Bridge of Spies

Although the level of anxiety is quite a bit less than "Argo", the story of "Bridge of Spies" is still dramatic. The expectations from a fourth collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks were satisfactory. Another important collaboration on this film was between Spielberg and the Coen brothers. Spielberg was executive producer on the Coen's version of "True Grit" and for "Bridge of Spies", the Coen brothers wrote the final draft of the script. This movie delivers good acting and an interesting true story. I think I personally set my expectations a little too high with this movie but it was still worth the time and money. I remember this event from studying the cold war but only the Powers side of the story.

The opening shots and scenes concerning "Abel" were noteworthy and they kicked off the story fairly well. The use of color for this movie almost brings to mind the color scheme from "Catch Me If You Can" but the story and the 1950's setting create differentiation. The scenes in the US portray an ideal world in order to contrast the Berlin scenes. The main colors of the East Germany scenes are white, grey and red. The closest comparison historically to the character of James Donovan that I can think of is John Adams because Donovan nobly defends a criminal that no one else will defend. Donovan goes too far in defending Abel in the minds of others involved in the case. The mere existence of a defense for Abel is enough for everyone except for Donovan. The reason for Donovan's tenacity is that he is trying to defend the US constitution in Soviet favor. What better message could be sent to Moscow than an American lawyer valiantly defending a Russian spy using the US justice system? The great thing about the character of Donovan is that he knows just what buttons to press. The threats he makes to the East Germans for example concerning Pryor are hypothetical but it is not want the East Germans want to happen. The mere possibility of them coming true is enough to convince them and it was the same with the judge that hands down the imprisonment sentencing on Abel. I like the use of the "standing man" plot point. The movie has some funny moments but the movie is not lighthearted like "The Martian". There are serious stakes at play in this story. Another contrast we see in "Bridge of Spies" is the treatment of spies by both the US and the USSR. One can only hope they are accurate and not biased to the west. In Abel's case, he is held behind bars but not beaten. He is eventually given supplies to draw and paint with. The US at first wants to make Abel a double agent. The Soviets deny Powers sleep and interrogate him harshly. They splash him with water and desire only information from him. I would have liked to see the actual capture of Powers once he lands. I loved how the trailers for "Bridge of Spies" did not mention Pryor because it makes the story more complex and entertaining than we were expecting. We got just a taste of the movie from the advertisements, we bought into them and were given the full course meal that had a little surprise or two.

You have the usual filmmakers that help Spielberg bring his vision to the screen including Kahn and Kaminski but one familiar name, composer John Williams, is absent from a Spielberg film for the first time in 30 years and in 19 straight films. Apparently, this is due to a minor health problem which has since passed. Despite this, the score seems reminiscent of Williams until the end credits when it suddenly became a very typical Thomas Newman score. Despite this, Newman's musical score was nominated at the Oscars as was the screenplay, sound mix and production design. Tom Hanks, even though his performance is much like others in the past, once again creates a character that is distinct. That is what I like so much about him. The second best performance in "Bridge of Spies" is from Shakespearean actor Mark Rylance as Abel. It is a very dignified but likeable presentation and that is important. In order to root for Donovan, we must also take to heart his client to some extent. Even though I was cheering for Sylvester Stallone on Oscar night, I was still happy when Rylance won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor because he deserved it. Rylance will be in Spielberg's next movie by the way.

I am glad that this show was nominated for Best Picture. I occasionally forgot while watching "Bridge of Spies" that it was a Spielberg movie as opposed to completely forgetting, as was the case with "Lincoln". That is still something worth saying. A filmography as successful as Spielberg's has the ability to overshadow his current projects but when the story is told right, any new film from him can speak for itself. I was hoping a little too much for a powerful experience similar to "Lincoln" and I should have gone into the movie with less preconceived notions. "Bridge of Spies" tells a good story with fine acting. The real question I have is whether this movie has lasting value.

4 Stars