The Bourne Ultimatum
1 August 2007 by jaksoul
Was lucky enough to attend a preview of the new Bourne film last night (thanks jimmy). After the disappointment of transformers it was a timely reminder of how to do a big summer movie right. Taut scripting, wonderful performances, a plot that just about stays the right side of believable and some of the most visceral action sequences ever put to celluloid-what’s not to love ?
Despite the last Bond borrowing heavily from the Bourne ‘mature action movie’ template, the film remains restlessly innovative. The camera, caught too close to the action in the last film rendering some of the action a blur, hovers gracefully and obtusely, drawing us deep into the emotional centre of conversations and unflinchingly into the fiery heart of battle; an American action movie made in the style of a European Arthouse.
It’s an exhillurating, mildly exhausting 90 mins that doesn’t ask us to leave our brains at the door, because it is smart enough and well made enough not to need to.
If all that weren’t enough there’s an interesting subtext about the
corrupting influence of overwhelming power and the terrifying
consequences of blind, unthinking patriotism. It brings to mind the sacrifices being asked of men and women drilled into remorseless killing machines and sent to the far ends of the world to serve obscured and dub(ya)ious schemes.
A subversive political message in the midst of a bombastic summer blockbuster?-maybe there’s hope for the empire yet.
2 August 2007, on 5:01 pm
Oh that must have been a typo right? “Sacrifices being asked of Men and women drilled into remorseless killing machines…yawn…toeing the party line…ad nauseum…ad absurdium”? WTF? Layered thinking might be a good antidote for the 24-hr Newsinfo-itis…c’mon man…Folks VOLUNTEER DURING WARTIME to enter into this Mesopotamian hellhole…they AREN’T ASKED, unless they happen to walk into a recruiting station…for Christ sake…you’re weakest Jehovah’s Witnesses is more compel-minded than your college-funded, Army recruiter… Remorseless killing machines? Been watching too much Terminator again? Dang dude…K. I love ya…I really do…if not I wouldn’t bother to add some balance to your snarky aside (because of course….any other president would have surely done the ‘right things’ in dealing with this ancient, presuppositionaly, anti-pluralistic, pre-1776, worldview that doesn’t know what it means to ‘have’ a religion … life is ‘religion’!) rigggght. Wake up please. I know we live in the Western La La Bubble where Prince Rogers Nelson’s newest musical offering can take up an hour or so of our time, as opposed to say…uh…surviving the day without getting shot, betrayed, or raped…but PLEASE think BEFORE you snark…and by thinking…I mean…the layered, critical type, that doesn’t allow personal hatred for a figurehead from Texas, blind him to the simple fact … IT AIN’T SO SIMPLE! Just read some History books that have titles that don’t start with the word “Why….” and you might have a little better comprehensive view of things…Who’s right? Well…mostly no one. Why? Who knows? probably Human Nature…more than any ism or ideology… How to fix? Nuther tough one…but I’ll take a longshot and say that oversimplification by focusing all negative attention on one American administration and it’s Chief Executive Officer is not just naive, but practically asking to be ’shocked’ all over again, when the next bomb hit’s Boise…and it happens during the most “prosperous’ and ‘peaceful’ adminstration’s tenure…when the guy at the helm speaks fluent French, is over 6 feet tall, loves Bergman films, and can actually pronounce ‘Obsfucation’.
Again, not being malicious here mate…just an encouragement. Some of us have loved ones in the Military that weren’t asked a DAMN THING. They went knowing what they were going into.
- PEACE (the real kind, not the avoidance of ugly things kind)
2 August 2007, on 5:28 pm
you should probably see the movie-it raises some interesting points.
the issue is really about authority and trusting that the choices that are made on our behalf, especially in regards to the military, are really made on our behalf.
That the need for checks and balances on that authority outweighs any right-wing/left wing arguments about being prepared to make difficult political decisions-it’s about making sure there is accountability and due respect for the lives at stake.
which there blatantly wasn’t/isn’t in the case of Iraq.