MovieChat Forums > The Bourne Identity (2002) Discussion > Strangely dated.

Strangely dated.

posted 9 years ago by Degree7
29 replies | jump to latest

Watched this again for the first time since it came out. I don't really think of 2002 of being that long ago, but the style of this movie just screams late 90s/early 2000s. It's a combination of the flashy editing effects during transitions, and the electro/euro pop score that really does it. I'll be honest, it got me a little nostalgic and misty eyed. It's funny how what once seemed trendy and modern is now so.... Passé.

But other aspects of the movie are really timeless, like the well choreographed action scenes and the atmospheric cinematography. I only wish they hadn't felt the need to include those generation x stylistics (The Matrix was also afflicted with this). I feel like that was the result of studio interference.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] clark_gillies 9 years ago

There is a couple of elements of this which do scream late 90's/early 2002 (the relationship between Bourne and Marie can be a tad teen-romance flick'ish to me) but saying that, this was a movie that went out to break the mold.

Also it does not seem to rely on technology as much as movies after it seem to (apart from the cell phones the agents use, any technology we take for granted these days seem to be very lacking)

My memory of action movies from this time were BIG, OVER THE TOP and action packed with wall to wall CGI (ie Tomb Raider, Planet of the Apes, Spider Man, XXX, Die Another Day, X Men, MI:2 etc.... and to be honest, how many of these have stood the test of time? Spider Man has really aged badly over the years IMHO) and yet Bourne Identity was different.

My feeling is, Supremacy was so much better and due to the change of direction with director, Identity kind of got left behind, while Supremacy kick started the new dawn of the action movies (ie reboot of Bond, Taken, Dark Knight series etc).

TBH this will happen with any movie over time.

[–] buzzlightbeer (1901) 2 years ago

my opinion is exectly 180 from yours. I feel like the series tanked after the first one. I feel like greengrass (the dumbass) ruined the franchise with his lame ass shakicams, among other bad decisions. greengrass chose (as a need attention-seeking beta) to place his style antics way above content and narrative, literally drowning them out. The 'style' of the sequels is mostly what you remember, not the narrative, characterizations, themes, etc. HE HAD AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY and he squandered it. But I lay that on Liman, who got himself ejected after the first project. IMO it would've been interesting to see how the franchise would've progressed had Liman stayed on board. (Still not sure what happened there; would love to learn more.)

Greengrass sux. He puts himself in front of the work, which is an awful trait for a director. I can't imagine how he has got as much work as he has over the years. I hope to run into him on the street someday so I can cuss his ass out.

[–] tlm557 9 years ago

Wow, a movie released in 2002 looks like it was made in 2002.

What is your point?

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

Just discussing the aesthetics of the film. Calm down kid.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] hitking 9 years ago

It was a movie made in 2002.

It's obviously going to be dated, but certainly not 'strangely'.

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

"Strange" from my personal viewpoint from not having seen a movie in over a decade, but also interesting in that none of the other two films in the trilogy are afflicted with Identity's MTV vibe.

Also, not every movie from 2002 is considered dated. Anyway, this argument is becoming kind of pedantic.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] qdude440 9 years ago

I would argue that literally every movie that was made in 2002 and took place in the then-present day is now dated. Literally every single one of them. 14 years is enough time to age things. Today is no different, in 2030 things from today will look decidedly old.

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

Really? Even About Schmidt, Adaptation, or Insomnia? Aside from the contemporary fashions (which aren't different from today except at a superficial level) and having been shot on film, I'd say they're not that old fashioned at all.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] qdude440 9 years ago

Well, the aspects that you cited in your OP are mostly superficial. The editing is debatable, many action films adopted that editing style in subsequent years and I'm sure some still use it today. Otherwise, things like contemporary music choices and fashion styles age very quickly and they are sure to date anything that's over a decade old, including all the aforementioned films.

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

True, although that's why some filmmakers try not to use modern stylings in their movies in order to preserve a timeless quality. That's also why Identity is the most dated of the trilogy, while Supremacy and Ultimatum seem a little fresher. Greengrass's movies have aged very well, whereas most of Doug Liman's are like relics of a recent past. Have you seen Swingers lately? It barely holds up.

