THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
US, 2007, 111 minutes, Colour.
Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Joan Allen, Paddy Considine, Scott Glenn, Edgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, Daniel Bruehl.
Directed by Paul Greengrass.
Whew! (or any other exclamation to sum up the feelings of exhilaration and exhaustion at the end of this film).
This is a holiday film for the adult audience who may want something more engrossing or demanding than the popular shows. It is the third in the Jason Bourne trilogy based on novels by Robert Ludlum. They are the best film versions of his novels so far.
Ludlum (who died in 2001 but whose stories are still being published under his name with co-writers) was a master of the espionage novel. They were large books but real page-turners. And for their plots: they seemed to be far-fetched with extraordinary global conspiracies. At least that is how it seemed in the 1970s and 1980s. Now, with the experience of terrorism worldwide, with the exposure of cold war espionage names and details, we might well wonder. Ludlum’s novels drew on the technological weapons developed to that time (while the James Bond movies imagined weapons, some of which we might now take for granted). The novels were intense. They were character studies, especially of their central heroes who were trained in the ways of expert spying.
This film is certainly a visual experience of the novels. In two hours we are rushed through the plot (presupposing the first two films in the series, The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Supremacy (2004)). Director Paul Greengrass and his editor, Christopher Rouse, have found the visual equivalent of page-turning. It is some of the quickest-paced editing you are likely to experience. The audience is almost breathless in the first five minutes. Shots are short. Camera work is handheld and immediate. We are edited into the action ourselves and, while there are some quiet moments, some pauses for thought, the hectic pace continues, especially with a number of very fast chases and crashes.
We still ask, as does the hero, who is Jason Bourne? We are aware from the first film that Bourne has been created as a killer by a department deep within the CIA. We know that he has lost his memory and is trying to recover it, sometimes shocked at what he discovers about himself. The second film showed Bourne getting closer to the CIA controllers, motivated by revenge. This time all questions are answered and, at the end, his memory recovered.
Actually, this time there is not a great deal of plot. It is simply Bourne tracking down contacts which lead him to the CIA training centre in New York. Bourne finds an article about him in the UK Guardian and contacts the journalist. This leads to a strongly suspenseful chase around Waterloo station.
After London comes Madrid, then Tangier and, finally, New York.
Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday,United 93) was a reporter and documentary maker. His portraits of the cities and their detail will impress and please those who know the cities. Aerial shots giving the sweep of the cities, then realistic locations settings that make what is quite an incredible story credible enough.
Matt Damon is implacable as the put-upon Bourne. David Strathairn is excellent and icy and callous as the deputy head of the CIA. The surveillance equipment and access to cameras, phones and technology – even at Waterloo station – are beyond Orwellian chilling. Strong support comes from Joan Allen and Julia Styles who were in the other films and Paddy Considine as the journalist.
Jason Bourne is a hero, trained in survival techniques, who uses his wits rather than weapons. He is a representative of good, but a good that comes from evil and needs redemption.
1.Critical acclaim for the film? It success as an action film, thriller, espionage story, conspiracy theory story?
2.The work of Robert Ludlum? His worldwide conspiracies? Impossible action? Character development? Mysteries? The adaptation of his work? The spirit of his novels?
3.The third in the series, its connection with the first two, the development of Bourne’s crisis, his identity, revenge against the killer of Marie, the final search for his identity and the explanation? Recovery of memory?
4.The work of the director, the style of shooting, handheld camera, the quick editing and pace, the chases, the drama? The plot and character? The score?
5.The locations, the aerial views of each city, reality, spectacular? The audience entering into the cities, the attention to detail, familiar locations, their use, real? Turin, London, Madrid, Paris, Tangier, New York?
6.The introduction and the establishing of Bourne and his character, the situation, the dilemma, Moscow, the escape, the soldier with the gun, letting him go? Going to Paris, the meeting with Marie’s brother, the news of her death? The flashbacks including Marie? The emotion for Bourne?
7.Going to London, reading the story in The Guardian, Simon Ross, his work, the contact with Neal Daniels in Turin? The information, writing up the article, Bourne reading it, his phoning The Guardian, talking to Ross, his being under surveillance? Going to Waterloo station, Bourne and his control, the crowds, the assassin, surveillance? Bourne and his skill in directing Ross? In and out of shops, merging in the crowds, tying his laces, putting the phone in his pocket, the directions by phone? Ross and his panic, rushing for the door, his being killed?
8.The CIA in New York and Washington? Ezra Kramer and his control, the meetings, the plot, Pam Landy being present, Noah Vosen? The information about Bourne? Control? That he was to be terminated?
9.Noah Vosen, his character, command, philosophy of working for the CIA, arriving for his day’s work, the staff, surveillance, his treatment of his staff? Bourne and discovering that Neal Daniels was the source? Listening in to Simon Ross? Covering the whole episode at Waterloo station? Calling in the assassin?
10.Bourne studying Simon Ross’s notes? Going to Madrid, arriving at the office, meeting Nicky Parsons? The assassins, disabling them? Vosen and his surveillance? The phone to Nicky, her lies? Causing the shooting, phoning the police to come, the traffic jam, their escape, at the gas station, talking, reflecting, Nicky’s motivations? The memories? Going to Morocco on the ferry?
11.Noah and the continuing tracking of Neil Daniels, surveillance on him at the hotel, releasing the money, the phone call from the bank, Daniels’ escape, from Madrid to Tangier, the bomb and his death?
12.The assassin, Nicky calling him, his stopping at the restaurant, getting the orders to kill Nicky and Bourne? The bomb killing Daniels? Seeing Bourne in the rear vision mirror? The motorbike chase, chasing Nicky through the streets, running, the bike, Bourne riding it up and down steps, going through homes, over the roofs? The long fight? Disabling the assassin? Phoning New York and their believing that Bourne was killed?
13.Noah and Pam, the tension between the two, Noah and his staff? Their methods, surveillance? Pam and the past? Her clashes with Noah? Her reaction to Bourne being terminated, her looking through the files, discovering the truth about Bourne, getting the address and indicating it to him through code?
14.Bourne, his character, a trained military machine, shrewd, using his wits? Going through Daniels’ burnt papers, the address in New York?
15.The alert, phoning Pam, the address? His going to the office, taking the documents? His infiltrating the headquarters? Phoning Vosen, indicating that he was in his office? The car chase through New York, the assassins on the bike, going on foot? Giving the documents to Pam, her photocopying them before Vosen could stop her?
16.Doctor Hirsch and his being warned, his program, Daniels as his assistant? The flashbacks, the details of the program, David Webb, decisions? Bourne getting his memories back, going through the process? His not killing Hirsch but giving him up to the authorities?
17.Bourne getting his name, David Webb? Wanting justice? The finale with Pam giving testimony? The arrest of Vosen, of Doctor Hirsch?
18.A satisfying end to the trilogy? Explanations? Themes: politics, power, devotion to causes, government and ideologies, ruthlessness, expendability of human beings, human nature, society and individuals?
