DIRECTOR: Doug Liman

In 1980, the world was introduced to a new superspy known only as Jason Bourne in “The Bourne Identity.” This crackling novel by Robert Ludlum about a man with amnesia but is now a target by several assassins became a runaway bestseller, and even spawned two follow-up books. I have read the book several times myself, and I always find it a fascinating read; from the first page, it just grabs you and doesn’t let you go as you find yourself getting to know this man who doesn’t even know who he is. He was fished out of the Mediterranean Sea, his body is scarred with bulled wounds and a frame of microfilm is found in his hip which has a number and the name of Swiss bank. Over time, he realizes that he can speak a variety of languages and has exceptional fighting skills---whoever trained him, obviously trained him well. When he arrives at the bank, he finds a safe deposit box filled with currency, passports and other articles; after he unexpectedly hooks up with a girl named Marie, the chase has begun, as he is determined to discover his true identity, all the while avoiding death at the hands of a dangerous assassin named Carlos.

Few of you are probably aware that “The Bourne Identity” was actually filmed before in 1988 as a television miniseries (by Warner Bros.) with Richard Chamberlain as the amnesic spy and Jaclyn Smith as the girl he “kidnaps” in his world of danger. It was quite good, considering the fact it was three hours long; what distinguishes it from the 2002 version is that was incredibly faithful to Ludlum’s book, and it made excellent use of its European locales. Even though Chamberlain was in his mid-50s when he made it, he turned in a solid performance and even received a Golden Globe nomination; alas, they never made a “Bourne Supremacy” or “Bourne Ultimatum,” which are the other two books in the series. When Ludlum’s wife passed away in 1999, he wanted to give Jason Bourne another shot, and soon Universal decided to get the rights, and hired Doug Liman to direct it. Reportedly, there were many problems with the production, starting with Liman not getting along at all with the studio and massive reshoots being done, which knocked off the film being released in 2001. Ludlum, who served as executive producer, died that same year of a heart attack; sadly, he never was able to see the finished project. According to Damon, the film was labeled as terrible by Hollywood even before it was released; however, THE BOURNE IDENTITY became a box-office smash, raking in $120 million dollars in the U.S., and doing even better overseas.

It is a dark, stormy night as a fishing boat is sailing in the Mediterranean, when the boat’s doctor manages to save a man (Matt Damon) who is floating in the water. After bringing the unconscious man aboard, the doctor notices some curious things, such as a laser device in embedded in his back which gives details of a bank in Zurich. Once the man awakens, he demands to know where he is…and even though he learns that from the doctor, he has no memory of his previous life. The only clue he has is a bank account in Zurich, and proceeds to go there; the night before, as he is sleeping on a bench, some police officers interrogate him, though before he is arrested, he manages to drop-kick both of the officers to the ground. When he finally enters the Zurich bank and is handed a safety deposit box, he discovers some personal items, along with a password which bears the name of “Jason Bourne.” While he is quite satisfied to actually discover the name, he soon realizes that it is probably just an alias he finds dozens of other passports with other different names. In addition he uncovers a large amount of currency, as well as a pistol, the latter of which he chooses to discard.

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A THREE YEAR PROJECT
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I must confess that before I saw this film in the theater, I wasn’t a huge Matt Damon fan, although I did like his performances in THE RAINMAKER and GOOD WILL HUNTING, the latter of which he co-wrote the screenplay with Ben Affleck (yes, guys, we all know you won an Oscar for it!). Damon as Jason Bourne did take time for me to warm up to, considering the fact that he wasn’t an ideal action hero; by the film’s climax, he had won me over. Considering the fact that he underwent an extensive training session, his martial arts skills were impressive indeed. However, what I was really struck by was Damon’s relaxed, quiet nature, which seemed crucial in bringing Bourne to life, considering this is a man who is only concerned about his past and watching his back. This is a guy who is so unsure about himself yet so sure he knows what he is doing that it makes him a character with multiple dimensions; he is not really a hero, though we care about his plight anyway.

Kudos also to Oliver Wood’s vivid cinematography, whom filmed on-location in such countries as Greece, Spain, France, and Czechoslovakia; also noteworthy is John Powell’s riveting score, including the original song “Extreme Ways” by Moby, which plays over the end credits. Among the special features on the DVD is an audio commentary by director Doug Liman, which I found rather disappointing because he didn’t seem to talk that much. There is also an alternate ending, and several deleted/extended scenes; the DVD is available from Amazon for 7 GBP and the book by Robert Ludlum is available for only 4 GBP. Thanks for reading! Chris :)