The Bourne Supremacy

If we forget The Chronicles of Riddick—and odds are you had until I mentioned it just now—this is turning out to be a good summer for sequels, from big-budget blockbusters like Spider-Man 2 to small art-house films like Before Sunset. Somewhere between the sensibilities of those two flicks lies The Bourne Supremacy, an intelligent, action-packed thrill ride which also has the documentary-like feel of a European travelogue. Unlike, say, the James Bond films, which are loaded with product placements and pyrotechnics, and which gravitate toward famous tourist attractions like the Millennium Dome and the Eiffel Tower, the Jason Bourne movies are filmed in a more naturalistic style, and are grounded in more mundane yet familiar locations—train stations, hotels, and housing projects that are believable precisely because they don't seem to have been dressed up for a movie.

Matt Damon and Franka Potente on the run

Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne, the amnesia victim who discovered, two years ago in The Bourne Identity, that he was, until his memory blanked out, a highly-trained assassin working for an ultra-shadowy branch of the CIA. When last we saw him, that branch had been shut down and his boss (Chris Cooper) bumped off, and Bourne himself had turned his back on his former life and settled down to a life "off the grid" with Marie (Franka Potente), the German woman who not only helped him stay one step ahead of his former colleagues but also humanized him, making him less of a killing machine and more of a person.

Alas, any chance of a happy-ever-after is ruined when a Russian assassin named Kirill (The Lord of the Rings' Karl Urban) begins killing CIA operatives and leaving clues behind, including fake fingerprints, that point to Bourne. This prompts a nasty turf war between Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), the tough, focused, no-nonsense CIA director whose men were killed by Kirill, and Ward Abbott (Allen's Manhunter co-star Brian Cox), the higher-ranking CIA boss who was once responsible for the Bourne file. Kirill also tracks Bourne down and tries to kill him, too, to keep the CIA chasing a phantom—and Bourne, who survives the attack but has no idea who Kirill is, assumes the CIA is out to get him again.

Thus begins a game of cat-and-mouse—or, rather, cat-and-cats—in which Bourne comes after the CIA bigwigs while they try to outwit him and quarrel amongst themselves over how to best deal with him when they find him. Landy wants to capture Bourne and take him alive, to complete the mission that Kirill interrupted. But Abbott would be quite happy to just kill Bourne and cut the Agency's losses before any more damage is done.

Brian Cox as Ward Abbott

The film, adapted from the Robert Ludlum novel by director Paul Greengrass (whose docudrama Bloody Sunday had a similarly effective cinema verité style) and writer Tony Gilroy, is to some degree little more than a series of chase sequences and fight scenes strung together with bits of conversation that serve mostly to further the plot; this film is certainly not meant to be a penetrating character study or a thought-provoking theme piece. But the filmmakers know just how to milk the most minimal of details for effect; the dialogue crackles with good lines, while Oliver Wood's naturalistic, hand-held camera-work gives the film a you-are-there intimacy and Christopher Rouse's fluid editing underscores the frenetic, chaotic nature of the film's most intense chases and fight scenes.

There is, indeed, something rather moral about this film's approach to violence that puts it several notches above such gratuitously indulgent films as, oh, say, Bad Boys II. Bourne probably spends more time running away from the authorities than getting into fights, and on the rare occasion that he has to knock someone out, he does it so quickly, with moves so lightning-fast, that you'd almost miss them if you blinked; consistent with this film's naturalistic style, there are none of the slow-motion shots that celebrate the violence in lesser movies. The only drawn-out fights are between Bourne and his equals, and there is a rough, desperate, seemingly improvised quality to their scraps that somehow never feels sensationalistic even as it gives the audience a vicarious thrill; this is true whether Bourne is fighting hand-to-hand or butting bumpers with another man's vehicle in a crowded tunnel, a sequence so wild, so crazy, so physical, so seemingly dangerous for cast and crew alike that it puts the airy, computer-generated tunnel chase in I, Robot completely to shame.