~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

[–] qdude440 9 years ago

Yeah, it was fairly recent that the realization hit me that the mid 1990s (and even the early 2000s) are now getting "old". Swingers is from 1996 and it looks squarely from another era, as does Scream. Nothing bad, it just makes me feel old. I haven't seen many 2000-2005 era films lately but I'm sure the next time I do, the dating of the aesthetic will be apparent.

[–] darkavenger77 8 years ago

I would argue that literally every movie that was made in 2002 and took place in the then-present day is now dated.

While it's not a movie, my favorite modern police show is Robbery Homicide Division (2002). It aired in 2002-03 for one season and featured a unit of the LAPD. Police no longer use Crown Victoria as new cars (the model was phased out in 2011 and many department still use them) but other than that it's not what I'd call dated. It was regarded as one of the most accurate police dramas ever made. I recently found the DVDs for it and have been enjoying rewatching it.

As another member noted, anything will eventually become dated. Another accurate police drama was Dragnet, which aired off and on from 1951-1970. It was clearly dated in less than 14 years after it concluded.

I think a main reason for this is the advancement of technology. For example, the difference in technology for police work from 1970 to 1984 was far greater than for 2002-2016.

Ignoring politics doesn't mean politics will ignore you.
-Pericles paraphrased in <100 characters

[–] MonteCarloMan 9 years ago

Not as dated as Enemy of the State..

[–] Degree7 9 years ago

My god... That movie is horrendous. It practically looks like a Smash Mouth music video.

Makes me wonder what aspects won't age well in 2010s cinema.

[–] Jones70 (6534) 4 years ago

That's such a great movie!

[–] CountJohn 9 years ago

Yeah, it definitely feels like a 90's Eurothriller and a movie with that look wouldn't be released today, where as Supremacy and Ultimatum could be released today as is. I don't really see that as a flaw though, it's just the aesthetic.

[–] domester82 8 years ago

Every movie is a product of when it was made. This was made in 2002, and it feels like a movie made in 2002. Maybe a bit earlier.

Want a movie which has really dated, but is still kind of fun? Sandra Bullock's The Net from 1995

[–] Case72 8 years ago

There is one thing (and they can edit it out) that screams mid-nineties and all eras before. Those damn fake punch sounds. It's a shame really, cause no matter the transition effects, it's still a more enjoyable (for me) experience than the overuse of handheld shaky cam à la Greengrass.

I've always thought it was reaching -but not quite succeeding- to Frankenheimer's Ronin. The Mini Cooper chase is great though. As far as the use of Oakenfold's "Ready, Steady, Go"... Yeah, it was that time. It was used again (although the Korean Style Remix) in 2004. Michael Mann's Collateral.

Just edit out those punching sounds, it's fine. Hell, Fight Club came out in '99. As far as i can recall, it was one of the first major releases with realistic muted-splat sounding punches.

[–] ethics_gradient 8 years ago

Haha, I noticed that when I was watching it the other day. The punching noises sounded like they came from a cartoon or something.

Weird how it was never an issue for me a decade ago, but I notice it now.

No married man kisses his wife like that!

[–] Pistolpete332010 8 years ago

I re-watched movie recently (And it's been awhile) and the overall experience of the film didn't seem or feel dated whatsoever. As far as the style and aesthetics go it of course felt like it was made in the early 2000's but it's so well crafted and gripping of a story/movie that I'm far too immersed to focus on it. Old movies that lose their overall impact on the viewer come off as most dated to me (However subjective that is). For me, it's the limited & differing technology that makes Identity seem more dated in a bad way than the actual style & aesthetics.

[–] BourbonKing (5777) 7 years ago

I disagree. I know what you mean by dated in terms of soundtrack, effects, and camera-style, but I never felt that this movie tried to outdo itself with self-aggrandizing exposition the way "Ocean's 11" did or depict Bourne in an ultra-enigmatic fashion like Travolta in "Swordfish". I actually felt like I was watching a Ridley Scott film with TBI and not a Gen X hipster fest like The Matrix. I'll give you credit for calling out the Paul Oakenfold track as dated, but it is what it is.

Btw, there are still some really good 80s and 90s flicks whose stylistics outshine anything today. In fact, dozens of modern movies seem to be in love with 80s and 90s style lately so the whole "dated" argument may not hold up right now.

[–] jakemon45 (1125) 6 years ago

Just watched it last night for the first time in many years, and I just could NOT get past that music. Just kept thrusting me back to the early 2000s, and not in a good way. If they'd kept a more traditional score, this could be a timeless classic.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Agreed.