With the CIA presented, not as a unified villain but as monolithic entity with different factions serving different agendas, Jason Bourne (Damon) is given a trickier task: Sorting out who did what to him particularly now that he is so close to finding out what happened to him as a part of Treadstone. From that moral dimension, the payoff is that for all the CIA agent characters in the film so devoted to their extreme operations they would kill off their own people if necessary, we have other CIA folks who embody a rejection of this by any means necessary, damn the costs mentality.
More significant is Jason Bourne himself, a character far more nuanced and heroic than even Daniel Craigs James Bond. Unlike Bond, Bourne isnt trailed by a high body count, nor is he reckless in the pursuit of his goals. Even when fighting hand-to-hand, Bourne tends to incapacitate rather than to kill his opponents. When he does kill, as he sometimes has to, Matt Damon plays the part so well its clear how much it ultimately burdens Bourne. Its as if each death chips away at a humanity he is struggling to piece back together.
As director Paul Greengrass told Hollywood.com, “I think James Bond is the secret agent who likes being a secret agent and likes killing people. He’s a misogynist, an old-fashioned imperialist, and Jason Bourne is an outsider on the run and he’s one of us and he’s fighting against them, I think. That’s the profound difference, and that’s why I like Bourne.” Quite.
Top-Notch Adrenaline Rush
If character development and the quality of the plot are top-notch, so is the action. With somewhat less jerky cinematography than in his previous outing, Greengrass stages incredible adrenaline-pumping scenes, from car chases to intimate hand-to-hand combat. Without glamourizing violence, the action thrills in a popcorn sort of way. But, more importantly, it especially succeeds at overflowing with tension thatll wear out the edge of a seat. Heres the essence of gritty part of an overall production that keeps the films cinematic quality grounded in the naturalistic showcasing just how masterful a craftsman Greengrass is.
The Bourne series of films has achieved a rare feat for a trilogy of films, namely, consistently high quality in all aspects and a singular relevance to our times. These are espionage thrillers done right; smart, suspenseful, exciting, morally self-aware. Best of all, The Bourne Ultimatum ends the series on a perfectly pitched high note. Bournes quest comes to a decisive end, but a few loose ends are left up to our interpretation its the right kind of open-end to suggest that, as in real life, theres more to the characters than we are told. Hopefully, the delicious richness this provides the film will be left pleasantly ambiguous and wont be spoiled by another film.
Entertainment Value: ** (out of two)
Technical Quality: ** (out of two)
Star Awarded!
The Bourne Ultimatum. Written by Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns and George Nolfi. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Starring Matt Damon, Joan Allen, David Straithairn, Julia Stiles, and Albert Finney. 111 minutes. Rated PG-13 for violence and intense sequences of action.