Joan Allen plays Pamela Landy

Notably, when one of these fights ends with a man's agonizing death at Bourne's hands, the camera deliberately steers our attention away from the victim to Bourne himself. In context, the death is somewhat justified, since Bourne was acting in self-defense and his reflexes took over, as it were; he did not kill the man out of any deliberate homicidal intent. And yet, looking at Bourne's face, we sense that he has lost something by returning to this former way of life; we sense that the fact that he even has those reflexes is yet another painful reminder of the fact that he once embraced a basically evil life.

Most amnesia movies are ultimately about redemption—someone's slate is wiped clean so that he or she can start again. But they are also often about atonement—one has to retrieve one's memory so that one can make right the wrongs of the past. The Bourne films fit into that pattern, and what is particularly heartening about this film is that, where it could have descended into the sort of revenge dramas that have become so popular lately (Man on Fire, The Punisher, etc.), it ultimately settles for justice instead—and not just the justice that consists of putting down one's enemies, but the justice that calls for confession, even reconciliation. For this and many other reasons, Bourne reigns supreme among current action movies.

Talk About It

1. When Bourne suspects the CIA is after him, he says he has no choice but to fight back, but Marie says he does have a choice. What does this film say about our choices and how we make them? What sort of freedom does Bourne have, and where does it come from?
   
   
2. Are we obliged to follow up the threats we make? Should we even make threats in the first place? Is a threat like a promise that must be kept? Is it ever a good thing to break a promise?
   
   
3. What is the difference between revenge and justice? Which is Bourne is pursuing, at different points in the story? Do you think he does enough to atone for his past sins? What else, if anything, should he do? How should we make amends for the wrongs we have done?
   
   
4. How do you think the film portrayed violence? How did the film direct our attention at various points in the fight scenes—for example, when the one man is strangled, or when the cars crash into each other, or when certain people are shot? Why do you think the film directed our attention the way it did?
   
   

The Family Corner

The film is about current and former assassins, and they do a lot of punching, kicking, shooting, stabbing, threatening, and crashing of vehicles at high speeds; we see a few dead and wounded bodies, and one fight scene ends with a person being strangled to death, but his face is kept off-screen. The filmmakers also make a habit of putting the camera inside the various cars for the various crashes, beginning with one vehicle that drives off a bridge, splashes into a river and sinks underwater. The first time we see Bourne, he gets out of a bed that he is sharing with Marie, but there is no sexual activity. The characters utter occasional bad words, too.

Photos © Copyright Universal Pictures

What Other Critics Are Saying

There once was a hero who worked for the government. He served his superiors with excellence and did what they asked him to do. But then his conscience got in the way—something they hadn't expected. He ended up on the run, his former boss heavily armed and in hot pursuit. His name was David, and his boss was King Saul. That was, of course, a long time ago, but the story is one that still thrills audiences.

Robert Ludlum may have thought about David's desperate plight when he penned the novels about Jason Bourne. Or, perhaps the connection never occurred to him. It's the same thrilling premise, nevertheless, and audiences are caught in its grip again.

The first book in the series, The Bourne Identity, published in 1980, was recently re-written as a screenplay and re-contextualized as a present-day adventure in 2002. With Matt Damon in the lead, the film became one of the most intelligent and entertaining spy films of the last decade. While it wasn't exactly a blockbuster, the film's crowd of admirers has grown since its DVD release, and the Hollywood powers that be smelled a potential profit, so now we have a sequel. The first film's director Doug Liman has moved aside; The Bourne Supremacy is directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday) with a slick, fast-paced style that is dizzying audiences and, in some cases, distressing critics.

But most religious press critics are praising the film as one of the summer's most satisfying entertainments. While they'd never claim that the story has the spiritual depth of the stories about David running from Saul, they assure us that Jason Bourne is a hero who's about more than mere survival. Like Spider-Man's Peter Parker, his conscience and sense of responsibility set him apart as an admirable hero.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) calls it "an intelligent, action-packed thrill ride which also has the documentary-like feel of a European travelogue."

