Bourne Identity:
A comparison of the Book and the Movie
by Trenton Pruitt
The Book:
I give the book 7 out of 10
The bourn identity book was written by Robert Ludlum in the 1980’s, it is about an international assassin that is found out at sea. he was shot three times in the back and left to drown in the middle of the ocean. this is were a fisherman boat picks up the man you come to know as Jason Bourne.
the fisherman takes Bourne to shore and to the town dr. which also happens to be a drunk. After he performs surgery on Bourne he goes back to drinking. from here Bourne rehabilitates back to health. Now Bourne is a man that knows nothing about him self. the only things that he knows is what was in a metal microchip that was planted under his skin. the doctor found it during surgery and gave it to him. It held very little but important information. it held his name and a bank account number. from here he travels to Zurich where the bank is located. When he goes to the bank he finds a bank account with millions of dollars in his name, but he has no clue where this money came from. This triggers things and the people that are looking for Bourne now know where he is. this causes him to kidnap a woman named Marie which happens to be linked to the Canadian government.
Whit all of the time Bourne spends with his hostage Marie the more she falls for him. From here he is constantly on the run. I don't want to tell you more because it would ruin it. so for more grab the book from your local library and start reading.
The Movie:
I give the movie 8 out of 10
The Bourne Identity movie is a lot different then the book. Only a few of the basic plots are the same. The names of the characters are the same, where it takes place are the same but that is about it. The movie starts off with a fishing boat finding what they think is a dead body in the water but to their surprise he is alive. Next they take Bourne below deck and one of the crew men performs surgery on him. Bourn knows nothing but what was in a metal microchip that was planted under his skin. the doctor found it during surgery and gave it to him. Which was his name and a bank account number. he goes to that and it is a safety deposit box, so he opens it where he finds a lot of money and many passports.
this is where you find out Bourne's aliases are. from here Bourne pays a girl named Marie to take him to Paris.
then the people looking for Bourne figure out that he had linked up with Marie. So now they are looking for both of them. They fall in love while constantly being on the run. if I tell you too much more I would ruin the movie, and I don't want to do that so go get it at you local video store.
The book & movie:
Differences:
- In the movie they find Bourne and perform surgery on him on the boat, but in the book they take him ashore to the town Dr. which happens to be a drunk
- In the movie Bourne Pays Marie to take him to Paris but in the book he kidnaps her
- In the movie Bourne give Marie many chances to leave but in the book he doesn't give her any chances
- In the movie Bourne goes to a safety deposit box but in the book he just goes to the bank
- In the movie you find out what all of his aliases are when he goes to the safety deposit box, but in the book you don't find out until a lot later
Similarities
- The names of the characters
- where it all takes place
- Name of the company Bourne works for
- The fishing boat finding Bourne
- Bourne and Marie falling for each other
My Thoughts
I believe that the move and the book are truly two different stories. Yes one inspired the other but there are way to many differences to call them the same. The book is great, it is an action filled book. Every chapter will keep you on the edge of you seat. It is a true mans book, there are guns, blood, sex, car chases, money, and more. now the movie is one of my favorites. I like action movies and this is defiantly one. This is also what I would call a mans movie because there are guns, blood, car chases, money, explosions, and more. Over all I liked the movie the most because I am a visual person and the things that happen in the move are great. There is almost no part of the movie that is unbelievable. i don't ever remember thinking that something wasn't possible. There are great special effects. Don't get me wrong I liked the book, but prefer the movie.
For more about the movie visit the movie website