The Bourne Ultimatum clip depicts the plot of Jason Bourne aiding a journalist in evading an assassination attempt by a group who aim to prevent the journalist from disclosing information to Bourne. This particular sequence continues the storyline from two prior films and encompasses three distinct narrative threads: 1) Bourne's endeavors in unraveling his true identity and exposing a conspiracy, 2) the efforts of the American organization pursuing Ross, potentially to terminate him, and 3) the journey of the nameless assassin ('asset') who sets out to assassinate Ross and Bourne.
The narrative in the video is constructed by interleaving three strands and culminates in Ross’ death. The setting of the scene is established early on through the use of iconic London symbols such as red buses, black cabs, and the London underground, along with references to the
...Evening Standard newspaper. This enhances the sense of realism for viewers who can relate to these familiar icons. The rapid editing and tense music create a sense of urgency and a documentary-style effect. This technique serves to immerse the viewers in the scene, a relatively new concept as shaky camera work was once considered a flaw. Additionally, quick cuts between segments keep up the pace of the clip.
In the sequence, we see point of view shots from Bourne's perspective. The shaky camera is only used when Bourne and Ross are present, highlighting Bourne's authenticity in contrast to the formal camerawork used for CIA operatives. This emphasizes the false nature of the CIA. Compression editing maintains the pace by removing unnecessary clips and cross-cutting shows both Bourne and his journalist friend's escape from Waterloo and the organization's attempt to trac
them using advanced technology.
The combination of fast editing, cross-cutting, and compression editing with intense music makes the sequence more exciting to watch by increasing its pace. While this sequence adheres to conventional ideas of the action genre, it can also be argued that there are elements of science fiction present. Rather than immediately delving into action, the scene with the henchman on the phone leads us away from it. The villain and his colleagues can also be interpreted as robots always available via mobile phone to receive orders from their superiors. Additionally, the hero of the sequence differs from traditional heroes like James Bond as he spends his time trying to avoid confrontation instead of facing his enemies head-on.
Regarding representation, Jason Bourne is not a typical hero in Propp's view. Although possessing both strength and intelligence, unlike other characters who only have one or the other, he appears more human than a traditional hero due to his moral code against killing. This is similar to Batman, another hero who is well-known for refusing to kill and having no superpowers, emphasizing their relatable humanity to the audience. Unlike Batman, Bourne can blend seamlessly into crowds during rush hour and evade his enemies undetected. In the sequence, a man receives a phone call and sets out to locate Jason Bourne and the journalist.
In Bourne's genre, there is an unconventional sequence that briefly takes us away from the action. This sequence includes radio chatter and background noise between Bourne, his journalist friend, and the surveillance team trying to catch them. The audience is instilled with fear due to the immense surveillance team constantly watching them as we know
this type of technology can fall into the wrong person's hands. This fear is intensified because the scene is set in a location that many people recognize and frequent. Despite the confusion, Bourne remains composed, and his dialogue at the end ties everything together which increases our faith in him. As an audience, we have omniscience and voyeurism which allows us to oversee all character movements throughout the sequence while adding dramatic irony as we witness the journalist's movements while his enemies search frantically for him.
While the journalist waits behind the door for his escape and the sniper has his gun on the door, Bourne senses that something is amiss. Despite warning the journalist against exiting, he gets shot. This fast-paced sequence with dramatic music employs effective editing techniques. Though not completely conforming to a generic action film, Bourne's character, while possessing unique qualities, still manages to convince us of the movie's status as an action film.
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