The Bourne Identity (1988)

Based on of Robert Ludlum's suspenseful spy novel, this 1988 two-part TV movie begins with a man being shot in the head and falling off of a ship at sea, which subsequently sinks. The man washes ashore in Port Noir, France, and is found and cared for by Dr. Geoffrey Washburn, an alcoholic English doctor. The man can't remember his name; his nonfatal but nonetheless critical head wound has rendered him an amnesiac. Dr. Washburn also discovers, surgically implanted into his patient, microfilm with an account number for the Gemeinschaft Bank in Switzerland.Bidding his benefactor farewell, the man travels to Switzerland in the hopes of rediscovering his identity. At a hotel whose name he inexplicably remembers he discovers his name is "J. Bourne" and that he works for an organization called Treadstone 71. More, but not enough, is revealed at the Gemeinschaft Bank where Bourne learns that the "J" stands for Jason, and that he is a rich man with fifteen million dollars to his name. But he still has no idea what Treadstone is, or why he recognizes the American man being interviewed on TV about the recent assassination of Ambassador Howard Leland.Leaving, Bourne suddenly finds himself the target of hit men posing as bank employees, led by the cold-blooded killer nicknamed "Gold Glasses." He flees with the assistance of Dr. Marie St. Jacques, a Canadian economist in Switzerland for a conference. The pair, constantly dodging Gold Glasses and his men, track down various informants who know little but suggest Bourne is connected to a notorious Spanish assassin named Carlos, and, worse, that Bourne may have been hired by Carlos to kill Ambassador Leland!Is Bourne really who he - and everyone else - thinks he is? Is he a murderer? Did he kill Leland for Carlos? Just who exactly is Carlos? Why is Gold Glasses trying so hard to kill Bourne? Who do he and his men answer to? What is Treadstone? And why does Bourne recognize the American from the television? All these questions and more will be answered by the time the film's three-hour runtime draws to a close in a satisfying (if a little jostling) finale in New York City, but not before more chases, shootouts, car crashes and tons of political intrigue and double-crosses.A much more thoughtful and cerebral film than the remake starring Matt Damon, 'The Bourne Identity' is a bit slow in places but is never boring, and has plenty of twists and turns and surprises to keep viewers guessing. Richard Chamberlain is capable and likable in the lead role, and the supporting cast includes familiar faces like Denholm Elliott as the amusing and kindly Dr. Washburn, Shane Rimmer as stern, no-nonsense American Army General Conklin, Anthony Quayle as French General Villiers, and Wolf Kahler as Gold Glasses.

I thoroughly enjoyed this I must admit, but I can't help but wonder why it wasn't made for the big screen instead of being shown on television. What makes this Bourne Identity completely nonidentical to the 2002 theatrical release is that Richard Chamberlain's character is totally in line with Robert Ludlum's book. The big screen version may have featured more dramatic car chase sequences and fighting scenes etc, but it just seemed to focus away from the original plot.Richard Chamberlain performs Bourne to a very high standard - with strong performances from the supporting cast - and makes the role his own. Primarily, I watched The Bourne Identity just to see Jaclyn Smith if I'm honest; I've always been a fan of Jaclyn, and she gives out a believable performance as Marie St. Jacques. This movie in no doubt sealed Jaclyn's crown as the "Queen of mini-series".I don't think film and TV buffs should be put off by the film's three hour length; the plot and any questions that may arise when viewing The Bourne Identity are answered extremely thoroughly come the end of the film, and should not disappoint fans of espionage/spy thrillers. It was a great effort from all concerned, certainly strengthened thanks to the wonderful imagery and intrigue of the many different cities involved. 7/10

I flipped to this after seeing it on the channel guide thinking it was the Matt Damon version. I didn't know it had been a made-for-TV movie before Damon took a shot at it.I watched it for about 10 minutes and found it laughable. Maybe I didn't give it a chance but the action segment I saw with Chamberlin made him look more like a school teacher than an assassin.I can't recommend this to anyone as long as the Matt Damon version exists. Maybe I should read the book and then watch the 1988 version to see if it hold up better.OK, IMDb requires 10 lines of text. I have nothing more to say so this is just fluff talk.

I'm from India and as such had never heard of Richard Chamberlain before. But Yesterday I watched the film and was completely hooked by it. It is ten times better that the sham that has Matt Damon in it. Robert Ludlum's Bourne Identity is one of my favourite novels. After seeing Richard Chamberlain movie I think that he's a perfect cast as he follows Ludlums description of the character to the hilt.A very Fine actor paired with an actress of calibre of Jaclyn Smith, have done good justice to Jason Bourne. Also being made in the 80's it faithfully captures the time when the book was written. No comps, no cellphones just gritty streets of Paris. this film should be rated among the most faithful adaptations to the original novel.