The Bourne Identity

My thoughts in general: I recently watched the 1988 made-for-TV version The Bourne Identity. It stars Richard Chamberlain and Jaclyn Smith. I enjoyed it. It's about 3 hours long, and is clearly a product of the '80s. The styles of dress, the cars, etc. all date it. However, the picture quality and other production aspects also date it to '80s television. It is distinctly different than Matt Damon's Bourne.


My thoughts on application: The newer version of The Bourne Identity has become very popular. It has been successful enough to prompt the making of two sequels. The Bourne trilogy was originally written by Robert Ludlum. However, the recent success of Bourne has led to other Bourne novels written by other authors, which is an interesting development. The new Bourne employs a lot of handheld camera work, which is quite different from the static camera used in the television movie. The Bourne portrayed by Richard Chamberlain is very different form the Bourne portrayed by Matt Damon. There are also other distinct differences that provide for an interesting discussion on adaptation. The discussion could include how films represent the time in which they were made and how different versions seek to appeal to the contemporary audience. These versions of this now-popular movie could be a good way to initiate this discussion.