One of the staples of American action cinema is for the hero to be smart-assed and make quips constantly to demonstrate his coolness. However, the films are an attempt to marry an independent style of filmmaking with blockbuster budgets and their expected returns, so let us look at what works: The film does not subvert elements of certain genre expectation that would make it truly progressive to quote Richard Dyer writing about Speed, “it does contribute to the reproduction of a masculine structure of feeling… to do with freedom of movement, confidence in the body, engagement with the material world, that is coded as male (and straight and white, too) but to which all humans need access.” From the moment that Bourne is discovered in the Mediterranean in Identity we get to wake up with him, share in his amnesia and discovery of superhuman skills without burdening ourselves with the years of training it would take to reach this kind of physical and mental evolution, reminiscent of The Matrix in its non-exertion in acquiring martial arts skills. Furthermore we get to identify with these superhuman traits without having to see or identify with the obvious difficulties in how they were attained (although Ultimatum does go some way to rectifying this). The fact that the film is quite “realistic” only enhances the fantasy rather than undermines it. The audience is encouraged to identify with a man who is impossibly resourceful (physically, mentally, intellectually). To caveat the above, let us concede the following: The film is still pure fantasy fulfilment. Something I might have considered a contradiction in terms prior to its arrival.
#HOW MANY JASON BOURNE MOVIES ARE THERE IN ORDER SERIES#
In contradiction to this the Bourne series represents something akin to the ‘liberal’ action film. However, enjoyment of these films is almost always spoilt by the inevitable glorification and aesthetizisation of violence and guns, the degrading representation of women, the insistence on having the hero deliver smart ass remarks and one-liners, and the rest of the political and ideological staples which have come to define the genre. These genre movies typically act as a vessel for tapping into omnipotence fantasies, allowing identification with a hero who is impossibly industrious, who has a level of physical capability with which he is able tangibly to manifest dominance over his environment and adversaries. The differentiating factor lies in the film’s ideological content as much as its obvious technical proficiency.Īction films tend to offer appeal to a particular demographic which is primarily male (particularly young men). The release of The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007 saw the completion of “the most exciting thriller series ever to come out of Hollywood” set a new standard for intelligent action cinema. By Leon Saunders Calvert Volume 14, Issue 6 / June 2010 9 minutes (2007 words)