“The Bourne Ultimatum” is a compelling movie that all general movie fans should see, that all action fans will love, and that lovers of the timeless story of good vs. evil should appreciate. It’s that good on so many levels.
The most complex thing in the Bourne trilogy is the nuanced exploration of good vs. evil. In the first Bourne film (“The Bourne Conspiracy”), this struggle is played out as the battle between the CIA’s assassination apparatus and one of their undercover agents (Jason Bourne), who was feeling more conscientious about his missions. In trying to do the right thing, he suffers amnesia and spends the rest of film trying to survive while figuring out what’s what. In the second Bourne flick, (“The Bourne Supremacy”), good was on the side of Jason Bourne–the good guy who knows too much and doesn’t want to kill anymore, versus the powers that be within the CIA who have their own secret problems to pin on Bourne. In the last of the triology, “The Bourne Ultimatum,” it’s not simple. It’s more like good v. evil v. evil v. good v. well, we’re not exactly sure!
Bourne’s type of spy, to be sure, is gritty and real, sans the slick and suave of James Bond or Mr. Phelps. This last film of the trilogy resists several temptations, including the potential for a love story and the safe homecoming for the hero. It also resists the temptation to make the sides of good and evil all that clear. We want to root for Bourne, but the case for the bad guys is easily understood. It transcends the screen and causes us to reflect on the real world effectiveness of espionage and the motivation for those who are Bourne’s in-house adversaries.
When a movie gets us to root for the hero while understanding the point of view of the enemy, then complex reflection is possible–even after a two-hour thrill ride which, due to awesome editing, packs more than 3 hours of story into that span.
One final great thing about Bourne III: Like all the other ones before it, the loose ends are tied up and the movie is complete. But there can also be room for more. This movie doesn’t cry “sequel,” but it sure leaves one rooting for it.
