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The Bourne Identity is a 1988 American television movie adaptation of the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title which tells the story of Jason Bourne, a man with remarkable survival abilities who suffers from retrograde amnesia, and must seek to discover his true identity. In the process, he must also reason out why several shadowy groups, a professional assassin, and the CIA want him dead. The story takes readers on an action-packed journey into a world of deceptions and conspiracies, offering a psychological portrait of Bourne, and giving them the chance to experience from his point of view the life-or-death decisions he makes as he seeks to piece together the dangerous puzzle of his missing past. It is the first novel of the original Bourne Trilogy, which also includes The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum.
The novel was adapted into this 1988 TV-movie starring Richard Chamberlain (as Jason Bourne) as well as the 2002 American film starring Matt Damon in the titular role.
While the 2002 film is slick and action-savvy, the 1988 original starring Chamberlain offers us a very nicely-crafted vignette of a man haunted by images of the world passing across his eyes and struggling to wrestle with the forces of espionage as he attempts to find the truer meaning of confidence.
I give this TV-movie 5/5 stars, and even though other TV-movies and Chamberlain projects have received greater praise and fanfare, I think this Ludlum adaptation is arguably Chamberlain's most smart and engaging work.
What makes the story of Jason Bourne in the original Ludlum novel so intriguing is that we are literally moved to following the events of the protagonist's life and how he thinks he should reconstruct his sense of place. The storyline involving the CIA is obviously a very poignant feather, since it compels us to look at those disturbing links between psychology and culture.
Chamberlain is perfect as Bourne, and watching this 1988 TV-movie originally turned me off from the news that Matt Damon (an otherwise unseasoned actor at the time!) would don the role.
Jaclyn Smith is great as the supporting female character in the 1988 TV-movie, and the choreography manages to capture the psychological intrigue of memory loss in a fast-paced world.
If you lost your memory, and wandered around trying to discover who you were/are, would you seek adventure and intrigue or sanity and security? It's a great question for modern times, and Chamberlain manages to give Bourne the right dose of humanness and idealism for this very unusual role.
Here's a mock dialogue about memory-loss I constructed inspired by this excellent TV-movie.
====
DOCTOR: You don't remember anything?
PATIENT: I remember seeing a beautiful woman on a beach!
DOCTOR: You woke up, however, in a hospital in San Diego?
PATIENT: Yes, perhaps someone hit me on the head on the beach.
DOCTOR: It's possible. Cranial shock can impair brain functions.
PATIENT: I suppose it's not terrible remembering only a beautiful woman on a beach.
DOCTOR: I suppose that is positive unless the woman is your wife you no longer recognize!
PATIENT: Maybe if I confront this woman or eat something (clams), my senses will be wakened.
DOCTOR: That may work! You want to reconstruct your sense of taste and smell and sight.
PATIENT: I hope the woman does not turn out to be a stranger or...someone dangerous!
DOCTOR: Well, you should be careful in all dealings and feel free to take notes.
PATIENT: Thanks, Doc. This might turn out to be a Christian experience.
====
The Bourne Identity (1988)
The novel was adapted into this 1988 TV-movie starring Richard Chamberlain (as Jason Bourne) as well as the 2002 American film starring Matt Damon in the titular role.
While the 2002 film is slick and action-savvy, the 1988 original starring Chamberlain offers us a very nicely-crafted vignette of a man haunted by images of the world passing across his eyes and struggling to wrestle with the forces of espionage as he attempts to find the truer meaning of confidence.
I give this TV-movie 5/5 stars, and even though other TV-movies and Chamberlain projects have received greater praise and fanfare, I think this Ludlum adaptation is arguably Chamberlain's most smart and engaging work.
What makes the story of Jason Bourne in the original Ludlum novel so intriguing is that we are literally moved to following the events of the protagonist's life and how he thinks he should reconstruct his sense of place. The storyline involving the CIA is obviously a very poignant feather, since it compels us to look at those disturbing links between psychology and culture.
Chamberlain is perfect as Bourne, and watching this 1988 TV-movie originally turned me off from the news that Matt Damon (an otherwise unseasoned actor at the time!) would don the role.
Jaclyn Smith is great as the supporting female character in the 1988 TV-movie, and the choreography manages to capture the psychological intrigue of memory loss in a fast-paced world.
If you lost your memory, and wandered around trying to discover who you were/are, would you seek adventure and intrigue or sanity and security? It's a great question for modern times, and Chamberlain manages to give Bourne the right dose of humanness and idealism for this very unusual role.
Here's a mock dialogue about memory-loss I constructed inspired by this excellent TV-movie.
====
DOCTOR: You don't remember anything?
PATIENT: I remember seeing a beautiful woman on a beach!
DOCTOR: You woke up, however, in a hospital in San Diego?
PATIENT: Yes, perhaps someone hit me on the head on the beach.
DOCTOR: It's possible. Cranial shock can impair brain functions.
PATIENT: I suppose it's not terrible remembering only a beautiful woman on a beach.
DOCTOR: I suppose that is positive unless the woman is your wife you no longer recognize!
PATIENT: Maybe if I confront this woman or eat something (clams), my senses will be wakened.
DOCTOR: That may work! You want to reconstruct your sense of taste and smell and sight.
PATIENT: I hope the woman does not turn out to be a stranger or...someone dangerous!
DOCTOR: Well, you should be careful in all dealings and feel free to take notes.
PATIENT: Thanks, Doc. This might turn out to be a Christian experience.
====
The Bourne Identity (1988)
