In 1957, James Donovan (Tom Hanks) was an insurance lawyer in Brooklyn. He's called upon to defend Rudolph Abel (Mark Rylance), a spy for the Soviet Union. The public and even the Judge want to convict him yesterday, but Donovan wants to give Abel a fair trial per the Constitution. He wants the US to set an example for the Soviets should they capture a US agent or two.
In 1960, pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down and taken prisoner by the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is willing to swap Powers for Abel. Donovan is called upon to be the mediator for the exchange. His mission takes him to East Germany, where a host of unhelpful Soviet and US bureaucrats await him. It all leads them to Glienicke Bridge.
The screenplay by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers shares its name with a 2010 non-fiction book, but it's not based on that. This screenplay raises ideas that are relevant today, like the constitution and what it stands for. Its deliberate pace means that it doesn't beat you with these ideas. Instead, they illustrate good points about proper diplomatic etiquette. It might make you wonder why certain political people don't subscribe to the film's ideals anymore.
Tom Hanks as James Donovan adds another great character to his filmography. He's the Good Cop when everyone wants him to be the Bad Cop. He keeps standing whenever someone knocks him down, something Abel himself points out. This is a character we want to win.
Mark Rylance makes for a sympathetic spy as Abel. He's vilified by the US and ignored by the Soviet Union. So much for dying for his adopted country. His predicament is a valid deconstruction of the classic double-agent. Still, his stoicism makes for a funny running gag.
As longtime collaborator John Williams was unavailable, Spielberg brought on Thomas Newman for the score. It's a good score that doesn't kick in until a half-hour in, when Abel is about to be convicted. It sounds like a Williams score, which I don't know is a good thing or not.
Spielberg's other frequent collaborators, editor Michael Kahn and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, made it for the spy games. Their work is reliable as always. The production and costume design are a great recreation of the Cold War.
Bridge of Spies isn't an action-oriented movie. But if you can withstand the film's pace, the 141 minutes will drive on by. It's another great film in Spielberg's long career.
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