enough to make the cut of being really significant, but at the same time wasn't so awfully traumatizing that it actually scared you. In a way, the movies which I speak of are kind of like that guy who ends up being the guy who helps the girl get over the guy who just dumped her. Ladies, you know the guy I'm talking about. He was a nice guy, a sweet guy even, but he just wasn't "the" guy. He entertained you, helped you get things off your troubled mind, but six months down the line, it would have been like he never even existed. Well, the movie that I saw last night was kind of like that guy. It kept me occupied, I was mildly entertained, but six months from now, will I even remember going? Perhaps not, but for the time being, I'll try to remember - for your benefit anyway...

Now that I think of it, I do recall the picture's name - The Bourne Identity, staring Matt Damon and the lovely German actress, Franka Potente (yes, Lola from the eponymously titled film Run Lola Run). As I alluded to earlier, Damon plays an amnesiac who, despite not being able to remember a thing prior to the moment he is plucked out of the Mediterranean Sea by some Italian fisherman, is seemingly ingrained with all sorts of esoteric but deadly knowledge, such as martial arts and all sorts of weapon skills. Following what little clues are available to him, Damon's enigmatic character makes his way from the Italian fishing boat to a Swiss bank, where he soon discovers a possible identity (several, in fact), a load of cash, and a gun. Assuming the identity of one of the men (all bearing the same likeness) depicted in the many international passports found in a safety deposit box, Jason Bourne must now piece together his true identity and the memory of his life. As if not daunting enough of a task, Bourne must do this all while being pursued by a bunch of CIA-"created" assassins, and with the innocent Marie (a victim of happenstance) now in tow.

The Bourne Identity is a straightforward action-espionage-thriller based upon the novels of Robert Ludlum. Directed by Doug Liman, The Bourne Identity follows a fairly linear path, but is executed in such a way that viewer's attention does not stray for too long. Shot on location in Paris, the movie has an obvious European feel, which lends itself quite nicely to the spy-thriller genre. Filled with intense and violent scenes featuring some nicely choreographed fights, as well as a rather brilliant car chase that will undoubtedly raise the bar on car chase scenes to come, The Bourne Identity is indeed a stylish and visceral viewing experience not unlike the earlier films of French director, Luc Besson. In fact, with its European backdrop and highly stylized scenes of violence, it becomes quite evident that Liman has, consciously or unconsciously, borrowed heavily from the films of Besson, most notably La Femme Nikita and Léon. Stylistic plagiarism stated, it must be noted however that what Liman is unable to accomplish that Besson is able to do in his films, is bring a sense of depth to his characters. After all, despite suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is still capable of evolving as a character. Just because he cannot remember who he is, doesn't make the character of Bourne a mindless robot. Liman does tease the audience with scenes in which Bourne does express an emotion or a reaction that is not strictly triggered by the constant action that continually takes place around him. With the responsibility of having to take care of Marie (Potente), who becomes a victim for merely coming into contact with him, Bourne does share a moral and sentimental bond with literally the only woman he knows. However, instead of examining this unique and in fact quite "romantic" dichotomy of characters, Liman is too anxious to move on to the next scene of awe inspiring stunt work. Yes, the action-spy-thriller is not a genre known for its depth of characters or narrative brilliance, but add to the mix a screenplay that is far too "loose" when it comes to carrying its plot along, and a case of sloppy editing, and you have two faults that when found in unison, can severely damage a movie's narrative discourse.

The Bourne Identity marks Matt Damon's debut as a full-fledged action hero, and surprisingly, Damon is quite capable in the whoop-ass department, demonstrating a deft display of martial arts kicks and punches. Yet - and perhaps not the fault of the actor himself but more of a casting mistake - Damon's American boy-next-door good looks just don't fit right against the gray winter of Paris and among the more "weathered" looking European actors present in the movie. Damon's innocent look does lend itself well to the amnesia theme (Bourne seems to be surprised by his own deadly abilities), but on a whole, the actor looks out of place. Even in scenes opposite Potente, who is suppose to be Bourne's love interest, Damon just seems mismatched when in the presence of the "grittier" looking German actress. But out of the two leads, it is Potente who gives The Bourne Identity its much needed dose of humanity. In a movie that often opts to bypass emotional depth in the name of fantastical shows of physical intensity, it is through Potente's performance (both in her "look" and her actual theatrical performance) that the audience is able to make what little emotional connection there is with the mostly cold and hard spy thriller. It is thanks to Potente that we are even able to find some light humor between the scenes of casual gunfire and violent bouts of fisticuffs. One must wonder if The Bourne Identity could have been more of a unique and less cliché of a movie if it hadn't followed the typical path of the male-orientated action movie, and had instead concentrated on the more dynamic story of Marie. Perhaps if it had, then in the end The Bourne Identity could have left a little more of an impression, and be less likely to be forgotten by the end of this summer's string of blockbuster movies to come.