The Bourne Identity

Opening scene to the Bourne Identity.

It starts with some tense music creating a sense of tension. You can see someone with tools perhaps performing a surgery but at this point it isn't clear. The film then cuts to a POV shot of the doctor taking the bullet out of Jason's back. This clears up what he is doing and gives the audience a sense that they're actually there. It then cuts again to an establishing but mid shot of the doctor holding up the bullet to his eye. The camera isn't still giving a sense that this isn't a real doctor's surgery and this isn't as professional as it would be if it were. You can see in the background they're in some sort of hut but you don't know where. The camera then cuts to a POV of him putting the bullet in a tin, if you weren't sure what the doctor was looking at before this clears it up. You then see various close shots of the doctor ripping/tearing something as you hear that sort of noise. Again there's a sense of uncertainty as you don't know exactly what he's doing. You also aren't told who these people are or how they got there or how the one with the wounds got shot. You then see the material being ripped and then it cuts to the doctor's face. It's a close shot of him to make the audience see what he's feeling. The lighting is very dark which also gives a sense that you don't know what's going on. You see him reach for some tools and then cut some skin. The length of these shots and the amount of them give a sense of urgency. Again you see the doctor's face, from a low angle giving the sense he's important. The doctor then turns away and you see him doing something. Out of focus in the front ground you see Jason laying there so it gives a sense something is about to happen as even though the action is away from him you can still see him in the front of shot. It then cuts so you can see what the doctor is doing, which is cleaning the bullet under a tap. You can hear the sound of the tap and throughout all of this tense music is still playing in the background. It cuts back to the doctor from Jason's POV and then for one short shot you see his face and then back to the previous shot of the doctor. You see a tool box be put down and the doctor gets out a magnifying glass. Then a high shot of him looking at the bullet. This is used to show actually the doctor isn't in power anymore, as what he thought were bullets actually aren't that ordinary. You then see the doctor exhale and he's in shock as he point the light at the wall and you see text appear. You see a shot of the writing on the wall from the doctor's shoulder and as he turns it off and looks at the top of the bullet the camera tracks from the writing to the doctor looking at the bullet. Then a 90 degree pan around the doctor and as he walks the camera follows him into a different room. The camera looks down at what he's looking at then back up to him. You see a hand on his back and hear Jason saying "What the hell are you doing to me?". The camera cuts to a front view of the doctor so you can see what's happening slightly more clearly. Jason then pushes him back into the wall. The camera goes from over the shoulder shot of the other person to the other, a two person shot. There is some dialogue and the camera is shacking to reflect the action and the camera flicks between the two of them very quickly to reflect how quickly they're talking. As Jason collapses the camera goes behind him, a mid shot, and the doctor walks him towards the camera. Then a two person shot again but from the side of more dialogue. Jason then collapses and that's were the opening scene ends.