A tense Cold War drama inspired by real life events, it reunites one of the best actors with one of the finest directors of our time. The team of Hanks and Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal) is back in action.
In the 1950s, during the early stages of the Cold War, tensions are rife between the two superpowers. When the FBI arrests Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), a Soviet agent living in New York, the fear and paranoia only escalate. Charged with sending coded messages back to Russia, Abel is questioned by the FBI but refuses to cooperate, declining its offer to turn on his country. He is detained in federal prison pending trial. The government (in need of an independent attorney to take on Abel’s defense, so that he will be seen to be getting a fair trial), approaches James Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer from Brooklyn. But Donovan, a former prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials and highly regarded within the legal community for his profound skills as a negotiator, has little experience with charges of this magnitude.
He isn’t all that eager to get involved. Advocating such a deeply unpopular defense would make him a public figure and could subject his family to scrutiny, disdain and even, potentially, danger. Regardless, Donovan eventually agrees to represent Abel, as he is committed to the principles of justice and the protection of basic human rights. As he prepares his strategy, a bond starts to develop between the two men, one built on mutual respect and understanding. Donovan admires Abel’s strength and loyalty and mounts an impassioned plea to prevent him from receiving the death penalty.
Some time later, an American U-2 spy plane on a reconnaissance mission is shot down over Soviet airspace and the pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), is convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison in Russia. The CIA, while categorically denying any knowledge of the mission, is fearful that Powers may be coerced into revealing classified information. Having witnessed Donovan’s impressive skills in the courtroom, a CIA operative reaches out to recruit him for a national security mission of utmost importance.
A third case involves an American student named Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) who has been arrested in East Berlin while trying to return to his home in the West. Suddenly, Donovan becomes an unlikely go between, treading a fine line between the Americans, the Soviets and the East Germans, who are all distrustful of one another.
What is immediately apparent is how slick this production is in creating tension and then ratcheting up the stakes. It is a script that has many tentacles. Plaudits belong to London-based playwright and television writer Matt Charman, together with the Coen Brothers (Joel and Ethan) who wrote the intricate screenplay, weaving together the three stories. Donovan is perpetually walking a tightrope with next to no wriggle room and yet it is his persistence and smarts that get him as far as he gets.
As has become customary, it is a polished and nuanced Hanks who remains at the top of his game. His acuity in changing moods and maintaining credibility puts him in rarefied air. I was also taken by the performance of three-time Tony Award and two-time Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance as the arrested Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, who remained calm under intense scrutiny. The role calls for deadpan facial expressions and yet a development of a personality in its own right. The movie also features Alan Alda as the senior partner at the law firm where Hanks works.
Although long, it is compelling and Spielberg is onto another winner. Rated M, Bridge of Spies scores an 8 to 8½ out of 10.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks, Alan Alda, Austin Stowell and Mark Rylance
Release Date: 22 October 2015
Rating: M
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television