The Bourne films have reinvented the action genre as well as making significant strides in cinema in general. These ultra-realistic but astounding movies are as effortless as James Bond should be, whilst achieving absolute believability thanks to an amazing brand of 'non-cinema' and Matt Damon's relative plainness that allows him to appear to be an ordinary person.
The films follow a similar pattern, as we observe the amnesiac Jason Bourne, a deadly assassin programmed by the CIA, recovering his memory and attempting to discover the truth behind various killings he is linked to. Simultaneously, the CIA view him as a rogue killer from whom they must protect themselves, to prevent him exposing their illegal assassinations and also protect their agents.
What sets this trilogy apart from most other action films is its idenitfiable and fully developed protagonist, who isn't just a suave killing machine, but a conflicted human being trying to discover himself - and often being repulsed by what he finds. Throughout the film there are various other characters, mostly allied to the CIA, but these are Matt Damon's films, who has the opportunity that he can fill a niche in the market that no other actor is capable of doing. If the 80s gave us the brash brawn of Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis, Damon represents a thoughtful, intelligent and emotional man who is in conflict with his murderous capabilities. Its a very modern interpretation of the action hero, but also the modern man, who is encouraged to be more sensitive and introspective - a sort of Byronic hero - and question his motives and those of his pursuers.
Despite this intelligence and sensitivity, however, the films still boast some of the most incredible action scenes we've ever seen. The key to the astounding effect these films have is that they take place very much in the real world and not in the ludicrous situations Ian Fleming and the Bond writers have invented over the years. Thanks to digital technology and handheld cameras, the Bourne filmmakers (the first directed by Doug Liman, the latter two by Paul Greengrass, all written by Tony Gilroy who went on to direct 'Michael Clayton') have been able to go out onto the streets of Europe's major cities and place the terrifying action amongst ordinary people. Each film features an incredible car chase which outdoes the last (and pretty much any other car chase): the first in Paris, in a mini; the second in Moscow, in a taxi; and the last in New York. We also get an incredible bike chase in Tangier, followed by a pursuit through a busy market and a rooftop chase; a scurry through a protest in Berlin's Alexanderplatz; some anti-intelligence manoeuvres through London's Waterloo station (where the astonished glances of the everyday, real-life bystanders can be glimpsed); a messy assassination escape in Goa; and various other minor pursuits and fights in Zurich, Moscow, New York, Madrid, Naples, rural France and Germany, making this one of the most international stories ever told in cinema, and hence enabling a wider audience to identify with. For me personally, living in London, it was a strange feeling seeing Damon/Bourne evading the CIA and a walkway at Waterloo station that I have crossed many times myself.
This, I feel, creates a sort of 'anti-cinema'. To the ordinary audience member, it's impossible to conceive how such scenes can possibly be shot, but also, it takes the action away from escapist cinema and places it disturbingly close to home, especially in the wake of terrorist activity that keeps us on edge in many major cities. Anyone could potentially be driving their car when suddenly a highspeed pursuit involving the police can rip through the streets and cause mayhem. The difference here is that whilst Bourne conducts the behaviour that to the bystander appears to be that of the bad guy (and also in the eyes of the CIA), thanks to our close relationship with him, we're able to recognise his fight, which is absolutely him against the world. The films takes us across the world to stunning locations, but thanks to the way they are shot we never indulge in the exotic locations, but simply view them as the next stage in Bourne's understanding of his past. During the car chases and fights are we are extraordinarily close to Bourne, inside the car with him, and we share every aspect of his journey and injustices.
The fights deserve special attention for bucking the trend of the carefully choreographed and almost beautiful battles from films like 'The Matrix', 'Kill Bill', or 'Hero' and 'House of Flying Daggers'. Here, the conflicts are messy and real, people clumsily falling around whilst simultaneously performing skilled moves. Bourne often improvises with pens, magazines, books and towels to defend himself, representing his ability to adapt anything into a weapon, but the deadliest weapon s himself and even though his combatants often get the upper hand he manages to scrape through. This isn't an indestructible, smooth kung-fu master but a man with a cause worth fighting for, but who is reluctant to fight at all.
There's an excellent supporting cast spread across the three films, including Chris Cooper, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, David Strathairn, Albert Finney, Julia Stiles, Paddy Considine, and Franka Potente, as the only person he can build a life with away from his horrific past. The other agents Bourne encounters, who have all undergone the same process as him but haven't had the revelatory opportunity he was gifted, are all performed undramatically and efficiently by actors who have the struggle of making their characters more than just cartoon killers with barely a line to spare. These still include big names, noticeably Clive Owen who has gone on to achieve leading man status, but also Martin Csokas (Lord of the Rings) and Karl Urban, as well as various more anonymous actors who have backgrounds in martial arts.
The political aspects of the plot present the more incredible elements of the films. Can we really believe the CIA operated a secret experiment to recondition
and train men to forget their pasts and become deadly killing machines who ask no questions and make their assassinations resemble accidents, suicides or terrorist activities? The answer, sadly, is why not? There's every chance that some such project does exist, or did exist, particularly during the Cold War but with every possibility of existing now during an unstable time where the US is launching illegal wars in the Middle East and making enemies within politics and the media. One of those assassinated in the final film was a journalist for The Guardian newspaper, whilst others have been attempting to uncover the truth or simply perform un-American activities. The major conflict of the trilogy takes place within the CIA, with Joan Allen attempting to discover the realities of the secretive Project Treadstone and Operation Blackbriar, which Cooper, Cox, Strathairn and Finney have all been involved in. Allen makes herself a nuisance within the CIA and places her faith in Bourne, encouraging us that he is not alone and stands a chance of correcting the horrendous things that have happened to him. Of course, ultimately we discover Bourne has no-one to blame but himself, although I don't want to give the plot away.
The overview, therefore, is that these are intelligent, exciting and incredible films that never to cease to amaze us with what they have achieved. Liman may have directed the first film but the films truly belong to Greengrass, who broke into the mainstream with these and 'United 93'. His next film, 'Green Zone', is currently shooting with Matt Damon again in the lead, but there is also a Bourne 4 on the cards, which is exciting but potentially dangerous as the original story was happily wrapped up by the end of the trilogy. If Greengrass and Damon are both involved, however, I don't see how it can go wrong.
These are not films just for action fans, or even political thriller fans - I wouldn't say I was either. Both me and my girlfriend are happily 'art cinema' enthusiasts but we have massively enjoyed the Bourne films, which represent the peak of the genre. I recommend to everyone, as there is an appeal for all sorts of audiences with the international setting, the action, the romance and the classic struggle between good and evil. These films will be remembered for a long time as the highlights of early-2000s cinema and I'm very excited to see how they can be bettered.
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