The Bourne Supremacy

DVD, The Bourne Supremacy (2004) film

The beginning has less to it, it doesn't get you straight into the film like the first one, and annoyed me when Marie was summarily dispatched so early, and not even purposefully! The death scene is very effective, and is the driving force of Bourne for the rest of the film - the one thing he lived for, the prop that helped support his future life was knocked away from him. He no longer has a partner to share with, he has no one to explain to, no one to protect. It makes things easier for him, but not for us, as we have to hear things from other sources, and we never fully know what's in Bourne's mind, whether he is out for revenge or will be able to control his desolate rage. But penitence and conscience, and crucially the way Marie would wish him to behave, enforce his moral judgment over any need to repay her death.

As Ward says, he is to blame for allowing her to be with him. But that isn't what he wants to hear. He wants to believe he can return to a normal life, even with Marie gone, he can survive to do some good, to repay the debts his short career as an assassin have mounted on his shoulders. Which takes him to Moscow and the end of the film, to apologise and inform the daughter of the couple he murdered. It's the only step he can take to make things right, and it makes a difference. They tried to make a similar ending to the first film, where we learn he couldn't go through with the killing because of the children, and it is a strong moment, but this film doesn't feel finished like 'The Bourne Identity' did.

That could have been the conclusion to the story, but now other things are still unfinished. The Neski case is wrapped up, and he is given the first piece of his old life back - his real name, by Pam. But there is still so much unknown, and things won't be easy without Marie to help him through the questions. It was fortunate Pam came along and had the honest intent to uncover the Treadstone problem, although for some it proves disastrous - Danny Zorn and Ward Abbott, both die, and both at Abbott's hand, as he tries a last-ditch effort to shift blame and cover up past sins. The truth will always come out, and Bourne is pardoned, if only in Pam's estimation, but at least he has a balanced face behind the walls of the service, who knows what kind of man he is.

It was also nice to see Nicky make a return, as the young woman who is only there to do a good job, and has become mixed up with some bad things through no fault of her own (although we find out a little bit about her motivations in the third and final film). Some of the best moments include her - the meeting Bourne arranges in the midst of a protest march was inspired, and I've seen the film several times, and only this time noticed he sees a load of posters advertising the march as he drives into the city. Nicky's also there when he first impresses Pam by being in view of them as he talks on the phone. "What if I can't find her?" "It's easy. She's standing right next to you." Brilliant line!

The direction is even more frenetic than the first film, creating a new genre of film-making - the one where you can't see what's going on very well, which loses some of the excitement in fight scenes, but works quite well for the split-second car chases. The Neski mission isn't quite up to the levels of intrigue as finding Bourne's identity, and also makes things seem much more complicated. I'd say this is the most confusing of the three films. It's not a bad film, but I don't like it quite as much. Karl Urban's Russian villain isn't quite up to the standard of Bourne, so you don't tend to feel too much danger for him, although it comes close sometimes. I assumed the other agent from the end of the first film would be the villain and might have worked better.

The scene at that agent's house, the fight and the novel (or should I say glossy) solution to destroy or knock off pursuit is some of the better parts, but throughout you're never really given chance to relax, much like Bourne himself. The music lifts everything and seems to have a stronger identity than the first film, though in the same style, and fits with Bourne now having his idenity before him. In the first film we see scenes such as the train where he looks at a blurred, indistinct reflection, at a time when he knows nothing of himself. In this film he looks in the mirror and sees his reflection strongly, and doesn't like what he sees. But he has pulled back from the brink with the decisions he takes, and continues on the path Marie would have wanted for him.

Without her, and because of her death there is no humour, and everything is harsher and sadder. This helped to make me less fond of this compared with the first. I appreciate that so much is carried over; the characters, the style, the realism, use of everyday items, Bourne thinking ahead, acting on instinct, and so on. There are moments of quietness, of city views and mountain vistas, but they are cut shorter, and beauty is not a familiar part of this installment, although there is a good variety in sights, with the various country-hopping done by most parties.

A solid and enjoyable middle piece, but one that doesn't completely satisfy. If I felt like 'Identity' could have ended there, then this one certainly feels like it should continue. And so it did. There are several familiar faces in the cast, including Michelle Monaghan, who later starred in 'Mission: Impossible 3' as Ethan's wife, playing Kim, one of Pam's computer operators. And Marton Csokas as Pam's sidekick, who was Celeborn in 'The Lord of The Rings' (along with Karl Urban's Eomer), and was in at least one 'Star Wars' film.

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