A powerful journey back to the Cold War

Steven Spielberg's latest offering, “Bridge of Spies,” tells the true story of James B. Donovan, an insurance lawyer from Brooklyn, who became an integral player in several key U.S. events. This film focuses on Donovan's legal representation of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in his 1957 trial.

Abel was found guilty by the jury, and instead of considering his job done, Donovan chose to file an appeal. To say this action was unpopular would be putting it mildly. The reason for the appeal? The FBI had no search warrant yet searched Abel's apartment and confiscated his property.

When we meet him, Donovan (portrayed to perfection by Tom Hanks), is a lawyer for an accident insurance company. Upon arriving at work one day, his boss (played by Alan Alda) brings him in his office to meet someone from the Brooklyn Bar Association, the organization tasked by the government to find Abel's (Mark Rylance) legal counsel. Seems every lawyer asked to provide “competent legal representation” had declined. Refused even. Because of Donovan's professional involvement during the Nuremberg Trials as an associate prosecutor, and who presented evidence during the trials.

Donovan agrees to defend Abel – but Judge Mortimer Byers thinks the lawyer is going above and beyond the call of duty. Byers wants the spy to have due process, but as far as he's concerned it's all a show; Abel is a Russian spy after all.

Donovan then takes Abel's appeal to the Supreme Court, but the justices support Byers's sentencing 5-4. Donovan's eloquent speech is delivered genuinely by Hanks.

Before sentencing, Donovan appeals to Byers not to sentence Abel to death. Wouldn't it be better to send him to prison to be offered as a trade should an American ever be taken hostage?

Seeing the merit in Donovan's request, Byers announces his sentence and the courtroom goes wild. What? A Russian spy is not sentenced to death?

Meantime, the U.S. military is gearing up for a mission: sending pilots in U2 spy planes to take photographs of enemy territory from an altitude of some 70,000 feet. One of these pilots is Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell). Powers is taken prisoner when his plane is shot down. The U.S., believing Powers is dead (either from the crash or from “spending the dollar” - using a needle dipped in poison hidden in a half dollar), invents a story about a downed weather plane.

An American economics student named Frederic Pryor is arrested as the Berlin Wall is being completed. He is brought up on espionage charges.

Donovan is asked to lead negotiations for the trade of Abel for Powers. Donovan, once in East Germany, makes it his mission to get Prior released as well.

The cinematography is … effective; sets and lighting are dark and gray. It is winter in East Berlin, the cold air mirroring the cold task at hand dependent on unknown players.

Hanks' Donovan reminded me somewhat of Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith – playing the “every man,” just not quite moving us into the depths of passion Stewart brought us to, but strong and true just the same.

Rylance's performance is without a doubt Oscar worthy. His recounting of the “standing man” story from his childhood, is a moving scene between Abel and Donovan. Every nuance, from his demeanor to the way he carries himself as Abel, is a pleasure to watch.

“You remind me of a man who came to our house when I was a boy,” Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) tells Donovan. “Our house was overrun by border guards. Every time they hit him he stood back up again. They hit him harder, and still he got to his feet. I think because of this he got to live.”

Donovan: “And he reminds you of me?”

Abel: “Standing man.”

Abel aptly identifies the character of Donovan in that moment, Donovan is knocked down at most turns, but keeps on fighting. Whether he is striving to represent a Russian spy to the best of his ability, or negotiating in a foreign country for not one, but two, American lives – even though the U.S. isn't as concerned about the student as they are the pilot, Donovan stands, a force to be reckoned with.

The script, based on Donovan's memoir, “Strangers On A Bridge: The Case of Colonel Abel and Francis Gary Powers,” was well-written by the Coen brothers and Matt Charman. Scenes created from the script, sets and performance will stay with you - pilot Powers struggling to free himself from his aircraft, already in the process of self-destructing; watching from a train with Donovan and other passengers as a child and adult are shot with machine guns as they try to scale the Berlin Wall; the bleak remains of the carnage wrought through the “east side” of Berlin ...

Scenes from his experience stayed with Donovan as well. Back in the U.S., after the negotiations, Donovan is riding on a train. The sun is shining, another beautiful day in Brooklyn. Donovan sees children in backyards running and jumping over the chain link fence borders. He sits upright in his seat and watches intently.

So will you.

“Bridge of Spies,” has been held over for one more week at The Harbor Theatre.  It plays Wednesday, Nov. 11 through Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 and 7 p.m. The theatre is located at 185 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor.