The Bourne Supremacy
I wrote about "The Bourne Identity" a couple of months ago, and I wrote that I would write about its sequence "The Bourne Supremacy". I had chance to watch commentary by director Paul Greengrass and also I watched extra features on DVD. These gave me much better sense of what the movie is really about and why I like it very much.
"The Bourne Supremacy" is better than "The Bourne Identity". I think it's pretty important to say this, though those of you who have watched "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" already know this. One of reasons why I say this is that you actually do not hear this from actors, actresses or director featuring in DVD. The first one, "The Bourne Identity", is not directed by Paul Greengrass; the movie is directed by Doug Liman. Doug Liman does a good job, but Paul Greengrass does better (in "The Bourne Identity" series). He sounds like he is a kind of person who lets his work speak for himself and also he is quite modest. He never says "I do better than Doug Liman." While I respect how he presents himself, I want to make this clear because any review written on "The Bourne Supremacy" (including yet Another Film Critique Website Blog) should explain why "The Bourne Supremacy" is better than "The Bourne Identity". Ok, so, why is it better?
1. While Doug Liman does a good job of filming Europe in "The Bourne Identity", he still does it in the eyes of American's (this is pretty clear in retrospect). It's interesting that Doug Liman comments on "The Bourne Identity" and says that he was able to film in the eyes of European's as he lived in Paris while he shot the movie. I am certain that he put genuine effort. I am also certain that he studied the language and tried to understand what Europe is. He did a good job of filming Europe not as a tourist. However, I think he filmed as someone who stayed in Europe for a period of time. He did not exactly film as a European. On the contrary, Paul Greengrass is from UK after all, so the way in which he filmed Europe is more down to earth, so to speak (though many British people claim that they are British(or English, Walsh, Scottish or Irish), they are Europeans in the sense that they understand Europe 100% better than those outside of Europe). While Paul Greengrass captures magnificence of Europe, he never tries to make it flashy. He films domestic elements such as demonstration, grocery store and community apartment. This enables the film to take the audience much closer to Europe where Jason Bourne's next chapter takes place.
2. Better story. "The Bourne Identity" is very much a love story; it's a good story, but because the story tries to focus on two people, Jason Bourne and Marie, "The Bourne Identity" is unable to explore the depth of either character. While killing Marie at a very early stage in "The Bourne Supremacy" is a bold idea, it is the right idea. After all, "The Bourne Supremacy" is a story of Jason Bourne, not a story of Jason Bourne and Marie. The storyline gives much more depth to Jason Bourne, while there is (probably) less dialogue in "The Bourne Supremacy". This also elevates the depth of the entire story.
3. Locations. "The Bourne Identity" takes place in Paris, which is the easiest choice in retrospect, meaning that there is nothing creative about filming in Paris. "The Bourne Supremacy" makes right choices in terms of locations. Goa, India; symbolizes search of hope (for Jason Bourne). A place where Jason Bourne wants it to be paradise. Berlin; symbolizes his dark past, but it also takes him out of darkness, as the city itself is coming out of its dark past. Moscow; symbolizes a dark place in the corner, but like Berlin, the city itself is coming out of its dark past. This overlaps with what Jason Bourne is there for. Each location has meaning, and it matches to Jason Bourne's each step in his journey.
I want to make this clear; as I wrote, "The Bourne Identity" is a good movie. It's fun and it's one of better movies. But if you watch "The Bourne Supremacy", it is quite clear that "The Bourne Supremacy" is a level above.
"The Bourne Supremacy" is better than "The Bourne Identity". I think it's pretty important to say this, though those of you who have watched "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy" already know this. One of reasons why I say this is that you actually do not hear this from actors, actresses or director featuring in DVD. The first one, "The Bourne Identity", is not directed by Paul Greengrass; the movie is directed by Doug Liman. Doug Liman does a good job, but Paul Greengrass does better (in "The Bourne Identity" series). He sounds like he is a kind of person who lets his work speak for himself and also he is quite modest. He never says "I do better than Doug Liman." While I respect how he presents himself, I want to make this clear because any review written on "The Bourne Supremacy" (including yet Another Film Critique Website Blog) should explain why "The Bourne Supremacy" is better than "The Bourne Identity". Ok, so, why is it better?
1. While Doug Liman does a good job of filming Europe in "The Bourne Identity", he still does it in the eyes of American's (this is pretty clear in retrospect). It's interesting that Doug Liman comments on "The Bourne Identity" and says that he was able to film in the eyes of European's as he lived in Paris while he shot the movie. I am certain that he put genuine effort. I am also certain that he studied the language and tried to understand what Europe is. He did a good job of filming Europe not as a tourist. However, I think he filmed as someone who stayed in Europe for a period of time. He did not exactly film as a European. On the contrary, Paul Greengrass is from UK after all, so the way in which he filmed Europe is more down to earth, so to speak (though many British people claim that they are British(or English, Walsh, Scottish or Irish), they are Europeans in the sense that they understand Europe 100% better than those outside of Europe). While Paul Greengrass captures magnificence of Europe, he never tries to make it flashy. He films domestic elements such as demonstration, grocery store and community apartment. This enables the film to take the audience much closer to Europe where Jason Bourne's next chapter takes place.
2. Better story. "The Bourne Identity" is very much a love story; it's a good story, but because the story tries to focus on two people, Jason Bourne and Marie, "The Bourne Identity" is unable to explore the depth of either character. While killing Marie at a very early stage in "The Bourne Supremacy" is a bold idea, it is the right idea. After all, "The Bourne Supremacy" is a story of Jason Bourne, not a story of Jason Bourne and Marie. The storyline gives much more depth to Jason Bourne, while there is (probably) less dialogue in "The Bourne Supremacy". This also elevates the depth of the entire story.
3. Locations. "The Bourne Identity" takes place in Paris, which is the easiest choice in retrospect, meaning that there is nothing creative about filming in Paris. "The Bourne Supremacy" makes right choices in terms of locations. Goa, India; symbolizes search of hope (for Jason Bourne). A place where Jason Bourne wants it to be paradise. Berlin; symbolizes his dark past, but it also takes him out of darkness, as the city itself is coming out of its dark past. Moscow; symbolizes a dark place in the corner, but like Berlin, the city itself is coming out of its dark past. This overlaps with what Jason Bourne is there for. Each location has meaning, and it matches to Jason Bourne's each step in his journey.
I want to make this clear; as I wrote, "The Bourne Identity" is a good movie. It's fun and it's one of better movies. But if you watch "The Bourne Supremacy", it is quite clear that "The Bourne Supremacy" is a level above.
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