VIDEO VERSION HERE
“Bridge of Spies” is directed by Steven Spielberg and it
stars Tom Hanks who plays James B. Donovan. An insurance lawyer recruited to
defend an arrested soviet Spy during the Cold War and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy
for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
This
review contains spoilers so if you haven’t seen the movie maybe check out this
review after you’ve seen the film.
The
story of “Bridge of Spies” is quite linear and easy to follow and it’s always
extremely interesting and engaging. It might disappoint some people going in
expecting a full blown espionage film. The title can be a bit misleading in
that regard. This film is all about negotiations. It relies on very little physical
action or clever and out of the box plot twists. It’s a film on which most of
the scenes are just people talking. Negotiating. And what a wonderful
experience it is.
The
first act of the film is very strong. All the scenes between the soviet spy, Rudolf
Abel, and Donovan are fantastic. You slowly get to know these two characters
and especially Donovan. Who he is and what he’s all about. It serves as the
perfect setup for the remainder of the film. The only thing I didn’t like as
much was the occasional cuts to the setup of the American spy capture. The
recruitment, the training and briefing of the espionage operation on Soviet
territory. I recognized the necessity of those scenes existing but I was so
engaged in Abel and Donovan that I always hated when they got interrupted. It
didn’t happen all that often but still it ruined, even if just a little bit, my
enjoyment of the film up until at that point. I did, however, love the
absolutely amazing plane crash sequence on which Powers, the American pilot is
captured. That sequence reminded of something out of a Robert Zemeckis’ film.
One of the highlights of the film and, without a doubt, one of its watercooler moments.
The
second act changes gears. The American is captured and Donovan has to negotiate
an exchange of the prisoners in Berlin. This is when the film’s plot surprised
me a bit. An innocent student is arrested in East Berlin and Donovan upon
hearing about this is determined to also bring the student back along with the
already captured pilot. 2 men for 1. “One, one, one!” It was at this point that
it became very obvious for me that this film was a lot more than just about spies
and prisoner exchanges. It was about humanity and empathy and the determination
and courage of a simple, yet gifted, insurance lawyer. Donovan’s actions were
driven by a very sincere concern for the well being of both the two Americans
and Abel, with whom he had already developed a friendship during the first act.
The plot’s outcome was predictable but that wasn’t a problem. That was never
the point of “Bridge of Spies”. The fact that everything would go well and
Donovan would get the 2 Americans back was obvious. The film never really tried
to hide that. Of course Spielberg masterfully creates a bit of tension towards
the end as expected but I always felt more engaged with the characters and the human
aspect of the story than anything else. Donovan’s unbreakable motivation and courage
and Abel’s true nature as a human being was such a delight to watch.
“Bridge
of Spies” is extremely well written. No surprise there as the writing credits
have the Cohen brothers in there. It’s very funny at times, it balances the
humor and the drama very well. The dialogue in this film is just about as good
as it gets these days in film. Absolutely wonderful and crucial to the film’s quality.
If this story had badly written dialogue it would have failed catastrophically.
The script relies heavily on it and it’s a masterpiece in that regard.
Steven
Spielberg proves once again why he’s a master filmmaker. This is one of those
films heavily reliant on the director and the performances. Spielberg manages
to sustain a two and half hour film with mostly dialogue scenes and he does it
with such craft that you don’t even realize he’s doing it. The shot
compositions make the scenes seem a lot more paced. They way he sometimes
manages to have a wide shot and a medium shot or close up all in one seamless take.
You don’t even know it’s happening because it’s so discrete and masterful. He
never ceases to surprise me. It’s visual music. Michael Khan’s editing is, as
always, brilliant and the production design is top notch. It’s a beautiful film
to watch in every aspect. Thomas Newman’s score does its job very well and
serves the film perfectly. It’s interesting to note that this is the first time
Spielberg makes a film without John Williams. My guess is that John Williams
might have been busy with “Star Wars”.
I
also love a recurring thing Spielberg does in his films and that is the way he
constantly makes you fill in the shoes of the protagonist. Throughout this
film, you feel hungry, tired and with a bad cold. Of course Tom Hanks plays a
major role in that but Spielberg contributes a lot with the way he constructs a
scene and especially with his shot compositions. As an example I can point out
the scene on which an extremely tired and hungry Donovan has to leave the hotel,
where he was supposed to enjoy a
gigantic breakfast, to resume the negotiations which at that point took a turn
for the worst. The very next scene opens with shots of people cleaning up a
table filled with empty dishes and Donovan noticing this discretely. A table
that was clearly filled with a delicious breakfast minutes earlier. This has Steven Spielberg
written all over it and as I mentioned Tom Hanks is absolutely fantastic
enhancing these nuances. These small
details in Spielberg’s work make a huge difference when it comes to relating to
your protagonist. It also helps that it’s extremely funny in a film dealing
with serious matters. It’s nice to have these details balancing the drama and
tension with a bit of humor and executed so masterfully.
As
you’ve probably guessed I think “Bridge of Spies” is brilliantly acted. Tom
Hanks excels as expected. He’s one of the finest actors working today and he
proves it time and time again. He seems to portray Donovan so effortlessly much
like Donovan seems to approach his dealings in the same manner. I love the scene
where he makes it very clear that no exchange will take place if it doesn’t
include the two Americans. One of the few scenes where Donovan is clearly more
assertive and serious in his tone compared to the rest of the film. It makes
the scene more powerful because of that contrast built up until that point.
It’s brilliant work.
My
second mention is obvious. Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel, the soviet spy. I was
mind blown seconds into the film with this performance. It’s the work of a
genius. The physicality, the voice and the complete immersion and devotion to
his character make Rylance’s performance flawless and absolutely beautiful to
watch. So much is being said without uttering a word by Abel. It’s so wonderful
to see great actors working at the highest level. “Bridge of Spies” is so much better
because of this performance. There are many reasons to enjoy “Bridge of Spies”
and Mark Rylance’s performance might just be the biggest.
The
rest of the supporting cast is obviously good as well. Loved seeing Alan Alda but
then again it’s always wonderful to see Alan Alda doing anything. As is the
norm in a Spielberg film, the casting is incredibly good and the it delivers in
every possible way.
“Bridge
of Spies” is easily one of my favorite Spielberg films from recent years and
probably his entire career. The craft in this film is incredible. The script is
wonderfully written and it’s an all round fantastic experience. An absolute
must. I went in thinking I was going to watch a solid espionage film and came
out with a beautiful homage to humanity and in particular to James B. Donovan’s
legacy.
It’s
great, great filmmaking.
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