The Bourne Identity

Marie explains that André François Villiers is a long-standing Army general. He is “very much a law-and-order army man” (382), making it difficult for Marie to believe that he would be involved with Carlos. However, there were rumors of his involvement with terrorism in Algeria as he fought to keep the country under the control of France, and his own son was assassinated for fighting against left-wing legislation.

That night, Bourne follows Villiers when he leaves his home. He travels to a restaurant, L’Arbalète, in a village outside the city. Bourne watches the second story while Villiers converses with a group of men. He then traverses the side of the building, listening as the men discuss returning France to its former, imperial “glory.” Bourne feels hate for the men, thinking of them as “warlords” who “rob[] life from the young and very young” (394).

Three hours later, Bourne uses his car to block Villiers’s path on the road. When he comes to Bourne’s window, Bourne threatens him with his gun. He forces Villier back to his car. When Bourne brings up Carlos, Villiers reacts violently, repeatedly hitting Bourne. Bourne drops his gun and restrains him. When he asks about Carlos, Villiers insists that Carlos is the man who killed Villiers’s son.

Bourne and Villiers then talk civilly. Bourne explains how he found Villiers’s number. He insists that someone in Villiers’s home is relaying information for Carlos—if not Villiers himself. However, Villiers vehemently denies the implication. Although Bourne is still uncertain, he agrees to return to Villiers’s home to talk further.

As Bourne and Villiers pull up to park outside his home, Bourne sees Villiers’s wife talking to the switchboard operator on the front steps. After the switchboard operator leaves, Bourne informs Villiers that the man his wife was talking to is part of the communication chain with Carlos.

The informant meets with Carlos, updating him on what has transpired. The two speculate as to whether Bourne has truly defected from Treadstone. Carlos plans to kill Bourne on March 25, the same day that the real Bourne was killed.

Bourne and Villiers walk together. Villiers admits that he had seen signs of his wife’s actions for a long time now yet chose to ignore them. Most clearly, she is the only person who has access to his private office and vault where secure papers are kept. Somehow, Carlos kept having information that he should never have—unless his wife was giving it to him. When he mentions his wife going on regular trips to places like Marseilles, Bourne asks when her last trip was. Villiers realizes with horror that it was while Leland was assassinated.

Villiers is convinced that he needs to get the truth from his wife and then kill her. However, Bourne points out that they could use her to hunt Carlos. Bourne plans to “disrupt” the line of communication at Les Classiques, forcing Carlos or someone close to him to set up a meeting with Villiers’s wife.

Back at the hotel, Bourne has Marie call Les Classiques. She convinces the switchboard operator to give him the names of two of the clerks. Bourne plans to go to their houses to threaten them and create chaos.

Bourne first meets with Janine Dolbert, a salesclerk. He tells her that one of their clients is an assassin and that the entire boutique is in danger. From her, he learns the names of Phillippe d’Anjou, the switchboard operator, and Monique Brielle, the second-in-command behind Lavier.

Bourne then goes to Claude Oreale. He uses the opposite strategy, telling Claude that they need to help Carlos escape. He tells him to warn those at Les Classiques or they will all be arrested. He learns the name of the bookkeeper, Pierre Trignon.

At the hotel, Marie receives a call from Villiers. He tells her that things have escalated. His wife has been on the phone all day dealing with the chaos at Les Classiques. He has tried to listen in on her phone calls but failed. However, he is certain that he heard her speaking to Carlos at one point. He expresses his distress and anger at having to resist the urge to intervene. However, Marie reassures him that he is doing the right thing.

Bourne goes to see Monique. He tells her to warn Lavier that there is a traitor in Les Classiques who has turned against them. Although she has been told not to listen to Bourne, he knows that she will be too afraid not to deliver the message.

Afterward, Bourne calls Marie. She expresses her concerns about Villiers, but Bourne assures her that he will hold out. However, Bourne starts having more severe flashbacks of memory. Marie tries to convince him to take a break before he becomes overwhelmed, but Bourne insists that he needs to see Pierre Trignon first.

Bourne goes to Pierre’s apartment. He calls him down to the lobby and identifies himself as an agent with the Bureau of Taxation. They are investigating the records at Les Classiques, as several fake accounts in Zurich have been set up to funnel money to Carlos. Bourne warns him to contact Lavier right away, as they both may be pawns in something bigger.

In the church, the informant returns to talk to Carlos. He tells him about the chaos in Les Classiques. They both agree that neither the fashion house nor Villiers’s wife can be trusted. The informant also tells him that they have found Bourne’s car and are watching it closely.

Back at the hotel, Bourne talks on the phone with Villiers. Lavier is at their home now talking with his wife. Bourne instructs him to try to stall her so that Bourne can get there before Lavier leaves.

When Bourne reaches Villiers’s street, he finds Villiers standing in the road. He tells him that his wife left with Lavier just a few minutes ago to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament.

Bourne goes to the church. He finds the car that Villiers described waiting outside. The men get out and set up a radio using a large antenna on the roof. After several moments, Villiers’s wife comes out of the church and gets into the car, surprising Bourne. He sees that she is now carrying Lavier’s purse.

After the car leaves, Bourne starts toward the church. However, he sees a priest coming out. Bourne becomes certain that he has seen the man before but isn’t sure where. He has dark skin, making Bourne believe that he is of Latin descent. Suddenly, Bourne becomes certain that he is looking at Carlos.

Bourne moves quickly through the crowd of people toward Carlos. He bumps into an old beggar. Once he gets past him, Bourne realizes that the beggar has reached into his pocket. At the last second, Bourne moves out of the way as the beggar begins shooting a gun, hitting several bystanders. Bourne flees into the crowd and then into the street, just as Carlos gets into a vehicle. Before Bourne can reach him, Carlos drives away.

Remembering Lavier, Bourne runs into the church. He finds Lavier dead in a confessional booth with a letter opener in her chest.

Back outside, Bourne gets into his taxi. As he drives back to the hotel, he thinks of everyone involved with the events of the last few days. It strikes him that it is possible that Bergeron is actually Carlos. He has tanned skin, and the way Carlos walked reminded him of Bergeron, though he isn’t sure why.