The Bourne Identity
Movie, 2002, Jason Bourne, Set in 2002
The Bourne Identity is #1 of 6 in release order and #1 of 6 in chronological order in the Bourne.
The story
Wounded to the brink of death and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is rescued at sea by a fisherman. With nothing to go on but a Swiss bank account number, he starts to reconstruct his life, but finds that many people he encounters want him dead. However, Bourne realizes that he has the combat and mental skills of a world-class spy—but who does he work for?
The Bourne Identity recap
Italian fishermen pull an unconscious man from the Mediterranean with two bullets in his back and a laser projector under his skin, carrying a Swiss bank account number. He has no memory but speaks several languages and fights with deadly skill. In a Zurich bank box, he finds money, a gun and passports under several names, including Jason Bourne of Paris. Pursued by police at the U.S. consulate, he pays Marie Kreutz, a young woman with a car, to drive him to Paris. Bourne is a Treadstone agent who failed to kill Nykwana Wombosi, an exiled African dictator, and Treadstone's head, Alexander Conklin, sends other assassins after him, including the Professor, whom Bourne kills in the French countryside. Wombosi is murdered and the blame falls on Bourne. Bourne remembers that he could not shoot Wombosi with his children nearby.
The Bourne Identity ending explained
Bourne arranges a meeting with Conklin in Paris and breaks into the Treadstone safe house, where his memories return. He tells Conklin he is done and leaves. Conklin's boss, Ward Abbott, has Conklin killed and shuts Treadstone down, telling a committee it was a training program, and plans a new one, Blackbriar. Bourne finds Marie running a scooter rental shop on Mykonos.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Bourne Identity
The Bourne Identity is streaming on Netflix in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 84%
Where it fits
- Release order: first, before The Bourne Supremacy.
- Chronological order: first, before The Bourne Supremacy.
What to watch before The Bourne Identity
Nothing. The Bourne Identity is the first of the Bourne essentials, so it's the place to start.
Cast
- Matt Damon as Jason Bourne
- Franka Potente as Marie Helena Kreutz
- Chris Cooper as Alexander Conklin
- Clive Owen as The Professor
- Brian Cox as Ward Abbott
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Nykwana Wombosi
- Gabriel Mann as Danny Zorn
- Julia Stiles as Nicky Parsons
- Walton Goggins as Research Tech
- Josh Hamilton as Research Tech
- Orso Maria Guerrini as Giancarlo
- Tim Dutton as Eamon
Directed by Doug Liman.