Jason Bourne in Paris

JASON BOURNE AND MARIE COME TO PARIS

MORNING IN PARIS

As for the millions of newcomers, the Parisian early hours of Jason Bourne originate on the shore of the magnificent Seine River, which literally cuts the city in two unlike pieces of cake. Tellingly, both passengers of the old-fashioned Mini Cooper have had their own Paris experience long before current brightening hours. All while a man, who has sow confusion within an American Embassy in Zurich, now pulls out his memories, Marie takes the plunge for an enormous sum of money, at least for her at the moment. Subsequent to his last night open-air, a multi-hour ride across the snowy highway (in fact, filmed to the south of Praga) and a shortstop for a late dinner, Jason now can finally have a half-sleep on the front seat.

Marie could hardly imagine the chase that far from Zurich and parks her car within one of the most visited sites of Paris. As far back in history as the early XX century, the modern ‘Parisian port’ at QUAI DE LA TOURNELLE, served as a mooring place for cargo ships and barges. In parallel with the camera moving around the chilled characters, the one could notice the building of the port authorities and seconds after, the statuary NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS. The very portion of the Cena promenade has been appreciated for decades as a honey pie for wedding photographers and a destination of choice for the native of Paris and the guests. If we break the fourth wall of the cinematic universes, we could possibly see Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, making their ‘Before sunset’ way towards the Seine riverboat.

BOURNE’S APARTMENT

The day before his arrival to Paris with a newly fledged partner Marie, the protagonist was frustratingly happy to find out his first and last name, the date of birth and the address of the Parisian residence, taken out of the Swiss safety deposit box (in fact in Prague was well). A piece of paper, inclosed to the Jason Bourne passport, leads him to ‘104 Rue du Jardin’. Soon after a light breakfast within the breezy promenade of Seine river, a red Mini Cooper of Marie is being lead to a location, which is happened to be distanced from the given address. In contrast with the indeed ‘104 Rue du Jardin’, located within walking distance from the Seine river, the magic of cinematic geography takes us to ‘104 Avenue Kleber.

Jason misrecognizes his Parisian apartment, yet the given ‘Jason Bourne’ at the nameplate proves the fact, that which is happening is something frightening more than a nightmare. A welcoming woman within a lobby area identifies monsieur Borne talks to him in French. Before 1860 Avenue Kleber had been a part of the Passy suburb of Paris unto to the merge with the well-known neighbor. In modern days, the street is being appreciated as one of the most expensive in Paris, being once named after the well-known French general, it runs towards the Arch of Triumph. Moments after the encounter with a professional assassin and a glimpse as the corp of the murdered concierge, Jason and Marie abandon the building. The body of the failed CIA agent lies down at the pavement next to a vegetable store, which still exists today.

GARE DU NORD

The emotionally depleted Marie spinelessly agree to wait for Jason in a car, all while he would settle the place for the red bag, full of money and identities. The camera makes its motion to reveal GARE DU NORD, one of the busiest and crowded railways stations in Europe. Bourne parks Mini Cooper within cozy ‘Boulevard de Denain’ street of only 110 meters long and once named after a city in the North of France beyond one of the routes, which originate from Gare Du Nord. ‘Rue de Dunkerque’ in front of the station, was therefore named after another Northern city, has been well-known due to the evacuation of the Allied forces back in 1940. In the two decades since, the public baggage lockers became a part of history, yet the very facade of ‘Gare Du Nord’ has slightly changed, become a home for new cafeterias and shops. 

THE OLD PARISIAN HOTEL

Moments after the splitting car chase across the streets of Paris, Jason makes a promise to find a shelter and to have time to take thoughts. The story takes us to a Belleville district, at one time the separate commune prior to the mid-XIX century and a merge with Paris, which now pulls the area into four city districts. Headless the fact, that the depicted ‘HOTEL DE LA PAIX’ was not preserved until the present days, it has given way to ‘HOTEL DE L’EUROPE’. All while we see street plate number 4, the location is now 10 rue Louis Bonnet. The ‘HOTEL’ letters above the entrance still remind the cinematic version from the ‘Bourne Identity’. The street gained its name after a French journalist Louis Bonnet as far back in history as 1927.

THE MANSION

In parallel with Jason Bourne, who gives one’s best shot in revealing his own history and indeed identity, the African dictator Nykwana Wombosi carries out his personal investigation to prosecute an assassination attempt. In this vein, he set the stage for a number of locations, which would be later visited by Bourne itself, including the Parisian mortuary and of course Wombosi residence. By the time, when Jason and Marie are frustrated in front of the given address, we have already seen the inside of the buildings and even witnessed the murder of the unwanted politician.

if we tend to play the cinematic universe and its geography, the Wombosi mansion is turned out to be located close to Bourne’s own residence at 11, Place des États Unis. The open space in front of the actual building is being accompanied by a garden park named after Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the US nationhood. As for the magnificent palace itself, it serves as a home for the ‘Baccarat museum’, being also a headquarters of the company with three-century history. Everyone wishing to attend could enjoy thousands of pieces of the exhibition made of glass, once mastered for wealthy Europeans and prestige collections.

REGINA HOTEL

One of Jason’s identities, John Michael Kane, leads him and Marie to a Parisian ‘HOTEL REGINA’. One of the most recognized and prestigious hotels in France opened its five-star doors as far back as 1900 with 99 apartments of different styles. On top of the praised luxury and service, the owners of the business have been always opened for a chance to turn their property into a movie set. More than one hundred movies, French upmost, were staged within ‘Hotel Regina’. The recent gigantic restoration was finished as late as 2015 and worthed 17 million euros.

