Bridge Of Spies
It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what people think. You know what you did.
Having secured Gary Powers’ release from the Soviets, Donovan, along with agent Hoffman and Gary Powers, is on his way back to the United States. On the plane, Gary who is extremely grateful for having been rescued, doesn’t know whom to thank. On receiving a cold shoulder from the CIA agents on board, he turns towards Donovan and swears that he didn’t divulge anything to the Soviets. To which Donovan says “ It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what people think. You know what you did ”. And that defines Donovan as a man.
The movie introduces us to its lead characters in quick succession. It opens on Rudolf Abel, played by Mark Rylance, a Soviet spy living in Brooklyn. The Federal Authorities are onto him. After a failed bid to track his movements, they storm into his apartment and arrest him.
In the very next scene we see Tom Hanks’ character James Donovan, an insurance lawyer and a partner at Watters Cowan and Donovan. Seated in a club, he is in conversation with another lawyer about a case that he is currently representing. The dialogues in this scene do a fantastic job of introducing the character.
From here on, the movie progresses quickly. Abel’s case is seen as opportunity for the Americans to show the world how their Judiciary ensures that everyone gets a fair trial. Though initially hesitant, Donovan at the behest of Lynn Goodnough, Chairman of the New York State Bar, and his partner Watters, takes up the case. He fights for Abel solely on the merits of the case and takes it all the way to the Supreme Court. In the end he succeeds in keeping Abel away from the execution chair. Later, when an American is captured by the Soviets, Donovan travels to East Germany to see if he can arrange for an exchange.
The dialogues and the performances by the lead actors are what help this movie stand out. There isn’t much in the film that is visually striking. The imagery is completely in service of the story. That doesn’t mean that the film is boring. Far from it, it never loses your attention. The writing is truly amazing, and the dialogues are sharp and engaging.
Early on in the movie, there is a scene where Donovan is on a train to work. This is after he takes up Abel’s case. On board the train, the other passengers recognize him from the newspapers, and look at him disapprovingly. And so, fittingly, the movie ends on the same train with people looking at Donovan in admiration. But, the movie doesn’t end there. Filled with pride, Donovan looks out through the window and sees a few kids jumping over fences playfully. That reminds him of something he saw on his train ride back from East Germany, people jumping over a wall in a bid to escape oppression and find a better life. Only back there, they were being shot down.
There have been many movies over the years that have used the Cold War as their setting. Many stories have been told about that period. But, this movie is unlike any of them. When you take away everything else, at its core, the movie is about a principled man. A man who is willing to stand up for what he believes in, who at every turn does what he deems is right, however hard it may be. James Donovan is a hero, in every sense of the word.
