I liked the movie, but damn, there is no EMBASSY in Zurich. Also the phone number Jason asks Marie before entering the Regina hotel is 616-something, a 7-digit number, i.e a North American phone number... Those errors could have been easily avoided with a little common sense and culture :/
shareAddress for the consulate general in Zürich, Switzerland:
Generalkonsulat der USA, Zollikerstr.141, CH-Zürich, Tel. 01/55 25 66
It's not for diplomatic issues but for helping their citizens with passports and things.
An embassy would be in the capital of the country, ie in Bern in this case.
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
Exactly! So they should have used the term consulate, not embassy. Or set the scene in Bern.
shareActually they used both terms. Jason calls it consulate when he's talking to Marie for the first time. Conklin or rather one of his guys says embassy. OK, that would be incorrect.
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
To be honest, that would defeat the know purpose of the bank scene, as when you talk about Swiss Bank Accounts, Zurich is the city that you assosiate with this (also the book is set in Zurich).
Just a minor error, but one that helps the plot move along.
There would be no problem at all if Conklin used the term consulate as well. There is a consulate in Zürich after all and it would fit the purpose, Jason escaping the Swiss police. Only a minor error from the filmmakers to confuse the terms IMHO.
If the idea is to stay alive, I'm driving.
Problem is, not all consulates deal with visa issues.
I have been to enough in my time, and would surprise you how many of them do not deal with visa's, or are no more than just a back room in some guys house that deals with emergancy passport issues in that country.
Agree, it could have been all sorted with just a change of words, but probably using Embassy sounds more official and can say why a small army just happened to be there.
not all consulates deal with visa issues
Agree, its just something to make the plot of the movie keep rolling, pretty sure if you were to ask the average person on the street where the US embassy in Switzerland is, 9 out of 10 would probably say Zurich.
Also, having been in Zurich, it is amazing how little the city resembles that of the movie... I knew that Prague doubled for Zurich in most the scenes, but the two cities are like night and day in terms of style!
pretty sure if you were to ask the average person on the street where the US embassy in Switzerland is, 9 out of 10 would probably say Zurich
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Armadillo, you have just ruined the film for me.
Until I read your post, I though The Bourne Identity was a smart, exciting film.
But now you've pointed out it was riddled with dimbo mistakes, I've gone right off it and wondered why I was so badly fooled.
Thank you!
Who cares?
shareI think they leave in mistakes like the obvious running behind the truck as he arrives back off the fishing boat.
shareZürich is more colorful and attractive than Bern. Simple decision.
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How did he get into Switzerland without papers anyway?
shareBecause of the Schengen Agreement. No border checks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement
Will Graham: I don't find you that interesting.
Hannibal Lecter: You will.
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Yeah you only forget that the film is set in 2002 (or perhaps even earlier, I'm not sure) and Switzerland only joined the Schengen area in 2009...
shareDidn't think of that. Maybe he just locked himself up at the loo.
Will Graham: I don't find you that interesting.
Hannibal Lecter: You will.
****
You can't get out of the train station when travelling from a non-Schengen country to a Schengen one by train without showing some identification. There's a quite serious security check where they check papers, visas and bags, too. And I'm sure it's the same the other way around.
I don't think there's any explanation for this [that is, Bourne getting into Switzerland, of all European countries, without papers] other than that it is indeed a stupid mistake.
Other than it's 'inconvenient' to the plot, rather like the way he waltzes into the embassy/consulate/Burgerking thing with no security check of his bag etc when obviously he's being pursued by the Gendarmerie!
"What is an Oprah?"-Teal'c.
Dwelling upon the embassy/consulate thing is really just unnecessary smartassing. It's a perfectly plausible character error to have the CIA guys call it an "embassy", given that - as many others have pointed out - many otherwise educated people aren't aware that Zurich is not the capital of Switzerland, or even what the difference between a consulate or an embassy is. The people at the location in Zurich correctly call it a "consulate", as you would expect them to do.
The objection with the fact that Switzerland was not a Schengen country when the film is set is more substantive. It would, indeed, imply that Bourne would have to pass border checks when entering Switzerland by train from Marseilles, or leaving it by car towards Paris.
The sailors who rescue Bourne are Italians. The port the fishing boat enters 2 weeks later is not Marseilles, but Imperia in Liguria, Italy (compare this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperia#/media/File:Imperia_Porto_Maurizio_BMK.jpg with the skyline at 00:09:13.
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I don't have a dog. And furthermore, my dog doesn't bite. And furthermore, you provoked him.
I think they leave these mistakes in, so idiots will notice it and not like the movie. After all they don't want a fan-base comprised of idiots whose complaints aren't even accurate.
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