In contrast with a highly detailed and exhaustively discussed plan, Maris takes advantage of the situation, sends a smile to a manager, and gets the vital information on Mr. Kane without breaking a sweat. In the early seconds of the scene, we could notice the facade of ‘Hotel Regina’ and the gold-plated statue of the iconic Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans. It worth mentioning, that the phone-box was intentionally added to the location strictly for the needs of the film and could be found today at the crossroad next to a cozy green alley.

A CALL FROM PLACE DE L’HÔTEL-DE-VILLE

The phone records of John Michael Kane play a role of another fraction of a puzzle in a pursuit to recall own identity and past. A short scene of only 10 seconds pursues the camera over Paris with a close glimpse at the Arch of Triumph. Jason and Marie use another phone box at ‘Place d l’Hôtel de Ville’ square, named as  ‘Place de Grève’ prior to 1803. The area made its place in history not only as a large pier rather as a public execution site. This every square witnessed the first usage of the guillotine, the sadly remembered symbol of the Revolution, which was later placed at ‘Place de la Concorde’.

VISITING A SECURITY FIRM

Jason puts his mind into the phone records of his own alter-ego to reveal the notion of ‘Alliance Securite Maritime’, a string, which would finally lead the protagonist to a scandalous dictator. Subsequent to a voyage across the historical center, the story takes us to a modern business district of skyscrapers of glass, steel, and concrete. Once leaving the metro station, Jason finds himself within the large open area just in front of  ‘La Grande Arche de la Défense’, an architectural colossus, which impresses even more in real life than in the movie. The modern Gargantua arc was opened in 1989 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution and occasionally for the G7 summit in Paris. The giant of 110 meters in height and 112 in width, was erected here to hold on the famous Parisian axis, thus virtually connecting the original Arc of Triumph, Champs-Elysees, ‘Place de la Concorde’, the arc of triumph at the Carrusel square and the magnificent Louvre.

THE MORTUARY

Making no initial reckoning to the photo of Nykwana Wombosi amid the documents, Jason and Marie hit upon another hidden clue within the Parisian mortuary. The ‘locker’ is to be empty with no trace of the body of John Michael Kane. The two turn the back on the building and walk through the imposing gates. Scratching the geographical surface of Paris, the mortuary falls out as one of the most prestigious educational institutions in France. ‘Conservatoire national des arts et métiers’ (National Arts and Crafts Conservatory) was founded back in the days of the french revolution with the purpose of preserving the crafts and valuable exhibition units. A newborn institution quickly grew to a home of a number of private collections, had been expropriated at the height of the Revolutional ablaze. It was later destined to become one of the largest museums of its kind in Europe. Jason and Marie make their way to Rue Saint-Martin, lightly to the North of the city center.

TREADSTONE HEADQUARTERS IN PARIS

Days before Jason Bourne would make a devastating visit to his former chief and actually put an end to the Parisian office for the CIA coverups, a cozy location next to ‘Place de la Bastille’ had appeared before the audience. It is here where Nicky Parsons used to receive her operative instructions from Langley prior to the arrival of the Treadstone chief himself (Conklin). The filming crew chose 2 Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine as a location for the hidden headquarters. An inviting square has been encircled with his residential building for the last two centuries and used to be appreciated as a leisure place for the Parisians with all its restaurants and trees.

LET’S MEET AT THE BRIDGE

Pursued by a will to face his villain chaser, Jason schedules a meeting in the middle of Pont Neuf bridge at 5.30 p.m. At the beginning of the scene, we get sight of the protagonist, leading his way lengthwise Quai du Louvre riverwalk, historically peopled by the merchants next to Seine river. After a while, the former CIA agent accommodates the observation point on the roof of the Quai du Louvre 2 building. All while its ‘The new bridge’ nomination, ‘Pont Neuf’ should be praised as the oldest among the preserved bridges over the Seine. At the time of its erection four centuries ago, the width of 20 meters, free of customary merchants spots, were superior not only to the other bridges, yet to a majority of streets in Paris.

CONKLIN’S LAST MINUTE

In the aftermath of the latest in a series of failed attempts to eliminate the former agent, the Treadstone chief has no other alternatives to leave Paris with one’s tail between the legs. In parallel with that, the mighty powers have made the mind to leave the failed program behind and overcome the main witness. The growing suspense of the scene disturbs us with a preoccupation with the fate of Jason Bourne as the parallel montage reveals another professional executor, who waits beyond the former headquarters. As the ‘Place Sainte-Marie’ is to be a pedestrian nest, the wounded CIA official walks with a limp towards his car, parked at ‘Rue de Jarente’. A street lined back in 1784 on the spot of the demolished monastery.

JASON WALKS PARIS

Flipping off the light in the former CIA hidden HQ symbolize the end of the first chapter of Jason Bourne’s adventures. The protagonist finalizes his last shot in the film with stretching off into the distance beside the ‘Pont des Arts’ bridge. This first iron bridge over the Seine was once erected at the behest of Napoleon, visited by 60 000 on the very day it’s the inauguration. The Parisian authorities used to charge a fee for using the bridge for decades. The ‘Pont des Arts’ river crossing was named after the famous Louvre, known as the ‘Palace of Arts’ at the time. It is this very side of the bridge, that Jason uses to enter the passage with the ‘Institut de France’ at the distanced background. The bridge survived a number of allissions with the ships and was damaged during the Great War (WWI), being later renovated close to anew. By virtue of the picturesque views over both banks of the Seine river, the bridge is appreciated as the inviting place for walking, photo sessions, and artists.