The Costco Connection - December 2016

BY NANCY MILLS

OSCAR;WINNING ;lm editor Christopher Rouse is a rarity. Normally, editors don’t write and writers don’t edit, but this Costco member co-wrote the blockbuster Jason Bourne with the film’s director, Paul Greengrass.

;en he disappeared into the editing suite and brought his own words to life.

The Costco Connection: How did you and Paul Greengrass ;rst meet?

Christopher Rouse: Frank Marshall [who produced all the Bourne movies] recommended me as editor on ;e Bourne Supremacy. Paul and I had a long phone conversation, and I knew I was speaking to a kindred soul. It was an eye-opening conversation and an incredibly unguarded job interview. He hired me on the phone. ;at’s very unusual.

CC: How did this collaboration come about?

CR: Paul and I had talked about writing something together from scratch and explored several ideas in contemporary landscapes. One day I called him and said, “Some of the areas we’ve been discussing could be great for a Bourne movie.” I mentioned it to Matt [Damon] as well. He became enthusiastic and encouraged us to pursue it. Paul was a bit skeptical but said, “Why don’t you run with it and see what happens.” I got far enough for Paul to see a ;lm he might be interested in.

;en we jumped in together.

CC: You’ve made six ;lms with Paul: ;e Bourne Supremacy, ;e Bourne Ultimatum,

Jason Bourne, United 93, Green Zone and

Captain Phillips. Describe your relationship. CR: We’re like brothers. We’re very close friends. We’d written together on several of our projects. This time, Paul was outside London and I was in Los Angeles. We’d work on things concurrently. He’d send me material, and I’d send him material. We’d write notes to each other. It took about a year.

CC: Did Paul stray from the script?

CR: He may go o; page because what he discovers with the actors feels more vibrant and real. When the ;lm came into the cutting room, he’d tell me, “I want to see your stron-gest take, how you’re responding to the ;lm I shot.” ;en we’d get into a very dynamic, creative discussion. It’s like playing jazz.

CC: How did you meld writing and editing? CR: While I was writing, I was thinking about editing. I thought about form and structure: Who are the characters?

What are their needs,
goals and obstacles?
What’s the scene about?
What’s the most inter-
esting way to get them
from point A to point
B? Those calibrations
occur to me naturally.
My father was a screen-
writer and director, and he taught me to look
at editing as writing with ;lm.

CC: How hard was it to edit what you wrote? CR: Under their breath editors will curse the writer, but I couldn’t because he was right there with me. The Athens sequence was challenging, as was the third act in Las Vegas. In both cases a lot of characters are coming to bear on each other, and you’ve got to track them all so they arrive when and where you want them for the most dramatic e;ect.

CC: Did you and Paul aim for a certain style? CR: At the heart of every Bourne ;lm is a guy who’s a patriot who volunteers to protect his country and is betrayed by the institutions he believes in. ;at’s a palpable feeling today.

Paul’s handheld camera style works well because it’s intense, visceral, emotional and fragmented at times. You get glimpses of things. It incorporates the camera and the editing and is rooted in the character. Bourne is always moving forward and restless. ;e style is unsettled because the character is unsettled in an unsettled world.

CC: Any uh-oh moments?

CR: Endings are always really hard. Who’s le; standing? How are we going to give Bourne a win at the end? It was one of the last things we ;gured out, but now we’re set up for another sequel. C