Scene #20: Bourne Takes Waterloo

This is the first entry in a series in which I'll countdown my 20 favorite scenes from the last 10 years in movies. To catch up more with the idea of this project, and to find out how you can contribute, click here.

The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, Toy Story and the original Star Wars films: I think those are the only cinematic trilogies ever that I'd rate higher than the Jason Bourne series. In 2001, when The Bourne Identity became a surprise hit with a baby-faced Matt Damon in the lead role, until 2007 when The Bourne Ultimatum proved to be a box office behemoth, these films rewrote the rules for spy films and action movies in general, ushering in the era of the you-are-there shaky cam. Its undeniably an important series, and the three films are about as tension-filled as you can imagine.

The first two films, however, were child's play compared to "Ultimatum", however. Here, director Paul Greengrass brought it all together in a package that was emotionally satisfying and unbelievably exciting. From beginning to end, this film moves at a pace so brisk that you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire way.

The best scene of the series for me, however, occurs early on in "Ultimatum". A reporter (played by Paddy Considine) is about to meet a source that's going to blow the whistle on a major government conspiracy. The source, of course, is Bourne (Damon), but the U.S. government (led in this film by David Strathairn) isn't going to make it easy for him. Check it out:



By placing a scene like this so early in the film, Greengrass is giving us an idea of just what to expect over the next two hours. In any other film, this could have been a climax. Not in "Ultimatum"—it's just the start of the action. We also get some requisite ass-kicking from Bourne—a must for any great scene in this franchise. And I love the look we get in this film of Big Brother, how those in the know have eyes everywhere. It's a little scary how easily they track these two down, and even scarier how mad Strathairn gets that his people can't tap into Bourne and Ross' phone conversation.

All in all, a great scene—one of the more pulse-pounding ones on the list. Check back tomorrow for #19.