In light of its recent availability on tape and DVD (circa Sept 2002) and this year's film version there is likely to be some curiosity among movie fans about the merits of this tv movie. Here is my opinion on whether you should spend 3hours on this movie.
If you can get past Chamberlain as the hero of Ludlum's complex thriller, you will certainly enjoy the movie. The script adaptation by Carol Sobieski is very faithful to the book and it takes time to develop the romantic relationship between Bourne and Marie (a relationship that is key to the plot and to the book's sequels). Although this might discourage action fans, the complexity of the plot and the manner by which the script unfolds it, is in my opinion, very well done. The music score by Laurence Rosenthal is especially good and is not the usual tv film drek. The score is alternately eerie, menacing and moody and suitably atmospheric. The European locations are well shot by camera ace Tony Pierce-Roberts. The film looks good. The acting by a great team of seasoned pros is uniformly good (not a ham in sight!)
Some might find the key plot device---the chase for carlos---anachronistic but i think it resonates well even today when there is no shortage of villains to chase on the global stage. So savor the 188 minutes of exciting complex talespinning by an A-Team of technical crew and seasoned actors.
Incidentally the romance is largely thrown away in the 2002 film. In that version, the female lead does not figure in the development of the plot beyond acting as a device to get the hero from point A to point B. I found the intimacy depicted in the 2002 film to be rather shallow. And the film itself despite some substantial thrills and modern violence is largely unsatisfying as a result in comparison to this tv film. For a good example of excellent balance of romance and action watch how Peter Jackson (of Lord of the rings movie fame) develops the romance between Michael Fox and Trini Alvarado in the Frighteners.
