“Port of Shadows” is another classic release cleaned up and packaged by Criterion Collection. And then there is Kiki, a mongrel fox terrier who attaches himself to Jean until events conspire to separate them. Michele Morgan is Nelly, a young woman mixed up with local hoods and menaced by a nefarious guardian who falls for Jean. Jean Gabin plays Jean, the cynical soldier who deserts rather than participate in a lost cause. At a time when the Nazis were revving up their war machine in Europe, “Port of Shadows” was viewed by many as a depressing portent of France’s fate. When it was released in 1938, it caused an uproar, not so much because the storyline mirrored actual events but rather for the dark and fatalistic tone. “Port of Shadows” was written by Jacques Prevert and directed by Marcel Carne. The film alternates between the present and past, but the flashback sequences - while done skillfully and intelligently - are clichéd and much less captivating than the present-day action. The casting of Hopkins only adds to the head-scratching. It is a difficult morsel of information to digest, despite the fact that it may have been loosely based on an actual case. And Ed Harris shines as Lester, Faunia’s off-kilter ex-husband.īut the entire production revolves around the secret, and therein lies the problem. Nicole Kidman is also convincing as the tormented and down-on-her-luck Faunia, with whom Coleman finds what he believes is the last love of his life. Anthony Hopkins is excellent as Coleman, who stalks out of a disciplinary hearing at his college after a charge of bias comes out of left field and threatens his career. Kramer” and another for “Places in the Heart,” directs the screen adaptation of this sad but somewhat farfetched tale. Robert Benton, who won two Oscars for “Kramer vs. In all, “The Bourne Identity” DVD is a successful combination of satisfying feature film mixed with special goodies that inform and entertain but don’t overwhelm with needless drivel. There are interviews with Damon and co-star Franka Potente deleted scenes an alternate opening and ending that would have bookended the story with a different twist a segment called “Inside a Fight Scene” in which Damon learns martial arts, Hollywood style and another piece called “Cloak and Dagger: Covert Ops,” in which CIA liaison Chase Brandon explains the training and duties of a spy. The “Identity” DVD is stuffed with extras. “The Bourne Identity” is out in an “Explosive Extended Edition” to coincide with the release of the series’ second installment, “The Bourne Supremacy, “ which opens Friday. But this is an action ride first and foremost, so naturally narrative concerns took a back seat. A better way to go would have been to let the audience find out information as Bourne discovers it, but that would have meant treating movie-goers like adults. One drawback in the storytelling is that annoying producers’ habit of cramming as much exposition as possible into early scenes so the audience doesn’t get confused. The picture captures the scope, texture and tone of a grand-scale action thriller. Damon, with his mixture of boyish vulnerability and steely determination, is ideal for the lead in this franchise. As espionage thrillers go, “The Bourne Identity” is top notch.
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