Story of Unsung American Hero

Rating: 9/10 (24 October 2015)

The first crisis of the cold war is hardly remembered as both The Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis have eclipsed the debacle of captured U2 pilot Gary Powers and Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. Bridge of Spies, aptly named is Steven Spielberg's moving, and entertaining, big-screen correction of, perhaps, the mostly forgotten story of the first major diplomacy between the superpowers in the avoiding thermo-nuclear war.
The story revolves around a somewhat obscure attorney and great American (at least prior to the events depicted) James Donovan. A brittle serendipitous stage of events, uniquely, fell into place as "the sum of all fears" began to reach a fever-pitch from which an unlikely chain of events thrust insurance attorney Donovan into the spotlight. It was not an enviable spotlight for Donovan as his only purpose was to avert any possibility of Rudolf Abel not being professionally represented in what could be an international incident.
It was believed a swift and certain verdict of guilty with the death penalty would be reached justly. The message would be the U.S.A. is fair and just, but unwavering in intent. There was only one thing, Donovan was nobody's lackey.
To James Donovan being a red-blooded American meant first and foremost upholding the constitution because it is what separated America from all other nations. Donovan believed any accused human, citizen or not, gets the rights guaranteed by the constitution in a U.S. court of law. While he didn't wholly succeed at first he set a series of events in motion that ended up defining post World War II détente.
Spielberg masterly brings this story of a man who steps forward to embody something greater than himself at great cost. Fighting for something larger,he not only defines himself, but who we are as a nation. In the interim, before the righteousness the man stands on is actually embraced he may just be labeled a pariah, there's no doubt Donovan was being the target of many death threats. And without the lack of support from his family and employer. Slowly though his moral wisdom rises to save two men from prison and a nation from greater threat of nuclear war. This is a piece of American history very deserving to be retold, sure for entertainment, but also for our inspection. A real defining moment in history whose good set a precedent.
This is, another of Tom Hank's finest moments. He captures the essence of a man whose time to become something more curiously fell into place. This, combined with the impeccable period sets and concisely powerful writing, make Bridge of Spies a very important movie that celebrates a lesser known historical event; an event which still defines how two mortal enemies can achieve a kind of peaceful outcome. I give this movie my highest recommendation and could care less even if there is slight artistic freedom interwoven; it gets the big things right and makes me proud. We need more men like James Donovan...maybe more than ever.