Review: ‘The Bourne Identity’ (2002)

Matt Damon as martial arts star? Not likely, but Robert Ludlum’s novel turned blockbuster film about a black ops assassin trained by a covert U.S. government agency provides Damon with an opportunity to portray a tough guy capable of taking on fellow assassins with nothing more than a pen.

Jason Bourne (Damon) is pulled from the ocean with no memory of his past, but with a built in knack for driving cars, weapons use, evasion, and martial arts. Of course, all of these skills come into play as he begins to unravel his true identity while on the run from the agency that trained him.

Early on, Damon hooks up with Franka Potente, star of the excellent German thriller RUN, LOLA, RUN (1998). She provides the love interest and pretty much the only human connection Damon’s character has with the world. For a moderately big budget film with many notable stars, the script is surprisingly lean with little extraneous dialogue. The focus stays on Damon as he struggles to figure out what is going on in a premise reminiscent of THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR.

One interesting difference in this spy thriller in contrast to so many movies that have gone before is the hero’s martial arts expertise. The filmmakers could have settled on the short, but tense shootout with Clive Owen (BMW’s THE HIRE) and a great car chase on a Mini through the streets of Paris. But, in keeping with the demand for something more engaging than a simple fist fight, the film lays out several specific action scenes where Damon puts some slick moves on his attackers.

The first takes place in a park where police officers attempt to detain Damon. The fight is short and sweet and leaves the officers grounded with one of their pistols in Damon’s hands. Like the script, this scene establishes Bourne as a minimalist fighter. Unlike a typical Jackie Chan style fight, the object of real do or die hand-to-hand combat is subduing or killing your enemy as quickly, efficiently and with as little energy as possible. Elaborately staged combat for the screen is generally more fun to watch, but there is merit in efficiency. Instead of being wowed by Bourne’s athletic and technical prowess, the audience is meant to appreciate his ability to survive in the “real” world. The film succeeds in this regard, even with Damon in the lead which is something I initially had reservations about.

The most memorable fight takes place in a Paris hotel room as Bourne takes on an assassin who comes flying through the window with an Uzi blazing. He is quickly disarmed in the close-quarter confrontation, but pulls out a small knife. Bourne meets the challenge with a pen, of all things and proves that it is at least as mighty as a sword after he repeatedly stabs the attacker before lodging it into the guy’s hand. This is down and dirty combat where anything goes and it’s rarely seen in film, especially in Hong Kong where martial arts films grew primarily out of romanticized Chinese opera performances. Bourne tops off the fight with a series of holds that break an arm and a leg on the attacker. It would have been nice to see more of this type of martial arts combat in the film, but it wouldn’t have been appropriate for the direction the film takes as being more of a tense drama.

The film does get a boost from its supporting cast including Academy award winner Chris Cooper (ADAPTATION), who adds a down to earth realism to all of his performances. The dangerously debonair Clive Owen, who I am hoping will step into the role of James Bond after Pierce Brosnan vacates the post, is perfectly suited for these kinds of thriller/spy roles. Brian Cox (X2) is one of those stars who has aged well and adds depth to most everything he does, even if his role is somewhat removed from the action. Yet even with all of these talented people, the film still suffers from a certain feeling of vacancy, as if this is all just an exercise. This can be blamed in part on a Cold War-era feel to this espionage game that seems outdated and overly simplified in today’s complex world.

Although a bit derivative and short on style, THE BOURNE IDENTITY as a whole is an entertaining action film that is capable of holding your interest. While not my first choice as action star, Matt Damon goes through the physical and acting paces without tripping. But then, he doesn’t really make the role his own either. There isn’t a lot of screen fighting and it’s tightly edited and short, but well choreographed and satisfying. Now at this rate, it won’t be long before Damon and his chum Ben Affleck (DAREDEVIL) co-star in a martial arts-related film. And boy howdy, won’t that be something?