Justifications for shaky camera-work

Rating: 2/10 (6 August 2004)

Some people liked the shaky camera-work. Fine. You're entitled to
your opinion. However, don't justify your preference with the
following reasons:
1. The shaky camera was reflective of Bourne's state of mind.
If the above is true, why was this technique used for EVERY
sequence; even the scenes that he wasn't in and had nothing to
do with?
2. The technique is innovative and artistic.
Sorry, but this shaky camera technique has been in common
usage for television and movies ever since those Levi's
commercials started the trend twenty years ago. The artful trick to it
is to use it appropriately.
3. This gives and exciting "hand held" effect.
This is not a hand held technique. Hand held means that the
camera operator is not using a tripod, but is trying to shoot the
subject matter. This is like what you might see on an action news
report, or in a documentary where there wasn't time or room
enough for a steady shot. What you have in Bourne Supremacy is
a style called "drunk-o-vision." This means that the camera
operator is intentionally trying NOT to shoot the subject matter, but
rather to wave the camera around drunkenly, or as if someone
strapped the camera to a dog's head. Again, there are times when
this can be used for good effect. In this case, it was used without
any kind of discrimination or artistic talent, presumably to keep
people with ADD from getting bored.
4. It made the action sequences more exciting.
About half the people in the audience when I saw it were talking
loudly about how they couldn't even tell what was going on in the
action sequences. How is this exciting?
The very fact that so many people are talking about the
camera-work -- pro or con -- shows that it was noticeable, and a
distraction from the story.