Bridge Of Spies review “Spielberg’s best since Schindler’s List”

Bridge Of Spies review: An intelligent, involving, and profoundly inspirational film.

Bridge Of Spies review

It’s been a while since we saw a truly great Steven Spielberg film; arguably the last one being Munich. There’s been plenty of good (The Terminal), and very good (Saving Private Ryan) and one atrocious (a fourth outing for a certain archaeologist), but as far as Bridge Of Spies goes, this is Spielberg’s best since Schindler’s List. With such a diverse career, spanning all periods and genres, it’s quite the claim, but one that is justified in the sheer excellence of everything and everyone present on screen in his fourth collaboration with Tom Hanks.

Set in 1957, the film starts with one of the most memorable openings of recent years; a tense, almost dialogue free sequence that follows Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). He paints, gives suspicious looks, goes out for a walk, retrieves a coin stuck under a bench and then opens the coin to find a secret message, all the while being followed by men in hats. Everything we need to show is shown visually. The editing, music, pacing, and performances all combine to make an unforgettable start to a truly powerful film. It’s a beginning that recounts Spielberg’s best moments.

Bridge Of Spies review

Once arrested Abel is appointed an attorney in the form of Atticus Finch-esque Jim Donovan (Hanks). He’s reluctant at first, but soon takes on the case in all earnestness, and refuses to allow it to become window dressing for American justice. Donovan has every intention of defending his client to the best of his ability. From there the film changes courses a number of times, but Donovan always finds himself wrapped up complex negotiations between the US, Soviets, and East Berlin.

Bridge Of Spies strength lies in how just it truly is. Like Donovan himself there is no bias here, and like some of the best films of the year – such as Inside Out and The Martian – there is no villain and yet still plenty of excruciating conflict. If anything, the real villain of the film is ignorance, as Spielberg pokes fun at Duck and Cover techniques, and uses mob mentality and fear to add a sense of urgency. In a number of impassioned, well scripted, but never sickly speeches, Donovan argues how Abel cannot be a traitor as he is not an American, and goes on to try and convince the country that Abel is just a soldier who was very good at his job. The irony is certainly not lost when Spielberg starts to cut to Americans preparing to spy on the Soviet Union.

Bridge Of Spies review

As has been said many times already, Rylance is a revelation. The Tony award winning actor has appeared in films before, but with this – and the fact he’s Spielberg’s lead in The BFG – he looks set to cement his silver screen career. A shoe in for Best Supporting Actor come awards season, Rylance does so much by doing so little. He has a lovable calm poise, nuanced facial expressions, and line delivery that is absolutely sublime. He isn’t given any moments to chew on or any emotional outbursts, but we feel for him and connect instantly. Hanks also gives one of his career bests, being his usual lovable self with a rebellious edge. One moment he’s hiding behind a car from a stalker, and the next he’s confronting the CIA in a verbal sparring match.

Spielberg’s handling of the material is the work of a master filmmaker, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s working on a script co-written by the Coen Brothers and Matt Charman. Although not painstakingly obvious as one of their works, there are certain lines that upon reflection must have come from the minds of Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. It’s a great partnership and one that will hopefully continue or at least inspire other great filmmakers to collaborate. Whether it’s the aforementioned opening scene, the leaving of a courtroom from Donovan’s wife’s perspective where flashing camera bulbs emphasize confusion, or a breathtaking action set-piece where a plane is shot down, every inch of this film is sublime.

Looking beautiful, sounding incredible, and with stylish transitions, it really does feel as though Spielberg has put his absolute best into every last second of this great film. Granted, there are a couple of final minutes that feel slightly more mawkish Spielberg, but we’ll forgive that due to everything that’s come before. An intelligent, involving, and profoundly inspirational film.

Bridge of Spies review, by Luke Ryan Baldock, November 2015

Bridge Of Spies is released in the UK on 27th November.