Review by John Delia
Probably the most intriguing film in sometime, Bridge of Spies takes on the Cold War with Russia in this compelling true story. Now on Blu-ray and DVD the film is well casted with Tom Hanks in the starring role, written by the ubiquitous Cohen Brothers who gave us No Country for Old Men, and directed by three time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg the film has all the makings of an Academy Award winner. And it is that good.
It’s late afternoon and Russian born Rudolph Able (Mark Rylance) has left his New York apartment for a stroll in the park and a bench where he can sit and draw. Reaching under the one of the boards that make up the seat he pulls a coin from a space in the wood. Later we see him open the coin and take out a piece of paper that was placed inside. A short time later Able is arrested by the FBI and charged with espionage.
Well respected and a winning Brooklyn lawyer James B. Donavan (Tom Hanks) has just wrapped up a case for his firm and gets called into the office where he’s greeted by his boss (Alan Alda) and a member of the FBI. Laying all the cards on the table they want Donavan to defend Able for his crimes as a spy. Shocked, but accepting the high profile case, he starts to get a good plan together for his client even though the country wants blood.
So begins a story inspired by true events that dips into one of the most trying times in American History, a cold war between two super powers Russian and the United States of America. The problems get progressively deep as Able goes on trial, the Americans begin their spy in the sky program called U2 and a an American student abroad gets accused of spying and incarcerated by the German Democratic Republic in East Berlin.
When Spielberg tells a story you can bet it will be long and drawn out, but that’s a good thing here as most Americans have little knowledge of the events leading up to one of the most terrifying times in our history. With the Russians on a level if not higher playing field as a super power that has long range missiles in their arsenal nothing can be taken lightly. Fear in the USA has heightened more than ever before and one mistake can end the world as we knew it then in 1960. With the world of espionage rearing its ugly head Spielberg shows how one man made a difference.
The acting throughout the film is exceptionally good. Hanks keeps his character cool under pressure as he’s asked to do things that rattles his oath as a lawyer. Seeing an opening in a chance to do something good Donavan pushes the US Supreme Court to make exceptions and it couldn’t be at a better time when Russia has just taken US Airforce U2 pilot Frances Garry Powers (Austin Stowell) prisoner for spying.
Making the film work it takes a cool performance by an actor who can command the screen and Mark Rylance who plays Russian spy Rudolph Able is excellent in the role. He’s the perfect spy for the Russians, closed mouth and will accept death for the verdict without challenge. The Russians would like him to be executed for what his knows and when he’s given a chance at life they want Able back in Russia. I like Rylance’s acting here showing he’s ready to accept anything to save his family in Russia. He’s definitely worth the Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor.
BONUS FEATURES: All four features are on the Blu-ray Disc with only “A Case of the Cold War: Bridge of Spies†which also appears on the DVD.
“A Case of the Cold War: Bridge of Spies,” It’s a very good making of the film and includes the screenwriter’s views, the U2 incident and how it connected, the real James Donavan, photos of the real Rudolph Able and most of the other characters in the film.
“Berlin 1961: Recreating the Divideâ€- Shows the actual building of the berlin wall through archival footage including the guarding by the Russians, escaping East Germans, and more. Costumes and sets are also part of the feature.
“Ú-2 Spy Plane†this feature takes to a hanger where a real U2 spy plane exists. Archival footage and more show the spy plane while the real Francis Gary Powers tells his side of the story. This is very cool.
“Spy Swap: Looking Back on the Final Act†this special feature shows the recreation of the sets used to make the swap. Francis Gary Powers voice over tells his feelings at the time. They also interview Fredric Pryor who was the captive student and his take on the exchange.
Bridge of Spies has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for some violence and brief strong language. The film has some scenes where a foreign language is used with English subtitles. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature children see the film as it does have some scenes that are inappropriate for adolescents.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good film that intrigues about an important period of our history. (B+)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Eve Hewson, Billy Magnussen, Austin Stowell, Domenick Lombardozzi, Sebastian Koch
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Drama, Biography, History
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some violence and brief strong language
Running Time: 2 hrs. 21 min.
Release Date: October 16, 2015
Video Release Date: February 2, 2016
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray Combo Pac (also available on DVD and combo packs)
Audio: Blu-ray- DTS-HDMA 7.1, DVD- Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Blu-ray- 1080p Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.40:1, DVD- Widescreen 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
Number of Discs: 2 Discs + Digital Copy Plus