Bridge of Spies creates great chemistry in historical fiction

Bridge of Spies tells the true story of James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks), an American insurance lawyer who is asked to represent a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), in a U.S. court of law. Timid at first, he decides to undertake this task knowing the hate he will receive as an American representing a Russian spy, during the Cold War, but standing firm to the ideal that every person deserves equal protection under the American legal system.

The story takes a turn when an American spy plane is shot out of the sky and the pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is taken captive by the Russian government, also known as the U-2 incident. Donavon is then asked to negotiate the swap between his client, Rudolf Abel, and American U2 pilot Gary Powers, in East Berlin. To make matters worse, Frederic L. Pryor (Will Rogers), an American student going to college abroad in Berlin, is taken captive as well.

Tom Hanks’ portrayal as Donovan is superb as he does a fantastic job of making you see things from his character’s perspective, and ultimately showing the viewer that every person deserves a chance. Mark Rylance’s performance of Abel is phenomenal, as he shows a down on his luck man who never worries about anything and remains committed to his values in spite of his harsh circumstances.

There is great chemistry between the characters of Donovan and Abel. Many times Abel faces death, so Donovan asks him, “Are you worried?” And he replies, “Would it help?” The movie highlights the extreme character that both of these men had during this situation and how they both placed the needs of their country above their own.

Tom Hanks’ portrayal as Donovan is superb as he does a fantastic job of making you see things from his character’s perspective, and ultimately showing the viewer that every person deserves a chance. Mark Rylance’s performance of Abel is phenomenal, as he shows a down on his luck man who never worries about anything and remains committed to his values in spite of his harsh circumstances. — Justus Briggs, ’17

This movie greatly educates the audience on the tensions that existed during the Cold War, showing the fear of the citizens in both the U.S and Russia.

Bridge of Spies also portrays tension very well. The scenes showing the life of the captured Americans are portrayed excellently. Additionally, the scenes where Donovan works on negotiating the trade trying to find out the location and time adds a sense of urgency and realism to the film.

The pacing of this film seems to be a bit off, as many scenes go on a bit too long, with characters talking about the same thing repeatedly, but in a different setting. With the run time of 2 hours and 21 minutes, I feel as though this problem of pace should’ve been addressed and fixed before the release of this film.

Bridge of Spies received positive reviews earning a 3.5/4 from Roger Ebert, and a 92% from Rotten Tomatoes. The film opened to 15.4 million and finished second in the box office, it currently has made 35 million.

Overall for a film containing little to no action, Bridge of Spies finds a way to captivate the audience and place us into the lives of the characters, and Americans during the Cold War. It showed the fear, courage, and commitment by both countries during a time when even the slightest misstep by either side could have lead to nuclear warfare.

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