This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on October 16, 2015.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks, Alan Alda, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan
Rating: 4 out of 5
Length: 135 minutes
Opening: Now playing

IN what is now known to be the early years of the Cold War, the Soviets were assembling KGB spies to infiltrate the highest ranks of American intelligence; blending in with regular American citizens while siphoning classified information back to Moscow. One of them, who called himself Rudolf Abel (played by Mark Rylance) was betrayed by a compatriot who defected, and was soon arrested and put on trial. The American justice system sought long and hard for a defence lawyer who was willing to represent Abel in court, and after having been turned down by countless of them, finally found one who agreed to “do the dirty job” – James B Donovan (played by Tom Hanks).
Today, Donovan has his name etched firmly in the history books for not only his defence of Abel, but as one of the greatest negotiators who ever lived. Aside from his successful negotiation for the release of CIA operative Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), he was also the man who facilitated the exchange of prisoners after the infamous Bay of Pigs Invasion.
Bridge of Spies follows Donovan throughout Abel’s trial and subsequent events, during which he was publicly shamed and his family attacked by snipers while at home — all because he was seen as defending the enemy, and doing a really good job at it. Although Abel was found guilty, Donovan managed to convince the judge to reduce his sentence to prison time instead of a trip to the electric chair, a serendipitous move as Abel soon proved to be a valuable trading chip for the American government.
While on a reconnaissance mission, CIA U-2 pilot Powers found himself being shot down by the Soviet army. Instead of detonating the plane to conceal its technology, Powers escaped relatively unharmed and was taken captive by the Russians and sentenced to 20 years in prison. With each country holding one of their intelligence agents hostage, Donovan undertook the dangerous mission to secure an exchange, which soon evolved into a two-for-one deal when an American student, Frederic Pryor, was captured by the East German police in Berlin.
Relying on only his wit and powers of negotiation, Donovan was forced into drastic measures to secure the release of the two Americans. Bridge of Spies is another great movie that highlights Tom Hanks’ talent as an actor — he captures the nuances of Donovan’s emotions perfectly, and immerses himself in the character. Never one to follow the easy way out or to blindly follow orders, Donovan was driven by courage, a sense of righteousness, and the simple difference between right and wrong. His internal struggle is reflected on Hanks’ face in every scene, making it utterly impossible for the viewer not to feel a sense of sympathy for his difficult task.
Although the movie is slow-moving and events unfold at snail’s pace, almost every scene contributes to the development of the story, and there are many scenes that prove to be gripping, thought-provoking, and inspirational. How is it possible that one man managed to succeed where entire governments had failed? Donovan’s accomplishments is a testament to his ingenious methods of persuasion and negotiation, even if they were sometimes unpleasant.
Rylance’s performance as Abel is another of the film’s highlights — his portrayal of Abel as a stoic, quiet, determined yet respectable Soviet spy with an English accent endears him to viewers, helping us understand why Donovan felt compelled to defend him although he was selling CIA secrets to the enemy.
In the end, Bridge of Spies isn’t so much a movie about spies as it is about standing up for what is right, treating people — even if they are criminals — fairly, and to always do what is right, not what is easy.