The Bourne Supremacy: The Most Prominent Action Film of the 21st Century

For actions films, the most difficult part is balancing action with plot. The genre naturally tends to downplay the storyline, for the impact of physical skills and spectacular scenes is powerful enough on its own. So, for actions stars, whether it's Hollywood stars like Schwarzenegger, Van Damme, or Lundgren, or Hong Kong action heroes like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, our expectations of them are often more focused on whether they can deliver jaw-dropping action scenes. An action film often implies a rough or simplistic story.

Another challenging balance lies within the action itself. The spectacle of action scenes often inversely affects the credibility of the setting. This is why many action movies feature a fictional backdrop, which significantly reduces the discomfort caused by unrealistic elements. A typical example is superhero comic adaptations, while in Asia Kung fu films and Wuxia films are the counterparts. Films like these boldly ignore gravity and the laws of physics. Thus, creating action scenes that are both believable and spectacular has always been a difficult task.

The Bourne Supremacy breaks the above two curses. It features adrenaline-pumping action scenes while still adhering strictly to basic laws of reality. Additionally, beyond the mind-blowing action sequences, it boasts a plot as well as thematic depth comparable to serious drama films.

The film tells the story of a government agent who loses his memory. Memory loss as a plot device isn’t new; films like Long Kiss Goodnight starring Geena Davis, Who Am I? starring Jackie Chan, and later Unknown starring Liam Neeson all involve secret agents experiencing amnesia. Yet obviously, memory loss in these films is nothing more than a gimmick, a play of high-concept narrative device.

In The Bourne Supremacy, however, it’s the theme of self-discovery after memory loss that takes center stage.

The prime example comes when the film's protagonist, Bourne, travels to Moscow. Such a plot would be completely unnecessary in a typical action movie, which would highly likely to end at a scene where the CIA senior official is caught and commits suicide. That's how it's done in The Bourne Identity, as well as in Long Kiss Goodnight and Unknown. In The Bourne Supremacy, the story doesn’t halt after Bourne clears his name. Instead, he continues risking his life to find a stranger, the daughter of a Russian politician he killed, to tell her the truth about her parents’ deaths. Sharing the truth serves no practical purpose for either the victim's daughter or Bourne himself. Yet, it's precisely the emphasis on this extraordinary, seemingly unnecessary action that elevates the film above typical action fare. Beyond mere violence, it earnestly portrays the awakening of a common man's humanity, triggered by his deep-seated sense of guilt and genuine desire for redemption.

The brutal and protracted chase in Moscow contrasts sharply with the quiet, lamented, and brief scene of his apology at the end, making the indescribable pain and compassion linger hauntingly. His poignancy of loving his loved one echoes emotionally with his remorse for causing others to lose their loved ones. In the final scene, the ordinarily vast sea of lights again contrasts with Bourne's frail and insignificant figure both in symbolically and emotionally: the shattered humanity of the world is guarded silently yet resolutely by one person — an unnoticed yet resounding effort.

And there are more contrasts as such throughout the film.

For instance, take the choice of cast. The male lead Matt Demon exudes a strikingly different vibe from previous action stars. Unlike the elites with apparent extraordinary abilities like James Bond or Ethan Hunt from Mission: Impossible series, Demon’s unassuming demeanor makes his portrayal of the agent Bourne seem more like a blue-collar worker, or a technician. Such ordinariness, in sharp contrast against his role’s superhuman ability, makes the latter exceptionally fetching. The same applies to his acting. In the film, Bourne’s face show no expression other than emotionlessness, which stands in stark contrast to his tragic life and the torment he endures internally. This incompatibility also creates a haunting impact.

The contrast is also evident in the film’s visual style. Director Paul Greengrass excels in using a documentary-style handheld camera, which provides a dual sensation of coldness and frenzy. This approach captures everything up close but never lingers or magnifies anything, refusing to reveal any biased emotions. The constantly shaky movement of the camera keeps you on edge, as if you're in the midst of the chaos, which is even intensified by the frenetic editing. The editing pace of The Bourne Identity 2 and The Bourne Identity 3 is among the best in the action genre, sing every possible technique to amplify the breathless tension, making one wonder if the director is a sadist.

The restraint emotional expression and the frenzies of external visuals together build the unique coolness of the film. It isn’t the kind of elegant affectation shown by Jean-Pierre Melville in Le Samouraï, nor the lavish aloofness portrayed by Brian De Palma in Mission: Impossible. It apparently features the bleakness of the Cold War era as well as the somber thrill of politics, but at its core lies a deeply suppressed compassion. Valuing restraint highly but defying any possibility of mundanity, it achieves a kind of modest extravagance and subtle sentimentality with clockwork precision beneath seemingly chaotic facade. It fundamentally despises ostentation and pretentiousness, which in turn creates a more understated form of elegance.

The actions scenes in the film have a similar intricate allure. They embody the essence of Hong Kong Kung Fu films, eschewing common old forms of moves, nor any amount of extravagant, unrealistic actions. Instead, they feature the swiftness and fierceness typical of Hong Kong action to a greatly elevated level.

These actions scenes highlight the sense of pain in a somehow counterintuitive way: it shows the physical harms without the characters showing painful expression on their faces. The absence of painful face serves as an emphasis on the theme in such details of actions, which are no less than instinctive physical reflexes. They give the characters an robotic nature intensified by their neglect of physical pains, making them nothing more than killing machines.

The aloof, realistic vibe of The Bourne Supremacy caught fire upon its release, applied by many Hollywood productions. For example, two years later in Casino Royale, James Bond sheds his flamboyant persona to adopt a low-profile, Bourne-like hitman role. Similarly, the Taken series, starring Liam Neeson, imitate The Bourne Identity 2 in all aspects, from the vibe to style. Such style, pioneered by Paul Greengrass, has had its day, until the John Wick series emerged, showcasing a distinct departure with its preference for stable long shots over fast-paced editing.

So far, The Bourne Supremacy stands as the pinnacle of the action genre in the 21st century, even the pioneer Paul Greengrass hasn’t surpassed it. Both The Bourne Identity 3 and The Bourne Identity 5, also directed by him, fail to match the caliber of The Bourne Identity 2. The Bourne Identity 3 does better in action, it lacks the narrative energy that parallels to its action scenes.

A real outstanding action film excels in all aspects such as them, narrative, visuals, editing and actions, which are interdependent and blends in to form a new aesthetic.

This is hard, but The Bourne Identity 2 makes it.