Brain Damage and The Bourne Ultimatum

When viewing the recent movie The Bourne Ultimatum you may be tempted to categorize it as yet another action suspense thriller, along the lines of the first two Bourne movies. Upon reflection, though, it seems to take some cues from recent research into human psychology. Specifically, it addresses the dilemma of sacrificing one life to save others, which recent experiments at leading universities of have demonstrated most people experience.

In The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon plays a repentant assassin who invokes the ire of clandestine and illegal operatives within CIA. While the title of the movie implies that Bourne is making some kind of demand, in reality he has very little leverage. His gimmick seems to be, tell me what I want to know, or I'll keep evading you and making you look stupid.

What is it Bourne wants? His past, apparently. Twice he's asked, upon displaying his complete ignorance, "You don't remember anything, do you?" Bourne after a near-death experience has in fact forgotten most of his past. He experiences painful flashbacks that drive him to his knees. It seems odd that a highly trained military operative would have so little control over his emotions. Nonetheless, it's understandable why he would like to be free of his debilitating flashbacks. It's also clear that CIA department responsible for his training has no intention of accommodating him. Perhaps they feel that he's less of a threat when tormented by flashbacks. As with most suspense/action movies, it's best not to think too hard about the motivations of the characters. However, it is interesting to note how Bourne's dilemma is similar to the ones presented to volunteers in recent scientific studies.