The Bourne Supremacy: Scene by Scene

The death of Marie is an important event in the narrative’s chain of cause and effect, compelling Bourne to embark on a “journey of revenge”. It is also a good example of how reception context can influence audience engagement with a narrative. Reception context refers not only to the technology used to watch a film and the environment in which it is consumed but also the knowledge that audiences bring to a film. The Bourne Supremacy is a sequel to The Bourne Identity. In his commentary, Greengrass describes how the relationship between Bourne and Marie was “the heart of the first film’s success”. People who had seen the first film would feel her death more keenly than those who hadn’t.

In the next scene, the narrative picks up Pamela Landy’s search for the person who killed her operatives in Berlin. “What the hell is Treadstone?” she asks after running the prints left on the detonator. “All right. Get me a flight. We’re going to Langley.” This brief scene is followed by a shot of a plane landing in Moscow. There is a brief series of shots which show Kirill leaving the terminal and meeting Gretkov in a car. There is a brief exchange of dialogue between the two characters.

Gretkov: It is done.
Kirill: Are sure for you that he died?
Gretkov: Because there is no room for–
Kirill: It is done. Bourne. The files. The fingerprint.
Gretkov: I will make contact with you in one month.

Both of these scenes are necessary to establish the motivation of the film’s antagonists, Gretkov and Kirill, and why they framed Bourne.

Greengrass cuts back to Goa where a distraught Jason Bourne watches the car being pulled from the river. In this scene, Greengrass uses a number of production elements to convey Bourne’s emotional turmoil and encourage the audience to identify with this character as he embarks on a journey of revenge. Greengrass cuts from a point of view shot of the ruined Jeep being hauled from the river to a close up Bourne who has a look of incomprehension on his face, tears welling in his eyes. At this moment, John Powell’s score for the film features emotive, mournful strings that help to convey the overwhelming grief the character feels. Greengrass cuts to an extreme close up of burning photographs, sorrowful strings are accompanied by notes played delicately on the piano which continue to develop this sense of sadness. After piling the photographs and passports onto the fire, Bourne reaches into his pocket and looks at the only remaining photograph of Marie. A dramatic, staccato drumming starts to build in intensity while the piano and strings continue. “I took these huge drums and I ran it through the whole theme so you have this paradox of music,” John Powell said during an interview about his score for the film. “You have a beautiful grief going on in the strings and yet at the same time you have this rage.” Greengrass and Powell use these contrasting musical styles to convey both the character’s overwhelming sense of loss and his resolve to avenge Marie’s death. The intensity of the drums continues to build as Greengrass cuts to an erratic series of shots as Bourne packs his bags, grabs several handfuls of cash and a pistol. The delicate strings and pianos, which are gradually overwhelmed by staccato drumming, contribute to the character’s sense of loss and his desire for revenge.

In the next scene, Landy meets with Martin Marshall to discuss Treadstone’s connection with her failed mission.

Marshall: Two men dead, three million in cash gone, no Neski files, and all very public. This is still a clandestine agency, no?
Landy: I don’t view this event as a failure.
Marshall: You call it a success?
Landy: We have a lead. A fingerprint left by the assassin. He’s one of us.
Marshall: Who is it?
Landy: What can you tell me about Treadstone?
Marshall: Treadstone?
Landy: It’s where the trail dead-ends. If you want an answer, you’re going to have to give me a level-five S.C.I. access. We have a lead, Marty.
Marshall: All right. You’ve got your clearance. But you’re on a very short leash. And you’ll give a full report to the group. I wanna know where you’re going with this.

There is a brief series of shots showing Bourne arriving in Naples, Italy before Greengrass cuts back to Langley to show Landy looking through the Treadstone files. Although this is a scene that reprises information from the first film, Greengrass uses it as an opportunity to engage the audience by showcasing his realistic, documentary style. “It should be handheld, unconsidered, raw, rough, that you see things almost despite themselves rather than have it served up to you, spoon fed,” he said. There are a series of jarring jump cuts as Landy opens a file and flicks through its contents. There are several photographs of Bourne and characters from the previous film. The camera pans unsteadily across a report: “Aborted Mission. Deserted. Possible Diagnosis – Amnesia.” Greengrass cuts to a shot of Landy, the camera zooms in abruptly. There is another extreme close-up of former Treadstone chief Alexander Conklin with the words ‘KILLED IN ACTION’ stamped across his photograph. Although this is a scene that merely recaps information from the previous film, the unconsidered handheld movement, unsteady pans and sudden zooms give the scene a feeling of energy and realism.

When Landy interviews Ward Abbott (Brian Cox), Greengrass uses a number of production elements – including camera techniques, acting, sound and editing – to establish the antagonism between these two characters and further develop the character of Jason Bourne. The antagonism between Landy and Abbot is established from the outset of the scene with a two shot of the characters sitting in an interrogation room, separated by a large desk which helps to convey the distance between them. When Landy asks Abbott about Operation Treadstone, his reply is terse. “Never heard of it,” he says abruptly. “That’s not going to fly,” she responds. Abbott raises his eyebrows and shakes his head. These subtle gestures from Brian Cox help to establish his malice towards Landy. “With all due respect, Pam,” he says in a smug and condescending voice, “I think you might’ve wandered past your pay grade.” When she pushes a warrant across the table, Abbott removes his glasses, a close up shows him cleaning them lazily, conveying the contempt he harbours for Landy. “You wanna fry me?” he snaps after revealing the details of Operation Treadstone. “You want my desk. Is that it?” The tone of his voice conveys both his dislike for Landy and his reluctance to reveal more about Operation Treadstone. Greeengrass cuts away to a series of shots as Bourne arrives in Naples. Here, Abbott’s dialogue helps to further establish the character of Bourne: “Jason Bourne happened. You got the files. Then let’s cut the crap. Conklin had these guys wound so tight, they were bound to snap. Bourne was his number one. The guy went for a job, screwed the op, never came back. Conklin couldn’t fix it, couldn’t find Bourne, couldn’t adjust. It all went sideways.”