One of the most fascinating Cold War thrillers you'll ever see

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2016)

Steven Spielberg's vast body of work has been hit-and-miss for me. While he's always been a technically brilliant filmmaker, he sometimes falls too much into mainstream territory, directing films that undeniably entertain but fall short when seen from an artistic point of view. However, when he's on point, his films are absolutely breathtaking. Bridge of Spies certainly falls under this category, although I might be slightly biased simply because I'm a Cold War buff. Based on the real-life incident, we follow lawyer James Donovan, who ends up negotiating the exchange of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel for American pilot Francis Gary Powers in Berlin during the early 1960's.
Ever since reading Don DeLillo's incredible postmodern novel Libra, I've been fascinated by the U-2 spy planes and the capture of American pilot Francis Gary Powers. In a part of the novel, DeLillo describes, in disturbing political realism, the capture and interrogation of the pilot after his U-2 plane was shot down over Soviet territory. Now, in Bridge of Spies, Spielberg dramatises this important moment in history with terrifying realism.
While not overtly violent, the film manages to disturb the viewer through the impeccable set design, cinematography and Spielberg's typically brilliant direction. Soviet spies lived and spied on Western nations, most notably the USA and the UK, while American and British spies lived and spied on Soviet Russia, during a time of extreme political paranoia. With the world on the potential verge of World War III, James Donovan (Tom Hanks) uses his legal knowledge in order to prevent a massive wave of violence. Hanks gives a predictably strong, professional performance as Donovan while British actor Mark Rylance steals the screen for his supporting role as Rudolf Abel.
Spielberg is old-school Hollywood. His films feature the theatrical musical flourishes found in 40's and 50's Hollywood classics, American sentimentality and patriotism, and well-staged action and direction. His craftsmanship is undoubtedly excellent and this film shows why he's one of Hollywood's most successful and popular filmmakers, and Bridge of Spies is one of his best films. But we can't forget another filmmaking double, the Coen brothers, who co-wrote the film and deserve a mention for their well-written screenplay. It is a tense and exciting political thriller, and also a fascinating account of one of the most important, but also somehow forgotten, moments in Cold War history.