Bridge of Spies

Bridge of Spies

Starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan

Directed by Steven Speilberg

The Story:
At the height of the cold war, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested in New York and accused of being a Soviet spy.  In order to maintain public fairness, insurance lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is brought in to defend Abel, but in reality all they want is for him to be a standee to show that everyone gets a "fair" trial.

Donovan, instead, decides to ready an accurate and detailed defense for Abel, even though it costs him popularity and puts his and his family lives in danger due to the social outrage, as they already tried and convicted Abel even before the courts have.  He doesn't waver in his belief that every life matters, and everyone deserves a decent defense.

Meanwhile, over in the Soviet Union, US intelligence officer Francis Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down and detained, along with Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers), a US student studying economics in the Soviet Union.  Donovan is brought in to offer a trade - Abel for Powers.  However, Donovan's conscience won't allow for a 1-1 trade, and says he'll trade Abel for both Powers and Pryor, to the dismay of the US government.  As tensions between the countries rise, Donovan's risk could free three men - or bring about a new world war.

The Summary:
There is a mathematical equation that is as true as 2 + 2 = 4.  And that is Steven Spielberg + Tom Hanks = amazing films.  "Saving Private Ryan," "Catch Me If You Can," and even the underrated "The Terminal" all deliver award-winning directing and acting between the two friends, and "Bridge of Spies" is no different.  In fact, I feel it might be the best collaboration between the two.

Spielberg is most renowned for delivering top-notch historical pieces, including "Ryan," "Lincoln," and "Schindler's List," and "Spies" is another historical piece, one that is less known than some of his other works, but nonetheless it's just as important.

Tom Hanks brings James Donovan to glorious life, portraying the true story of a man who wouldn't allow popular opinion or threats to stop him from doing what he feels in his heart is right.  He builds a strong defense for Abel, to the dismay of everyone else around him.  Even when his family is threatened, he refuses to bow down and play his part.  He holds true to his convictions, and he's tough-as-nails.  This is a man I admire, someone from the old school of life who knows the important thing is standing tall for what you believe in, even if you're standing alone.  Hanks should get an Oscar nomination for this role, and I'd be shocked if he didn't.  This is by far his best role to date, as he serves as the everyman, but also showcases the best America has to offer.

Another great performance is by Tony Award winner Mark Rylance, who shines as the accused Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.  He delivers a subtle yet powerful performance, and commands the screen with every scene he's in.  Several times, Donovan asks him if he's worried, because Abel keeps a steely resolve, and each time he responds, "would it help?"  This connects the two men, as they both face death at different levels, but both men show no fear, because it wouldn't help them anyway.

Plus there's a very powerful scene between Donovan and Abel, and it's probably the reel Spielberg sent to the Academy Awards to get Rylance a Best Supporting Actor nod:
"Standing there like that you reminded me of the man that used to come to our house when I was young. My father used to say: "watch this man", so I did, every time he came. And never once he do anything remarkable...This one time, I was at the age of your son, our house is overrun by partisan boarder guards. Dozen of them. My father was beaten, my mother was beaten, and this man, my father's friend, he was beaten. And I watched this man. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. Soldier hit him harder, still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they stopped the beating and let him live... 'Stoikiy muzhik'. Which sort of means like a 'standing man'... Standing man..." 
Such a powerful scene.

Apart from the brilliant acting and directing, the cinematography, set design and costumes are all Oscar-worthy as well.  The scenes shot in America show a brighter shade, and when Donovan travels to East Berlin, the shades turn darker, almost to black and white.  It signifies the despair and depression the people of East Berlin faced, as well as Hanks' character himself.  When it came to the set designs, each scene makes you fully believe you've been transported to 1957, as well as the brilliant costume designs.  For certain period pieces, you see the actors and feel like they're putting on a production.  With "Bridge of Spies," Spielberg manages to take that away, leaving you feeling like you literally went back in time.

One final interesting tidbit in the movie is the Glienicke Bridge, which is also known as the Bridge of Spies.  Spielberg actually filmed the final scene on the actual bridge where the trade off took place, and didn't rely on a set piece to be built.  This added a deeper sense of realism to a film that remained focused on realistic feels throughout. 

The Summary:
From the directing to the acting, from the screenplay, editing, cinematography and set design, "Bridge of Spies" once again shows why Steven Spielberg is the best director out there, and why it's one of the best films of the year.

The Score: A+