Spielberg's spellbinding historical journey to another hit

Rating: 10/10 (19 October 2015)

When it comes to the art of storytelling on the silver screen, I believe Steven Spielberg is amongst the greatest in history of cinema! While; just like any other movie director, he is guilty of mixing truth with fiction in films marketing their movie as 'based on a true story', Spielberg tends to restrain his amount of fiction to a lot smaller percentage than other film makers do. In his historical films such as his, (1993) 'Schindler's List', and (2012) 'Lincoln', they always have a significant wealth of authentic historical awareness and themes of morality. Spielberg's just released, 'Bridge of Spies' serves as another striking example of this.
The just released historical dramatic thriller takes on two big plot lines. It begins in 1957 Brooklyn where an aging mild mannered Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) from Russia is arrested in his apartment by FBI charged as being a Russian spy. Appointed to him is, James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) a lawyer who specializes in insurance settlements. The fact that Donovan is being placed out of his league is no mere accident. The government acting only in the interest of presenting a visual that the spy is getting his legal right to a trial, has no interest in a fair trial. Their hopes are for Rudolf to get a form of a speedy kangaroo court trial to sentence him to the death penalty. In a similar likeness to Gregory Peck's role of Atticus Finch in (1962) 'To Kill a Mockingbird', James is caught in a personal battle between his loyalty to the constitution and a world of prejudism and hate whom would rather bypass the law in the alleged best interest of America. Ironically, James soon finds himself beseeched to fly to Russia to negotiate the release of an American military spy pilot, Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) who was shot down by the Russians.
At the core, 'Bridge of Spies' resonates traces of themes similar to today's controversial matter of detainees at Guantanamo Bay detention camp where many incarcerated are there with no trial at all. Tom Hanks not only elegantly inhabits James's conflicted role of a man whom I suspect was highly ahead of his time in his thinking, but also must deal with what he sees as the political hypocritical world where people judge Russia for doing the exact same thing as American officials do. He places himself in a vulnerable position also where he and his family's safety may be jeopardized.
What I particularly loved most of all about Spielberg's direction was what I perceived as his simplicity in tell the story. Since I don't have anything close to a high ranking IQ in the subject of political science, beforehand I had some fear that this would be one of those films where I get so flooded with political information that I become lost. That fear was quickly extinguished
Similar to the author John Steinbeck's gift in simple writing in a fashion where everybody could understand his literature, Spielberg presented his symbolism and story in an easy to understand way. Just one example: a courtroom scene where James is desperately fighting what looks like a losing battle for him to pursue the court to follow the constitution is suddenly contrasted by a random elementary classroom scene where all the children are standing up and reciting the 'Pledge of Allegiance'. In the front stands the woman teacher glaring up at the flag with an insane smile; looking like to be a woman who has some god-like obsession with the flag.
I admit; even though Steven Spielberg is my favorite movie director, I don't always love a movie he's made. However; in my opinion, I rank this as one of his great films! Will it be nominated for Academy Awards next year like the speculation and buzz that has been going around in the media? I don't know. While I don't think 'Bridge of Spies' ranks to the greatness of Spielberg's (1993) ' Schindler's List' and (1997) 'Saving Private Ryan', it nevertheless without a doubt in my opinion is highly worthy of consideration for nominations.