The General Story:
A fishing boat spot a body floating on the water, reel him in, and discover he’s
still alive. The boats makeshift surgeon pulls a couple of bullets out of the
mans back, and when he comes to, has no memory of who he is. All he has to go
off, is a bank account number. Following the only lead he has to discover his
identity, the man learns his name is Jason Bourne… and that he is a wanted man.
Step by step, he continues to unravel the truth of his past, and track down
those that tried to kill him, before they track him down to finish the job.
What influenced the
movie: The Bourne Identity was influenced first and foremostly by the James
Bond movies, then of course the novel it’s based off. Written by Robert Ludlum
in 1980, the film adaptation came
along two decades after the books release, but in terms of the spy genre, the
perfect time for the movies. The 90’s James Bond in Pierce Brosnan was winding down
and left us with the mediocre “Die Another Day” in 2002 and Tom Cruises first
two “Mission: Impossible” films weren’t a franchise yet. Place up and
coming superstar Matt Damon in the lead
and the energetic and cool directorial style of Doug Liman (“Dazed and Confused”
and “Go”), and the first Bourne movie was a recipe for success.
How the movie
influenced the 00's: The Bourne Identity was a huge hit at the box office
and loved by the critics. It was a film to appeal to all audiences from around
the world and given the book series had two
other stories to tell, a franchise was just waiting to be born! The first follow
up “The Bourne Supremacy” was launched straight into production and was a
stellar sequel. The movie industry was starting to sit up and take notes, because
the new spy franchise for the 21st century was here. James Bond was
recast and reimagined with 2006’s “Casino Royale” and star Daniel Craig, which
borrowed several elements of Bourne’s formula for success; realistic and gritty
action set on the backdrop of life in the real-world post 9/11. Then, “The
Bourne Ultimatum” came in 2007, standing alone as the best film in the whole
series, and even if it seemed done by that point, Bourne was the Spy series to
aim for and respect.
What makes it stand
out as a film of the 00's: As the plot thickened and the stakes got higher
in “Supremacy” and ‘Ultimatum”, the Bourne series fit perfectly into the current
times. It was clear that after 9/11, the world was starting to look at the
American government, and the Bush Administration; what were they really doing and what were they not
telling us? The agencies designed to protect national security, were just
hiding in the shadow of justice, more focused on revenge, and not against
neighbouring countries, but their own agents. Bourne was being hunted by the people
who trained and taught him, and as he fought to reclaim his identity and bring
the corruption to an end, he was the hero the early 2000’s needed;, not afraid
to take on The Man, and live life on his own terms. In a world growing
progressively darker, with heightened security, more invasive technology and
the ever-looming sense that Big Brother was watching us, we could escape that
fear through watching Jason Bourne take it all on, and outsmart and outmanoeuvre
them all, time and time again.
Impact of the movie
still felt today: The Bourne Identity launched its own franchise, which branched
off in 2012 with “The Bourne Legacy” starring Jeremy “Hawkeye from The Avengers”
Renner, then brought Matt Damon back again in 2016 for “Jason Bourne” showing
the original star still had some fuel in his tank, and maybe the series had a
few more stories to tell. Daniel Craig’s James Bond can thank Bourne’s tactics
for reinvigorating the Spy franchise, moving away from the 90’s rendition of
nifty gadgets and vodka martini drinking schmoozers, for a spy who was real, in
the real world. The films impact also allowed the “Mission: Impossible” series
to add a third entry, then a fourth, which sent that franchise in a whole new
direction, and being Tom Cruises’ only safe bet as a movie star these days. And
the whole style in which the Bourne Identity was told and made, was to treat
your audience with respect, balance the main character our as a death-defying
hero and a flawed human, and let the actions scenes drive the story forward,
instead of distracting from it. This has created a whole new brand of action
film which we now see churned out over and over in the movies today.
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