Bourne film series
The Bourne film series revolves around the character Jason Bourne, an amnesiac who discovers his background as an assassin trained by a covert unit within the CIA. The series begins with "The Bourne Identity," released in 2002, where Bourne awakens with no memory, gradually uncovering his past and the truth behind the government operations that created him. Played by Matt Damon, Bourne's journey is marked by intense action sequences as he navigates a world of espionage and betrayal, seeking answers while evading those who want him silenced.
The original character was conceived by author Robert Ludlum, who published three novels featuring Bourne in the 1980s. Following the success of the films, additional Bourne stories were penned by Eric Van Lustbader after Ludlum's passing. The series includes sequels such as "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum," which further explore Bourne's struggles with his identity and past. In 2016, Damon reprised his role in "Jason Bourne," and in November 2023, a sixth film was announced, indicating the enduring popularity of the franchise. The films are noted for their complex narratives, character development, and critiques of governmental power, resonating with audiences around the globe.
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Bourne film series
The Bourne films are a series of movies about an amnesiac named Jason Bourne. He discovers that he has been trained by a secret unit within the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as an assassin. He continues to uncover information about his past and the government agencies that have trained him and others like him to conduct unsanctioned missions.
The Bourne films star actor Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. A related 2012 film, The Bourne Legacy, about another agent in a clandestine government unit, stars Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross.
Background
The character of Jason Bourne was created by author Robert Ludlum, who was known for his thrillers. The first novel featuring Bourne, The Bourne Identity, was published in 1980. Two more followed over the next decade.
In 1988, Bourne made his first appearance outside the pages of a book. The television miniseries The Bourne Identity starred Richard Chamberlain as the titular spy stricken with amnesia and Jaclyn Smith as Marie, a doctor of economics who cares for his gunshot wounds. Bourne kidnaps Marie when he goes on the run. The miniseries closely follows the plot of the novel. The quest to learn the truth is complicated by what Bourne uncovers. He comes to believe he is a ruthless, infamous assassin known as Carlos the Jackal. Eventually, he learns the truth—the government deliberately gave him a false identity and created the impression that he is a copycat killer to flush out the real assassin. Bourne is, in fact, a loyal agent for a covert agency. He was playing his part in the mission when it went wrong, and he lost his memory. The alias Bourne is one of many names he has used—his real name is David Webb.
The Bourne Supremacy was published in 1986, and The Bourne Ultimatum followed in 1990. At the conclusion of the third Ludlum novel, Bourne was slightly older. He and Marie were married and had children. The author had no plans to write further books about the spy.
Although Ludlum died in 2001, his estate continued to publish books in his name. Additional Bourne titles were written by Eric Van Lustbader. He and the estate decided that for the series to continue, Bourne had to be unencumbered by a family. Lustbader decided to kill off Marie and send the children to live with relatives.
Overview
The first film featuring Jason Bourne was released in 2002. The Bourne Identity introduces Bourne as he floats on the open Mediterranean Sea in rough waters. Some Italian anglers haul him in, believing they are retrieving a corpse. A member of the crew finds he is alive, discovers bullet wounds, and nurses the unnamed man back to health. As he is tending his patient, the sailor discovers a tiny laser capsule has been buried under the survivor's skin. They later learn it contains information about a Swiss bank account. When the patient awakens, he has no memory of his past life or identity. The information in the capsule sets him off on a wild adventure as he tries to discover who he is and how he came to be shot.
Bourne finds a number of allies during his quest. The sailor who saves his life gives him a little money and encouragement. Bourne's visit to the bank uncovers a trove of passports and cash—and gives him a name and address—but also triggers a manhunt. Bourne pays a German woman he meets, Marie, to drive him to the address in Paris. They are attacked, but in time, Marie decides to stay and help Bourne find answers.
Bourne is repeatedly stunned by his reactions—he is highly skilled in self-defense and weaponry, and improvises with near-inhuman precision. Bourne eventually exposes Treadstone, the government unit that trained him and other assassins, called assets. Bourne rejects his former self and walks away to make a life with Marie.
The 2004 film The Bourne Supremacy finds Bourne and Marie living in peace in India. Pieces of his past haunt his dreams. In the United States, CIA deputy director Pamela Landy is overseeing an operation to get information about a traitor. The mission ends in disaster, with money missing and agents dead. A Russian agent, Kirill, plants Bourne's fingerprint at the scene and then heads to India to assassinate Bourne. Kirill mistakenly kills Marie, and Bourne goes after Treadstone, which he believes is still operating and after him. He learns that Treadstone was shelved and replaced. Bourne contacts Landy and demands to see Nicky Parsons, one of the handlers in Paris, who provides further information about the people behind the operation. Bourne remembers a hotel where he was sent to assassinate a Russian businessperson; his actions left a young girl an orphan. He finds the orphan, now a young woman, in Russia and apologizes. Six weeks later, he arrives in New York City and reaches out to Landy, who tells him his real name is David Webb.
The Bourne Ultimatum hit screens in 2007. Much of the film takes place during the six weeks between Bourne's apology in Russia and his contact with Landy. Reporter Simon Ross is writing stories about the mystery of Jason Bourne and the shady US government agencies involved. The CIA learns that Ross knows about Treadstone and its replacement operation, Blackbriar, and targets him. Landy is teamed with Noah Vosen, director of Blackbriar, which is a black-ops assassination organization. They both want to find Bourne, but Vosen wants him dead and Landy wants answers. While Bourne investigates Blackbriar, he discovers Parsons has been working for one of its leaders. The trail leads Bourne to New York. After the call to Landy seen in the previous film, Bourne steals classified documents that reveal the truth about Blackbriar.
After a long hiatus, Damon returned to the role in 2016 with Jason Bourne. The former agent has been lying low, earning money in bare-knuckle fights. Parsons, who has been on the run and working as a hacker, contacts him with news that the US government is still running black-ops programs. She passes the information to Bourne, who discovers files about his father and the launch of Treadstone. Ambitious CIA agent Heather Lee concocts a plan to find Bourne and prevent him from revealing the depth of the CIA's surveillance programs. At a tech convention in Las Vegas, Bourne brings down the CIA director and prevents him from using a tech company to spy on American citizens. In November 2023, Universal Pictures announced a sixth Bourne film was in development, with Edward Berger slated to direct. Damon did not confirm his involvement but suggested he was excited about the prospect of the new film and eager to work with Berger. Still, at the time of the announcement, the movie was in very early development and lacked a screenwriter and script.
Bibliography
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Scott, A. O. "Review: In 'Jason Bourne,' a Midlife Crisis for a Harried Former Assassin." New York Times, 27 July 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/movies/jason-bourne-matt-damon-review.html?‗r=0. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
Sharf, Zack. “Matt Damon Calls New Jason Bourne Director 'Fantastic' and Says He's 'Anxious' to Learn More: 'I Hope It's Great and That We Can Do It.'” Variety, 14 Feb. 2024, variety.com/2024/film/news/matt-damon-jason-bourne-6-new-film-starring-1235911035. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.