He adds, "Most amnesia movies are ultimately about redemption—someone's slate is wiped clean so that he or she can start again. But they are also often about atonement—one has to retrieve one's memory so that one can make right the wrongs of the past. The Bourne films fit into that pattern, and what is particularly heartening about this film is that, where it could have descended into the sort of revenge dramas that have become so popular lately … it ultimately settles for justice instead—and not just the justice that consists of putting down one's enemies, but the justice that calls for confession, even reconciliation. For this and many other reasons, Bourne reigns supreme among current action movies."

Steven D. Greydanus (Decent Films) says the film follows "in the tradition of the best sequels. There's more plot and more action, and if the first film's leavening human contact and flashes of low-key humor are virtually gone, Bourne's humanity, and the moral and tragic dimensions of his situation, are ultimately brought into sharper focus." He considers this installment superior to the original. "Watching [the original], I was intrigued by the hero's dilemma. With The Bourne Supremacy, I find myself caring both about the hero himself and about the story. [This] is one of the best thrillers in a long time."

Rhonda Handlon (Plugged In) says the film's "heavy-handed violence lands it solidly in the sealed files for most families, despite its PG-13 rating." She also points out its divergence from the book's plot, and adds, "The movie takes a lot of mental energy to understand." But her conclusion is decidedly positive: "Jason Bourne … has none of the boyish charm of a James Bond nor the patriotic passion of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. What he does have is an active conscience that even the most sophisticated dark ops training in the world cannot extinguish."

Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk) calls it "a suspense-filled, heart-pounding drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters … have depth, and the dialogue manages to avoid cliché. A buffed-up Damon does a great job with the role and is very compelling." Her biggest complaint: "the acting of Joan Allen and Julia Stiles."

"Though it carries moral messages (or perhaps because it does) The Bourne Supremacy is still supremely thrilling," says Megan Basham (CBN). "Rarely does it fail to stimulate our eyes even as it speaks to our heads. That's a rare thing for this genre and it is certainly worth cheering (or at least paying eight bucks). While the acting and direction are top-notch, what I like best about this thriller is that it presents violence-soaked Americans with a spy who comes to understand the spiritual consequence of taking life—even if one is just following orders."

Evan D. Baltz (Christian Spotlight) says, "Damon is masterful in this second installment. He plays Bourne as dead serious and realistically skilled. The movie feels real. I'll leave the surprises for you to discover, but I won't be surprised at all if we have one or perhaps many more Bourne adventures."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) is not quite as impressed. "The Bourne Identity was one of the best suspense thrillers in recent years. Its sequel … is a good suspense yarn, but not quite on the level of the first. Greengrass … favors too many quick cuts and jerky camera movements."

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) agrees that the director's "handheld 'shaky cam' approach quickly becomes tiresome and annoying." He concludes, "[The film's] goal seems to be to mirror the success of the original film by copying the elements of the story as closely as possible."

Mainstream critics give it better-than-average marks, and a few are quite enthusiastic. Many are noting the differences between the acting careers of Matt Damon and his famous friend Ben Affleck—where Affleck has chosen many big and flashy roles and soiled his reputation with mediocrity, Damon is proving to be a more discerning, patient, and talented actor. He'll be onscreen again soon in the heist flick Ocean's Twelve.

And, writing about The Bourne Supremacy, he says that Damon gives "a beautifully controlled performance. Action movie superlatives—taut, thrilling, gripping, exhilarating, etc.—are overused and rarely deserved. The Bourne Supremacy, on the other hand, consistently shows that it has earned most of those superlatives."

Kevin Miller (Hollywood Jesus) also celebrates The Bourne Supremacy. "What allows this film—and the franchise—to transcend its genre is that it dares to give its lead character a third dimension. Bourne may have been programmed to be a heartless killer, but even the best programming cannot suppress his conscience. Since getting amnesia, he has been 'Bourne again,' and it becomes clear that the search for his identity is not so much about self-illumination as it is about atoning for sins he can't even remember committing."

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