Ben Larson
There are parts of the movie where you think it might be a comedy. Bourne (Richard Chamberlain) running in Théoule-sur-Mer, France (Port Noir) with children following. He is never really convincing as a fighter. Maybe that is because we are used to the smoothness of Matt Damon in the later retelling of the story.The film is very 80's with the apparently suave and sophisticated Bourne in his knitted sweater taking care of the bad guys, and then the ladies.It is easy to tell that it was originally made for TV, as the story is almost broken down into "sound bites" so that you see whole but separate parts in between where each set of the commercials would go. It was fairly enjoyable if a little long winded at times. The story was quite good and the long running time enables a lot of character development which is lacking in the remake.
Koosh_King01
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.
jsalavar
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.
ketchv
I love this movie and watch it almost every day. Chamberlain is without doubt the most beautiful man I have ever seen. In fact, he is the most devastatingly beautiful and romantic man I have ever seen on screen, and while I have most of hs movies, I do wish there were more of them. I recently bought The Rose and The Slipper and never knew he could sing and dance before. I have given it to many of my friends because the commentary of the director is so good and you can see him with the Queen Mum with his "Beatle hair cut. The director referred to him as a "heart throb", which in my opinion is an understatement. In the Rose and the Slipper you can see him rehearse the songs and dances.
